Ships names

[shippychris]

Hi Michael.
I worked on both the daffodil and sovereign in the early 60s both belonged to g.s.n.c. also the queen of the channel.
sovereign ran from tower pier to Margate via Southend and a coastal cruise.
daffodill ran Gravesend French coastal and a land in France on some trips via Southend, Margate deal.
Think the queen of the channel only did day trips to France from ramsgate ?
Happy days
chris

[Robert Broome]

hello, Bob Broome here. R545551, Sailed as 3rd, Second and relieving Chief Engineer on MV Fauvette,Goldfinch,Kingfisher,Greenfinch,Auk,and on loan to Regents in Bosworth, and last ever , the Knebworth.
MV Fauvette was an ammunition ship in WW2 and she was the fastest ship in the North Sea!! . Twin screw 6 cyl Polar engines. Designed and built to leave Tower Bridge (Irongate wharf) , dash to Harlegen in Holland and return with fresh cargo to Covent Garden in 24 hours. Skipper Freddie Mace won a few crates of whiskey on bets with the newer end of war continental coasters , usually family crewed, on the race across to Thames entrance. A fast run across a sand bar or two would keep the hull bottom nice and clean. He also brought us from the gun emplacements at the estuary to Tower bridge on Decca through pea soup fog. That was the night a Norwegian ship collided with one of the old gun concrete blocks!. We heard the collision but could not help.
Had to stir the memory banks for that!! Loved my time with GSNC ( God Send New Cook ) . felt part of the ship. Last trip we were locked in Baltic ice within Copenhagen harbour but not nearly close to the wharf. Toilet was a climb down a rope ladder , dig a hole with pickaxe , as there was no running water on board. That was the winter of 1955. Bosworth saved the entire crew of a Grimsby trawler sinking in very heavy weather on Christmas day 1955. The Mayday broadcast was heard across the Queens Christmas speech.

[cappy]

respects to you ........cappy