Duchess of Fife began her passenger service on the Gourock to Dunoon and Rothesay routes.[2] In May 1916 she was requisitioned by the Admiralty and converted to a minesweeper for the remainder of World War I with her name shortened to HMS Duchess, and was allocated the pendant number PP533, where she served in the North Sea.[3] She was returned to her owner in April 1919 and from 1937 she undertook sailings from Wemyss Bay to Millport and Kilchattan Bay.[2]
She was requisitioned once again in 1939 upon the outbreak of World War II, this time retaining her full name as HMS Duchess of Fife, pendant number J115.[4] She was part of the 12th Minesweeping Flotilla, based at Harwich.
Duchess of Fife took part in "Operation Dynamo", the Dunkirk evacuation, while under the command of Temporary Lieutenant J N Anderson of the Royal Naval Reserve.[5] From 28 May, she undertook four crossings between Dunkirk and Ramsgate rescuing a total of 1,633 allied troops.[6] Her final crossing was on 3 June with 300 French troops.[5] She was later awarded a Royal Navy battle honour for her part in the operation.[7] Later that year, Fife was transferred from Harwich to Kingston upon Hull, and from there went to the School of Minesweeping as a training ship at HMS Lochinvar in Port Edgar on the Firth of Forth.[8]
She was refurbished by James Lamont & Co, Greenock, in 1945 and returned to civilian service.[1] The last sailing of Duchess of Fife was on 6 June 1953, and she was sold for scrapping in September 1953[2] to Smith & Houston Ltd, Port Glasgow.[1]
Referencesedit
^ abc"Paddle Steamer DUCHESS OF FIFE". The Caledonian Maritime Research Trust. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
^ abcdDeayton, Alistair (2014) The Caledonian Steam Packet Company: An Illustrated History, Amberley Publishing: Stroud, UK ISBN978-1-4456-3920-8
^"Minesweepers & Trawlers – World War 1". Harwich & Dovercourt – A time gone by. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
^. ClydeMaritime. Archived from the original on 14 November 2017. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
^ abGardner, W. J. R. (2000), The Evacuation from Dunkirk: 'Operation Dynamo', 26 May – 4 June 1940, Frank Class Publishers: London, UK. ISBN0-7146-8150-4
^Winser, John de S. (1999). B.E.F. Ships before, at and after Dunkirk, World Ship Society: Gravesend, UK. ISBN0-905617-91-6
^Warlow, Ben, Lt. Cdr., Royal Navy (2004) Battle Honours of the Royal Navy, Maritime Books: Liskeard, UK; ISBN1-904459-05-6
^Plummer, Russell (1995). Paddle Steamers at War 1939-1945. Peterborough, England: GMS Enterprises. pp. 21–22. ISBN1-870384-39-3.
April 15, 2024
duchess, fife, 1903, other, ships, with, same, name, duchess, fife, duchess, duchess, fife, paddle, steamer, built, 1903, caledonian, steam, packet, company, spent, most, career, serving, passenger, routes, firth, clyde, requisitioned, minesweeper, during, bot. For other ships with the same name see PS Duchess of Fife and HMS Duchess PS Duchess of Fife was a paddle steamer built in 1903 for the Caledonian Steam Packet Company She spent most of her career serving passenger routes in the Firth of Clyde and was requisitioned for use as a minesweeper during both World Wars In 1940 she took part in the Dunkirk evacuation rescuing a total of 1 633 allied troops A mosaic of the Duchess of Fife in a Greenock underpassHistoryNamePS Duchess of Fife 1903 1953 HMS Duchess 1916 1919 HMS Duchess of Fife 1939 1945 OwnerCaledonian Steam Packet CompanyOperatorCaledonian Steam Packet Company 1903 1953 Royal Navy 1916 1919 Royal Navy 1939 1945 BuilderFairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company GlasgowYard number432Launched9 May 1903Honours andawardsDunkirk 1940FateScrapped 15 September 1953General characteristicsTypePaddle steamerTonnage336 GRTLength213 3 feet 65 0 m PropulsionTriple expansion diagonalSpeed17 knotsShe was sold for scrapping in September 1953 after 50 years of service Construction editDuchess of Fife was built by the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company in Govan Glasgow as Yard Number 432 and was launched on 9 May 1903 1 The design of her machinery was similar to that of her sister ship in the Caledonian Steam Packet Company PS Duchess of Montrose 2 Service history editDuchess of Fife began her passenger service on the Gourock to Dunoon and Rothesay routes 2 In May 1916 she was requisitioned by the Admiralty and converted to a minesweeper for the remainder of World War I with her name shortened to HMS Duchess and was allocated the pendant number PP533 where she served in the North Sea 3 She was returned to her owner in April 1919 and from 1937 she undertook sailings from Wemyss Bay to Millport and Kilchattan Bay 2 She was requisitioned once again in 1939 upon the outbreak of World War II this time retaining her full name as HMS Duchess of Fife pendant number J115 4 She was part of the 12th Minesweeping Flotilla based at Harwich Duchess of Fife took part in Operation Dynamo the Dunkirk evacuation while under the command of Temporary Lieutenant J N Anderson of the Royal Naval Reserve 5 From 28 May she undertook four crossings between Dunkirk and Ramsgate rescuing a total of 1 633 allied troops 6 Her final crossing was on 3 June with 300 French troops 5 She was later awarded a Royal Navy battle honour for her part in the operation 7 Later that year Fife was transferred from Harwich to Kingston upon Hull and from there went to the School of Minesweeping as a training ship at HMS Lochinvar in Port Edgar on the Firth of Forth 8 She was refurbished by James Lamont amp Co Greenock in 1945 and returned to civilian service 1 The last sailing of Duchess of Fife was on 6 June 1953 and she was sold for scrapping in September 1953 2 to Smith amp Houston Ltd Port Glasgow 1 References edit a b c Paddle Steamer DUCHESS OF FIFE The Caledonian Maritime Research Trust Retrieved 30 September 2017 a b c d Deayton Alistair 2014 The Caledonian Steam Packet Company An Illustrated History Amberley Publishing Stroud UK ISBN 978 1 4456 3920 8 Minesweepers amp Trawlers World War 1 Harwich amp Dovercourt A time gone by Retrieved 30 September 2017 Duchess 1903 HMS Auxiliary Paddle Minesweeper ClydeMaritime Archived from the original on 14 November 2017 Retrieved 30 September 2017 a b Gardner W J R 2000 The Evacuation from Dunkirk Operation Dynamo 26 May 4 June 1940 Frank Class Publishers London UK ISBN 0 7146 8150 4 Winser John de S 1999 B E F Ships before at and after Dunkirk World Ship Society Gravesend UK ISBN 0 905617 91 6 Warlow Ben Lt Cdr Royal Navy 2004 Battle Honours of the Royal Navy Maritime Books Liskeard UK ISBN 1 904459 05 6 Plummer Russell 1995 Paddle Steamers at War 1939 1945 Peterborough England GMS Enterprises pp 21 22 ISBN 1 870384 39 3 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title PS Duchess of Fife 1903 amp oldid 1185516518, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
