The Isle of Man steam ferry SS Mona’s Queen sinking after striking a mine off Dunkirk on May 29, 1940. Many shells exploded close to the ship sending plumes of white water into the air and with water spraying over the decks. After a thoroughly eventful life spanning 43 years, Mona's Isle was broken up at Milford Haven in 1948. Isle of Man Steam Packet Company Isle of Man Steam Packet Company vessel Mona's Queen,pictured shortly after she struck a mine on the approach to Dunkirk, 29 May 1940. They were Mona's Queen, Fenella, Manxman, King Orry, Mona's Isle, Ben my Chree, Lady of Man and Tynwald. In fact, the first boat to complete the round trip from the English coast to Dunkirk and back was The Mona's Isle. The longest of the three was Route Y, a distance of 87 nautical miles that followed the French coast as far as Bray-Dunes then turned Nor'east until reaching the Kwinte Buoy. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 8953 troops were saved and 3 ships lost. Mona's Queen was one of the first vessels to make a successful round trip during the Dunkirk evacuation. [10] From there, after proceeding initially to the Nor'west, ships then sailed in an westerly direction as far as the North Goodwin Lightship, then headed due south round the Goodwin Sands to Dover. According to Admiralty records, Mona's Isle was the first ship to leave Dover for Dunkirk[8] when Operation Dynamo began, although an exception being HMS Wolsey, a destroyer which was to act as a radio link ship. On 24 September 1918, she caught fire in Folkestone Harbour. Victoria (left) and Mona's Isle (right), during their winter lay-up at the Tongue, Douglas, Isle of Man, Ships of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company (Fred Henry) p.66, "Early 1900 Postcard of the S.S. Onward leaving Folkestone Harbour", "Operation Dynamo – The Mass Evacuation from Dunkirk", "Operation Dynamo, the evacuation from Dunkirk, 27 May-4 June 1940", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=SS_Mona%27s_Isle_(1905)&oldid=998914309, Ships of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, World War I merchant ships of the United Kingdom, World War I merchant ships of the Isle of Man, World War II merchant ships of the Isle of Man, World War II merchant ships of the United Kingdom, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, 1905–1920: South Eastern and Chatham Railway Company, This page was last edited on 7 January 2021, at 16:43. Petty Officer L.B. Newest UK Releases. Mona’s Isle was the first non-military ship to leave Dover for Dunkirk during the evacuation and the first to complete a round trip, rescuing a total of 2,634 troops. Mona's Queen, one of three Isle of Man Steam Packet boats lost in the operation, went down on 29 May 1940. Cdr Dowding was later promoted to Captain. "Operation Dynamo" Dunkirk evacuation I wish to find crew lists for the 8 steamers the IOMSPCo sent to bring troops off Dunkirk. The memorial at Kallow Point in Port St Mary features the ship's anchor, which was returned to the island in 2011. Mona's Queen was one of the first vessels to make a successful round trip to Dunkirk during the operation, arriving back in Dover on 27 May with about 1,200 troops on board. Onward had accommodation for a crew of 70, and was certificated to carry 1,479 passengers. Capt Ronan worked the Steam Packet after the war and got to know many of the survivors, who continued to sail with the fleet in peacetime. This time, having rebuilt the fleet to 16 vessels, it had its best 10 ships commandeered for active duty – 4 of which were sadly to be lost. That said, other ships in service at the time in the UK might also match the profile of course. Mona’s Queen’s first trip to Dunkirk brought 1,200 men back to England. TSS King Orry (IV) - the fourth vessel in the line's history to be so named - was the lead ship of the King Orry Class of passenger ferries and packet ships.More commonly referred to as the six sisters, they were built for the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company between 1946 & 1955 primarily to replace war-time losses. Of eleven Steam Packet ships either purchased or chartered by the Admiralty during the Great War, only four returned to service with the Company after the cessation of hostilities, and consequently, new ships were going to be needed to handle the resumption of peacetime traffic. Mona’s Isle was the first non-military ship to leave Dover for Dunkirk during the evacuation and the first to complete a round trip, rescuing a total of 2,634 troops. Once secured at the quayside, Mona's Isle embarked 1,420 troops[8] and she left at first light the next morning. The vessel is the only Steam Packet Company ship to carry the Manx flag down the River Thames, for she was transferred to the Company when berthed at Union Dock, Limehouse, in the Port of London. Both £2 coins feature the Isle of Man Steam Company packet ship, the SS Mona’s Isle, rescuing soldiers at Dunkirk. She worked for a further two years, until with the introduction of the "Six Sisters", she was withdrawn from service. [6] This resulted in the scuttling of the vessel; she turned over onto her port side, and was subsequently hauled upright by a team of five steam locomotives in harness.[6][7]. According to Admiralty records, Mona's Isle was the first ship to leave Dover for Dunkirk when Operation Dynamo began, although an exception being HMS Wolsey, a destroyer which was to act as a radio link ship. © 2021 BBC. She was transferred to the Tyne in 1941, where she was three times involved in collisions, one of which did extensive damage and sent her to dock for three months. Mona's Isle departed Dover at 21:00hrs on 27 May 1940. Read about our approach to external linking. Mona's Isle saw service to the various ports then served by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, but was mainly used on summer work between Douglas and the company's Irish services to Belfast and Dublin. There were casualties among the gun's crew, but the PO continued to carry out his duties until the ship berthed six hours later. Following the collision, Onward returned to Folkestone, and from there to William Denny and Brothers, Dumbarton, where she underwent repairs which kept her out of service for a month. The hull of Onward was purchased by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company in 1920 and rebuilt as Mona's Isle,[2] the fourth ship in the company's history to be so named. Primarily, she was used as a troop transport ship for the British Expeditionary Force, on her regular route between Folkestone and Boulogne. ... Dunkirk ship Mona's Queen memorial held on Isle of Man. This was Route X, a distance of 55 nautical miles, and ships headed due north out of Dunkirk, through the Ruytingen Pass[11] and onto the North Goodwin Lightship before heading due south round the Goodwin Sands to Dover. Brilliant Uncirculated UK Five Pounds – 2020 Remembrance Day – Unknown Warrior. [8] The journey across the Channel during the hours of darkness was uneventful, and she arrived at Dunkirk at approximately midnight. ( Wikimedia Commons ) To read Allen Barra’s review of the film “Dunkirk,” click here . He said Fred was "was blown up against the top of the stairway" and knocked out. Video, A man who invited the world over for dinner, Star Wars supports host Arielle after racist abuse, Minister who promoted 'Covid syrup' tests positive, Larry King, veteran talk show host, dies aged 87, Biden apologises over troops sleeping in car park, Information about BBC links to other news sites. Thirty-two sailors were rescued, but 24 crew, 17 of whom were from the island, died. Representatives of Port St Mary Commissioners laid a wreath on a memorial to the ship at 05:30 BST, the time of the sinking. On her second trip, she struck a mine as she approached the harbor and sank in two minutes. The rest of her war service was spent either as an Armoured Boarding Vessel or an accommodation ship. The Isle of Man Steam Packet vessel, the Mona's Queen III, holds a very special place in the history of WW2. . And the the extraordinary mobilization of both the military, ground troops doing rearguard fighting, both navies loosing about 12 destroyers in the process, the Air Force, trying to contain the Luftwaffe, civilians volunteering to get the men out despite the odds, and finally the … Two awards were later made to members of the ship's company or their part in the action. The company's previous King Orry was one of three company … The Mona's Isle was a triple screw vessel, so by careful use of port and starboard engines, the ship was able to reach the safety of Dover, but not before a Bf 109 had strafed the ship a couple of times killing 23 and wounding 60 others. Eight Steam Packet ships together rescued 25,000 Allied troops from Dunkirk and 70 years on, the anchor from the Mona's Queen has been raised in Dunkirk. Dowding RNR, received the Distinguished Service Order. She was taking on water and could not complete the return journey until repaired. Published. Onward was built at William Denny and Brothers shipyard on the River Leven adjoining the River Clyde at Dumbarton, in 1905. As a perfect tribute to SS Mona’s Isle and the bravery of her crew, this BRAND NEW £2 coin pair has been issued by the Isle … He had remained at a 12-pounder gun despite multiple wounds and he took a great risk in coming out of cover to close the cordite boxes. View cart “Brilliant Uncirculated Isle of Man Two Pounds – 2020 Dunkirk Mona’s Isle At Sea” has been added to your cart. She was the first ship to complete a round trip during the evacuation of Dunkirk (Operation Dynamo), rescuing a total of 2,634 troops. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Personally, I don't think the King Orry matches the profile - she had a taller funnel (below). Length 311'2"; beam 40'1"; depth 16'6". Dunkirk anchor from Mona's Queen returns to Isle of Man, No new cases of Covid-19 detected in the last 24 hours, Guernsey back in lockdown following Covid outbreak, .css-1xgj2ad-InlineLink:link{color:#3F3F42;}.css-1xgj2ad-InlineLink:visited{color:#696969;}.css-1xgj2ad-InlineLink:link,.css-1xgj2ad-InlineLink:visited{font-weight:700;border-bottom:1px solid #BABABA;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-1xgj2ad-InlineLink:link:hover,.css-1xgj2ad-InlineLink:visited:hover,.css-1xgj2ad-InlineLink:link:focus,.css-1xgj2ad-InlineLink:visited:focus{border-bottom-color:currentcolor;border-bottom-width:2px;color:#B80000;}@supports (text-underline-offset:0.25em){.css-1xgj2ad-InlineLink:link,.css-1xgj2ad-InlineLink:visited{border-bottom:none;-webkit-text-decoration:underline #BABABA;text-decoration:underline #BABABA;-webkit-text-decoration-thickness:1px;text-decoration-thickness:1px;-webkit-text-decoration-skip-ink:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;text-underline-offset:0.25em;}.css-1xgj2ad-InlineLink:link:hover,.css-1xgj2ad-InlineLink:visited:hover,.css-1xgj2ad-InlineLink:link:focus,.css-1xgj2ad-InlineLink:visited:focus{-webkit-text-decoration-color:currentcolor;text-decoration-color:currentcolor;-webkit-text-decoration-thickness:2px;text-decoration-thickness:2px;color:#B80000;}}Information about BBC links to other news sites, 'Thousands detained' at Navalny protests in Russia. After D-Day she worked on cross-Channel transport duties until June 1945, when she was then chartered by the Ministry of War Transport before she was finally released from her war service in March 1946. The Commanding Officer, Cdr J.C.K. "He was pulled out of the water and into the lifeboat," he added. [5], Upon the completion of repairs, Onward had the distinction of carrying the very first motor car across the English Channel.[5]. Like other Steam Packet ships, she was fitted out as an ABV – an Armed Boarding Vessel – and for the first few months of the war her life was largely uneventful. Onward commenced Steam Packet service still under her original name, until 27 August 1920, when she was renamed Mona's Isle. Eight Steam Packet vessels were requisitioned for the World War Two operation, which saw 338,226 British and French troops from the beach and harbour of the French town. On Monday, 29 June 1936, she struck the Devil's Rock in Balscadden Bay, but was able to reach Dublin safely. The Mona's Queen was one of … The paper that helped the homeless. Mona’s Isle was the first non-military ship to leave Dover for Dunkirk during the evacuation and the first to complete a round trip, rescuing a total of 2,634 troops. It officially began with the arrival of Mona’s Isle, a British troop transport, the evening of May 26-27. Mona's Isle made a second round trip to Dunkirk, bringing out a further 1,200 troops, and bringing her total to 2,634. Three routes were allocated to the evacuating vessels. She was sunk by a German mine on 29 May 1940, with the loss of 24 crew. Could also be the Fenella as LDV said. 1 Construction 2 Appearance 3 War service and loss 4 Memorial 5 Trivia 6 References Mona's Queen was built by Cammell … How the pandemic has changed the world economy, The paper that helped the homeless. Mona's Queen pictured shortly after she struck a mine on the approach to Dunkirk, 29 May 1940. As a perfect tribute to SS Mona’s Isle and the bravery of her crew, this BRAND NEW £2 coin pair has been issued by the Isle of Man. After her war service, Mona's Isle returned to her duties within the Steam Packet fleet. .css-1snjdh1-IconContainer{display:none;height:0.875em;width:0.875em;vertical-align:-0.0625em;margin-right:0.25em;}Long watch: Is this Russian cult leader a fraud? Under heavy attack from enemy fire, over 300,000 troops were evacuation from the beach, and it could not have been done without the Isle of Man Steam Packet boats and others from the Island. The 26-year-old Dover Harbour Board tug, the Lady Brassey along with Simla , … He was Commodore of the ill-fated Convoy PQ 17 to Russia, which was forced to scatter and suffered heavy losses in July 1942. Under the command of Captain Radcliffe Duggan, she arrived back in Dover during the night of 27 May with 1,200 troops. At the outbreak of war, 10 of the 16 vessels in the fleet of the Isle of … VideoThe paper that helped the homeless, How India calculates value of women's housework, The deadly ingredient smuggled onto US menus, Viewpoint: Africa no longer needs lectures from the US, Tunisians question whether life is better after Arab Spring, .css-1ty7601-HeadlineContainer{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-box-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;justify-content:center;width:100%;font-size:1rem;line-height:1.375rem;}.css-ftbx47-Heading{width:100%;}Asian 'drug lord' arrested in Amsterdam.css-2nuv1h-Rank{font-size:1.5rem;line-height:1.75rem;font-weight:normal;padding-left:0.75rem;color:#B80000;}@media (min-width:37.5rem){.css-2nuv1h-Rank{font-size:2rem;line-height:2.25rem;}}1, A man who invited the world over for dinner2, 'Thousands detained' at Navalny protests in Russia3, PM talks to Biden in first call since inauguration4, Star Wars supports host Arielle after racist abuse5, Minister who promoted 'Covid syrup' tests positive6, Larry King, veteran talk show host, dies aged 877, Biden apologises over troops sleeping in car park8, The homeless addict who became a history professor9. .css-1xgx53b-Link{font-family:ReithSans,Helvetica,Arial,freesans,sans-serif;font-weight:700;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;color:#FFFFFF;}.css-1xgx53b-Link:hover,.css-1xgx53b-Link:focus{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}Read about our approach to external linking. 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