DUNKIRK LITTLE SHIPS - Fossa , Tigris One & Princess Freda

Discussion in '1940' started by ThamesBen, Jan 5, 2011.

  1. ThamesBen

    ThamesBen Junior Member

    Has anyone got photographs or info on the following 3 River Thames vessels

    Any photographs of them at Dunkirk would be superb

    FOSSA - Beached at Dunkirk 1940, operated by Gaselee & Sons (Tug) - reported to have been salvaged by German troops?

    PRINCESS FREDA - Thames Passenger Vessel , returned from Dunkirk

    TIGRIS ONE - Thames passenger vessel, beached at dunkirk but later salvaged by French troops and sailed back to Kent and later served on the Thames before becoming houseboat in the 1980s
     
  2. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

  3. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  4. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Just to add to the link Owen already posted:

    There is a B/W photograph of her in The Ship's that saved an Army by Russel Plummer page 124. It also gives the following info:

    Princess Freda Thames motor launch of 36 tons, built in 1926 and 63' in length: Part of the up-river fleet of C. Whatford & Sons of Hampton Court, registered for 140 passengers. Came back safely from Dunkirk and continued in the same fleet after the war until the Whatford buisness became a subsidiary of Thames Motor Boat Co in 1970 and was later transferred to TMB ownership. Now owned by Phillips of Westminster and still employed on up-river services to Kew. ADLS member.


    From BEF Ships: Before, At and After Dunkirk by John de S. Winser

    Princess Freda Thames Launch - Ferried Troops at Dunkirk.
     
  5. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    From The Ships that saved an Army by Russell Plummer:

    Tigris One Thames Passenger Launch, converted in 1922 by Tough Brothers, Teddington, from Royal Navy launch built 1918-74'6" long: Operated by Toughs untils sold in 1937 to Harry Hastings of Kingston. Taken to Sheerness and on to Dunkirk by her owner/skipper, Tigris One was estimated to have moved 800 troops from the shore o larger vessels, working with other small craft including the Whatford Launch Princess Lily. Harry Hastings, who's crew included his brother and partner Warren Hastings, was blown overboard by a near miss as Tigris One made a fourth run to the beach but clambered back uninjured. After a fifth run Hastings was ordered to beach and abandon the leaking Tigris One and his crew were taken off and returned to Ramsgate. Tigris One came back too. Troops from a French engineering regiment managed to patch the leaks and repaired the boat's pump and started out across the Channel. They ran aground on the Goodwin Sands but were towed off and into Ramsgate. Tigris One was refitted by Toughs but her hull had been severely strained and after the 1944 season she was sold for use as a houseboat.


    BEF Ships: Before, At and After Dunkirk by John de S. Winser

    Tigris One Thames Launch - Ferried troops at Dunkirk May 31
     
  6. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    From The Ships that saved an Army by Russell Plummer:

    Fossa steam tug of 105 tons, built in 1929 by Alexander Hall & Sons, Aberdeen - 81' x 21'6" - Owned by Gaslee & Son, master G. Finch: Towed vessels across including the ketch Jeanette with which Fossa then worked loading troops ferried from the East Mole. When Jeanette developed a sterring fault Fossa herself went in, later departing towing Jeanette and a naval cutter. Then ran aground and cast off tows who whose men were transferred to another boat. Fossa was refloated but lost on 2nd June after suffering a direct hit.


    From BEF Ships: Before, At and After Dunkirk by John de S. Winser

    Fossa Tug - Arrived Dunkirk Jun 1: Embarked 100 troops Jun 2 but went aground outside the harbour and abandoned.

    Thetis Motor Boat (Eaton) - Towed over by Fossa Jun 1...

    The book also suggests that due to many documents being hand written any ref to Forsa is most likely to be the Fossa.
     
  7. Jedburgh22

    Jedburgh22 Very Senior Member

    david brown:
    Dunkirk 1940

    Report extracted from the logbook of the tug “Fossa”

    Tug: Fossa

    Owners: (Gaselee & Son Ltd)

    Tug Master: Capt G Finch

    Naval Officer: Sub Lt Solomon RNVR

    1st June 1940 1400 hrs
    Sub Lt Solomon on board at Ramsgate Commandeered the tug Contest but the crew refused to sail.

    1400 He then commandeered the tug “Fossa”

    2000 took in tow the MB “Thetis” (1) which was manned by one Petty Officer and two Sea Scouts and sailed for Dunkirk.
    The two Sea Scouts were T Towndroy and S Brown of the 1st Mortlake Sea Scout Group

    2nd June 1940
    0001 Arrived Dunkirk Sun Lt Solomon went ashore as liaison Officer and as a French Interpreter and left orders for the M/B to load at least three hundred troops on to the “Fossa”
    The M/B’s steering cable broke on the first trip in to the harbour and the “Fossa” embarked the troops directly from the mole and proceeded seawards taking in tow the disabled M/B and an open naval cutter loaded with French troops

    0350 Outside the harbour entrance the “Fossa” grounded.
    The M/V “Locust” could not get in close enough to tow off the “Fossa”
    The “MLC 21” unsuccessfully attempted to tow the tug off and then embarked about one hundred of the “Fossa’s” troops and crew and proceeded to Ramsgate with them arriving at 1415


    Note (1) Sub Lt Solomon called the M/B “Therune” but no M/B of this name can be traced
    Messrs Gaselee & Son Ltd reported that Captain Finch towed over only one M/B the name of which he did not know
     
  8. Jedburgh22

    Jedburgh22 Very Senior Member

    Attached Files:

  9. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    That Fossa in that photo was built 1961 , it's the wrong one.
    http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/attachments/1940/43123d1294219662t-dunkirk-little-ships-fossa-tigris-one-princess-freda-ltg160fossa-jpg
    Built 1961 by Henry Scarr Ltd., Hessle. Screw Tug. YN775. L85'9''. B21'6''. D10'9''. 98grt. 1000bhp 8cyl SBV8M545 Deutz diesel engine. Acquired 1965. Disposed 1975. Official No. 302599.
    This is the WW2 era one.
    Abandoned on the beach at Dunkirk. Photo D Brennan colln.

    http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=43124&d=1294219915
     

    Attached Files:

  10. Jedburgh22

    Jedburgh22 Very Senior Member

    Thank you for the correction Owen

    Steven
     
  11. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Note (1) Sub Lt Solomon called the M/B “Therune” but no M/B of this name can be traced



    The Motor Boat was called Thurne
     
  12. ThamesBen

    ThamesBen Junior Member

    Thank you for the swift reply everyone.

    Ive seen 1 or 2 pictures of FOSSA on the beach at Dunkirk. Does anybody have any shots.

    I dont know of any taken of thames passenger vessels at dunkirk though? or Tigris One beached?
     
  13. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    There's quite a few of the Fossa on this forum - Some you may not have seen before posted by some members from Belgium in one of the 1940 threads.

    Have a look through this one:
    http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/1940/29818-dunkirk-operation-dynamo-evacuation-beaches.html

    As for pictures of the other two I would suspec the IWM or the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich maybe able to help.

    Just out of curiousity can I ask what the interest is in the three craft?

    Cheers
    Andy
     
  14. ThamesBen

    ThamesBen Junior Member

    Thanks Andy. Interesting thread there.

    I work on the River Thames myself , so i have an interest in the vessels which took part. I see the Princess Freda on a regular basis.

    I know the vessels took part but never seen any photos of them in the operation itself
     
  15. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Hi Ben,

    I've quite fancied travelling on her myself (Just to say I have been on a 'little ship') for some time since I found out that she was still working. Ref pic's of the three craft the only Dunkirk shots I've seen are of the Fossa only. The B/W one in one of my books of Princess Freda appears to be post WW2. I think you'll do well to find a WW2 shot of the other two craft.

    I take it you have seen some of the WW2 shot taken on the Thames of some of the little ships being towed? I have one in a book of a SS ship (President I think?) in the foreground which is moored on the embankment with small craft being towed in the middle ground. I believe its still there today and promised myself to do a 'Then and Now' shot of it at some point.

    Andy
     
  16. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Just a bit more info I found for you on the Princess Freda source: The Evacuation from Dunkirk edited by W J R Gardner listed the skipper as S/Lt E S Foreman RNVR.
     
  17. ThamesBen

    ThamesBen Junior Member

    I take it you have seen some of the WW2 shot taken on the Thames of some of the little ships being towed? I have one in a book of a SS ship (President I think?) in the foreground which is moored on the embankment with small craft being towed in the middle ground. I believe its still there today and promised myself to do a 'Then and Now' shot of it at some point.




    I have indeed seen a few of these shots of the little ships being towed taken on the Thames, heres one. Many of the Thames steamers like Princess Freda never made it to Dunkirk due to the fact the salt water never went well with there steam boilers and coiling system. They were stopped at Sheerness and never crossed the channel although they do have there Dunkirk 1940 placs due to taking part.

    It seems that there was never any photos taken of them. Tigris One was beached at Dunkirk and personally i believe somewhere out there german or french cameramen must have her in a shot somewhere!

    [​IMG]
     
  18. rewdco

    rewdco Senior Member

    It seems that there was never any photos taken of them. Tigris One was beached at Dunkirk and personally i believe somewhere out there german or french cameramen must have her in a shot somewhere!

    Ben,

    Could it have been this one? :unsure:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Jan
     
  19. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Hi Jan,

    Those are excellent shots, where are they from ? Please tell me a book :D

    Regards
    Andy
     
  20. rewdco

    rewdco Senior Member

    Sorry Andy... I found these somewhere on the internet (and I can't remember where... :confused: ). I don't think they come from a book... :(

    Jan
     

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