PS Gracie Fields

PS Gracie Fields was a paddle steamer built in 1936 as a ferry and excursion steamer for Red Funnel of Southampton at the Thornycroft yard at Woolston. She ran on the Southampton-Cowes route until the outbreak of World War II, when she was requisitioned and served as HMS Gracie Fields as a minesweeper. After successfully evacuating troops from the Dunkirk beaches, she was seriously damaged by an aircraft bomb on 29 May 1940, and sank the following morning.

History
United Kingdom
Namesake: Gracie Fields
Owner: The Southampton, The Isle of Wight and South of England Royal Mail Steam Packet Company Limited (Red Funnel)
Port of registry: Southampton
Builder: John I Thornycroft & Co, Woolston
Yard number: 1149
Launched: 8 April 1936
Completed: May 1936
Identification: Official number: 165053
Fate: Sunk by air raid 30 May 1940
Notes: Requisitioned by Admiralty in 1939, used as minesweeper off Dover
General characteristics
Type: Paddle steamer
Tonnage: 396 GRT
Length: 195 ft (59.4 m)
Beam: 24 ft (7.3 m)
Propulsion: Compound diagonal steam engine
Speed: 17 knots (19.6 mph, 31.4 km/h)

Design and construction

Laid down as Yard No.1149 by John I. Thornycroft & Company at Woolston for the The Southampton, The Isle of Wight and South of England Royal Mail Steam Packet Company Limited, by then known as "Red Funnel", the paddle steamer Gracie Fields had a tonnage of 393 GRT. Her length overall was 195.9 ft (59.7 m), breadth 24.9 ft (7.6 m) and depth 8.0 ft (2.4 m).[1] The ship was propelled by a diagonal compound steam engine of 137 nhp, also made by Thornycroft and giving a service speed of 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph).

Royal Navy service

At the beginning of the Second World War she was requisitioned by the Admiralty and served as a minesweeper.[2] On 29 May 1940, the ship took part in the Dunkirk evacuation, rescuing 280 troops on the first trip, however on the second trip she was attacked by German aircraft and sunk with the loss of 8 on board.[3] Accounts differ; some say the ship sank within 3 minutes,[4] however others state that she was evacuated then sank under tow the next day.[5] Survivors were picked up by warships, however 8 on board were killed.

References
  1. "Launching the paddle steamer 'Gracie Fields'". The Official Gracie Fields. Retrieved 2019-10-06.
  2. "Wrecksite - Gracie Fields". Wrecksite. Retrieved 2019-10-06.
  3. Winston, George (2015-06-20). "Grace Fields – The Martyr Steamer of the Dunkirk". WAR HISTORY ONLINE. Retrieved 2019-10-06.
  4. "BBC - WW2 People's War - The Gracie Fields". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2019-10-06.
  5. "Gracie Fields". www.paddlesteamers.info. Retrieved 2019-10-06.


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