Crested Eagle was the first oil-burning paddle steamer built for the Thames.[3] She was designed with a three-part telescopic funnel, hinged mast and low superstructure to enable her to pass underneath London Bridge,[3] to allow her to compete with ships such as PS Royal Sovereign.[3] She carried passengers from Old Swan Pier (just west of London Bridge), along the Thames to Margate.[3] In 1932 General Steam Navigation Company assigned Crested Eagle to new routes from London to Clacton-on-Sea and Felixstowe, while the newly launched PS Royal Eagle took over the old Margate route.[3] With the outbreak of World War II, in September 1939, Crested Eagle was one of the ships tasked with evacuating children out of London, carrying them to Felixstowe.[3]
On 29 May 1940, captained by Lieutenant Commander (Temporary) Bernard Booth RNR, Crested Eagle sailed from Sheerness to the east mole at Dunkirk.[5] On the west side of the mole were some trawlers and HMS Grenade, with Fenella and Crested Eagle docked on the east wide.[5] Troops were boarding the trawlers and the three ships in between bombing raids.[5] But after Grenade and Fenella were both damaged by bombing raids, the survivors on both ships disembarked and boarded the Crested Eagle.[5][4] She set sail with about 600 men aboard, but less than a mile from the mole a number of bombs hit her.[5] With the aft of the ship on fire, including the lounges where large numbers of troops had been sheltering, the captain was advised by an engineer that the ship would not survive, so he ordered the ship beached.[5][6] About 200 survivors of the Crested Eagle were picked up by other ships including HMS Albury, HMS Lydd and TSS St Seiriol.[5] The Crested Eagle's second engineer and a stoker from the Grenade were rescued from the water by HMS Sabre.[5] About 300 soldiers were killed in the incident.[4]
The ship is now still visible at low spring tide on Zuydcoote beach.[7]
^"Steamers & Motorships". Lloyd's Register of Shipping(PDF). London: Lloyd's Register of Shipping. 1934. CRE–CRI. Retrieved 19 August 2022 – via Southampton City Council.
^ abcdefghiBox, Peter (1 January 1989). Belles of the East Coast: A History of the Belle Fleet and Paddle Steamer Era. Tyndale + Panda Publishing. ISBN978-1870094085.
^ abc"Dunkirk tribute to hundreds killed on MV Crested Eagle". BBC News. 24 May 2015. Retrieved 2022-01-02.
^ abcdefghijMace, Martin (30 July 2017). The Royal Navy at Dunkirk: Commanding Officers' Reports of British Warships In Action During Operation Dynamo. Frontline Books. ISBN978-1473886728.
^"HMS Crested Eagle [+1940]". wrecksite.eu. Retrieved 25 April 2019.
^"Crested Eagle". dkepaves.free.fr (in French). Retrieved 25 April 2019.
December 06, 2023
crested, eagle, 075920, 4912, 075920, 4912, paddle, steamer, sunk, dunkirk, evacuation, samuel, white, built, 1925, general, steam, navigation, company, requisitioned, admiralty, during, world, anti, aircraft, duties, part, thames, special, service, flotilla, . 51 04 33 N 2 29 28 E 51 075920 N 2 4912 E 51 075920 2 4912 HMS Crested Eagle was a paddle steamer sunk in the Dunkirk evacuation 4 J Samuel White built her in 1925 for the General Steam Navigation Company 5 and was requisitioned by the Admiralty during the World War II for anti aircraft duties as part of the Thames Special Service Flotilla 5 3 HistoryUnited KingdomNameCrested EagleOwnerGeneral Steam Navigation Co 3 OperatorRoyal Navy 1940 Port of registryLondonBuilderJ Samuel White East Cowes 3 Launched25 March 1925CompletedJune 1925IdentificationUK official number 148598 1 code letters KSPT until 1933 1 call sign MNFY by 1934 2 FateBombed and beached 1940General characteristics as builtTypePaddle steamerTonnage1 110 GRT 579 NRT 1 Length229 7 ft 70 0 m 1 Beam34 6 ft 10 5 m 1 Depth11 1 ft 3 4 m 1 Installed power538 NHP 1 Propulsiontriple expansion engines 1 History editCrested Eagle was the first oil burning paddle steamer built for the Thames 3 She was designed with a three part telescopic funnel hinged mast and low superstructure to enable her to pass underneath London Bridge 3 to allow her to compete with ships such as PS Royal Sovereign 3 She carried passengers from Old Swan Pier just west of London Bridge along the Thames to Margate 3 In 1932 General Steam Navigation Company assigned Crested Eagle to new routes from London to Clacton on Sea and Felixstowe while the newly launched PS Royal Eagle took over the old Margate route 3 With the outbreak of World War II in September 1939 Crested Eagle was one of the ships tasked with evacuating children out of London carrying them to Felixstowe 3 On 29 May 1940 captained by Lieutenant Commander Temporary Bernard Booth RNR Crested Eagle sailed from Sheerness to the east mole at Dunkirk 5 On the west side of the mole were some trawlers and HMS Grenade with Fenella and Crested Eagle docked on the east wide 5 Troops were boarding the trawlers and the three ships in between bombing raids 5 But after Grenade and Fenella were both damaged by bombing raids the survivors on both ships disembarked and boarded the Crested Eagle 5 4 She set sail with about 600 men aboard but less than a mile from the mole a number of bombs hit her 5 With the aft of the ship on fire including the lounges where large numbers of troops had been sheltering the captain was advised by an engineer that the ship would not survive so he ordered the ship beached 5 6 About 200 survivors of the Crested Eagle were picked up by other ships including HMS Albury HMS Lydd and TSS St Seiriol 5 The Crested Eagle s second engineer and a stoker from the Grenade were rescued from the water by HMS Sabre 5 About 300 soldiers were killed in the incident 4 The ship is now still visible at low spring tide on Zuydcoote beach 7 nbsp nbsp nbsp References edit a b c d e f g h Steamers amp Motorships Lloyd s Register of Shipping PDF London Lloyd s Register of Shipping 1933 CRA CRI Retrieved 19 August 2022 via Southampton City Council Steamers amp Motorships Lloyd s Register of Shipping PDF London Lloyd s Register of Shipping 1934 CRE CRI Retrieved 19 August 2022 via Southampton City Council a b c d e f g h i Box Peter 1 January 1989 Belles of the East Coast A History of the Belle Fleet and Paddle Steamer Era Tyndale Panda Publishing ISBN 978 1870094085 a b c Dunkirk tribute to hundreds killed on MV Crested Eagle BBC News 24 May 2015 Retrieved 2022 01 02 a b c d e f g h i j Mace Martin 30 July 2017 The Royal Navy at Dunkirk Commanding Officers Reports of British Warships In Action During Operation Dynamo Frontline Books ISBN 978 1473886728 HMS Crested Eagle 1940 wrecksite eu Retrieved 25 April 2019 Crested Eagle dkepaves free fr in French Retrieved 25 April 2019 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title HMS Crested Eagle amp oldid 1170238499, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
