Registry - London

Wartime Code: PH65 (Letters “CY” painted under her bridge)

Length on deck - 329.6’(on deck), 341.6’(overall)

Breadth of hull - 47.1’

Depth - 17.9’

Draught - 12.10’(maximum)

Tonnage - 2,910 gross (3,071 from 1932)

1,153 net

Engines - 4 Parsons steam turbines in two independent sets, each working one of the

twin screws.

Boilers - Four Babcock & Wilcox oil fired w/t 227lb/sq in

Power - 8,500 shp

Speed - 21 knots (service)

Capacity - 1,700 (maximum, certificate)

July 9^th 1928: Keel was struck.

December 13^th 1928: Launched.

March 2^nd 1929: Sea trials.

March 15^th 1929: Delivered to Southern Railway in Southampton.

April 29^th 1929: Arrived at Dover.

May 15^th 1929: Entered service between Dover - Calais.

1931 - 1932 (winter): Owing to mechanical problems she had an extensive refit.

May 1932: Re-entered service.

1935: Present at King George V’s Jubilee Naval Review at Spithead.

September 1939: Converted to a troop ship, painted grey overall and with one mast.

May 10^th - 12^th 1940: Hook of Holland disembarking Guardsmen.

May 21^st 1940: Evacuated troops from Boulogne

May 22^nd : Evacuated troops from Calais

May 25^th 1940 - June 4^th 1940: Made 5 trips to Dunkirk. Then employed as a “target ship” for the Fleet Air Arm.

June 6^th - 16^th 1940: Made various voyage from Southampton to Le Havre, Cherbourg and Brest. After a final return to Plymouth rested in the River Dart.

July 2^nd 1941: Transferred to Larne- Stranraer. She also served as a target ship for the Fleet Air Arm/R.A.F.

June 1942: Eight month conversion to a troop landing ship at Ardrossan.

February 1943: Conversion completed.

Summer 1942: Became part of “Force J” and Naval personnel were added to her Southern Railway crew.

June 4^th 1944: Embarked 420 troops of the 3^rd Canadian Division at Southampton.

After taking part in the Normandy invasion she ran for just over 1 year as a military leave ship between Calais and the Kent ports after which she went for refit at Vickers Armstrong on the Tyne.

December 7^th 1944: Operated as a trop ship between Dover - Ostend.,

December 23^rd 1944: Conducted berthing trials in Calais.

January 1^st 1945: Calais re-opened as a personnel port

Mat 12^th 1945: Departed to Southampton for extensive refit.

July 1945: Returned to service in Southern Railway colours.

October 23^rd - 27^th 1945: The “Great Gale” trooping sailings cancelled. Three ships were in Calais one in Dover.

October 24^th 1945: Sailed “light” to Calais in Force 10 winds.

October 27^th 1945: First ship out of Folkestone.

October 28^th 1945: First ship out of Calais.

December 31^st 1945: Fog bound in Calais.

February 1946: Refitted at Vickers Armstrong on the Tyne.

April 15^th 1946: Returned to the “Golden Arrow”.

October 1946: Replaced by INVICTA she entered service between Folkestone - Calais where she remained.

January 1947: Six-month spell at Dover.

Stéphane Poulain Collection

January 1^st 1948: Registered to British Transport Commission, Southern Region.

1948 (summer): Moved to Folkestone - Boulogne. Became the first cross-Channel steamer to be equipped with Radar.

Stéphane Poulain Collection

September 27^th 1964: Made her final crossing.

Stéphane Poulain Collection

October 1964: Withdrawn and laid-up in Dover.

Roy Thornton Collection

1965: Sold to Belgian ship-breakers Scrappineco.

July 30^th 1965: Towed, by the Belgian tug BURGERMEISTER VAN DA MERK to Antwerp.

She was stripped of her fittings and finally demolished by Brussels Shipbreaking Co at Willebroek