Hi All
Yesterday in the South Wales Echo there was a pull out titled "Time To
Remember"
for the 60th aniversasy of Dunquerque. (Dunkirk.)
Amongst the articles was one written about the old Campbells pleasure
steamers (The Welsh Navy) that opperated on the Bristol Channel and English
Channel.They were converted to mine sweepers for the War.
A condensed version of Dan O Niel's article
The article was about the Galloping Gertie real name Glen Gower.
She was with others of the fleet one of many of the little ships of England
who rescued our soldiers from the beaches all those years ago in 1940.
On her first crossing she got stuck in the sands as she had too much coal and
many soldiers aboard.
Luckily her sister ship the Waverley renamed the Snaefell was in the vicinity
and managed to tow her off the sands.
Old Gertie was then told to head for the pier at Dunkirk to try and get more
soldiers,
Stukas were dive bombing all and sundry and one shell burst beneath her stern
then another in the stokers quarters where 10 men were killed.
She entered Dover later that day with 1500 soldiers aboard and her flag at
half mast in honour of those killed aboard.
Patched up and re coaled she left for Dunkirk to rescue more joined by her
friends of a happier day The Cambria, The Westward Ho and the Britania. She
brought back 700 men to Harwich was re coaled and went again.
Sadly Old Gertie was to make her last trip across this stretch of water in
1960 on her way to Belgium where she was broken up.
Of her friends in the Welsh Navy "The Brighton Belle" and "Brighton
Queen"
sank at Dunkirk. "The Devonia" was bombed just off the beach.
The Snaefell (Waverley) was sunk later in the war off the North east coast
and the Glen Avon was sunk off Normandy 1944.
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The names of these ships are not household names unless you live in the
S.Wales or South Coast areas but still rank amongst the greats of British
maritime history.
Brave little ships and more to the point very brave men who crewed them to
rescue our boys.
Regards Phil the Cardiff mongrel
Who does and will "remember" despite not being around then.