For a small boy, one of the treats when going for a sail on the Clyde or a holiday visit on the Firth in the 1950s was to go to the steamer shop or stationery shop when ashore and, after much deliberation, choose a postcard depicting a favourite steamer of the day. Particularly prized were the photographic cards produced by Messrs W. Ralston, Ltd., the premier marine photographers who were renowned for their images of ships on trials. Their series of cards of Clyde Steamers covered most of the important members of the fleet.

With the exception of the MacBrayne vessels, the uniform buff, black-topped funnels of the Caledonian Steam Packet Co. Ltd., gave the impression that this was standard for a passenger steamer, but careful attention to the photographs gave glimpses of a more colourful age that preceded the utilitarian post-war decade.

This article is mostly pictorial in nature. The histories of the fleet are very well known and can be found elsewhere. However, the scene is set with VE-Day, towards the end of the second world war and some cuttings from newspapers preserved in an old scrap-album by an anonymous steamer enthusiast who documented the Clyde fleet as it began to return from active service. A superb and detailed history of the fleet during this period is available as the late Peter G Herriot’s “Steamers at War,” published by the Clyde River Steamer Club, Glasgow, in 2015.

The second world war took a toll on the Clyde steamer fleet, just as the previous war thirty years before. Most of the paddle steamers were requisitioned as minesweepers, and later converted to anti-aircraft duties, with tall funnels shortened to allow a greater arc of fire. Most of the turbine steamers remained on the Clyde to serve as tenders to the troopships that found sanctuary inside the boom between the Cloch and Dunoon. Even the smaller motor ships had a role moving personnel and stores around the upper river.

The Clyde Barrage in World War 2

The river services were limited. Above the boom, the veteran Lucy Ashton provided stalwart service connecting Craigendoran, Kilcreggan and Helensburgh with Gourock, with Queen Mary II on the Dunoon connection and Marchioness of Lorne tending to the Holy Loch. Below the boom, the Rothesay service was maintained by the turbine, Duchess of Montrose, and Arran and Millport by the Marchioness of Graham and Glen Sannox from Fairlie.

Queen Mary II leaving Dunoon at the end of hostilities (Ralston)

Lucy Ashton early in the war

Glen Sannox in 1939 leaving Gourock. She spent the war below the boom

Marchioness of Graham on the Rothesay service with MacBrayne’s Lochaline that served as examination ship at Rothesay

“Girl purser.—Miss Jean Vicary, a Lenzie girl, has the distinction of being the first member of her sex to secure an appointment as a ship’s purser in the Clyde passenger fleet this war. In attractive uniform and cap this young lady, as assistant purser on the famous L.N.E. steamer Lucy Ashton, adds a touch of colour to the rather drab war-time garb of the old Craigendoran-Gareloch paddler. Regular travellers agree that Miss Vicary pulls her weight in pushing out, or hauling in, the gangways and deals efficiently with the tickets.”—Daily Record, August 5, 1942

“Old lady of the Clyde Little—The “Little Old Lady” is the affectionate nickname given to the familiar Clyde steamer, Lucy Ashton, by her master, Mr. D. Campbell. Writing in the L.N.E.R. magazine, Mr. Campbell points out that for three years the Lucy has never missed a run through any fault of her own. And what runs they are! Six thirty a.m. to seven-thirty p.m. every day—thirty-three piers—over 100 sea miles. The only break is an hour-and-a quarter in the forenoon, and much of this time is needed for coaling and taking on stores. Mr. Campbell hardly ever has his hands off the telegraph.

“Purser’s Plaint—Miss J. Vicary, purser of the steamer, also has few words to say in the magazine. She finds her job “sometimes exasperating.” People will keep coming aboard, discovering they’re on the wrong boat, and expecting the purser to get them out of their difficulties. And “the demands made by some passengers,” says Miss Vicary, show that they do not realise the conditions under which the railway and steamer connections are made.”—Daily Record. October 9, 1942

“Clyde Boat’s Record—A fine performance has been put up by the 54-year-old L.N.E.R. steamer, Lucy Ashton. She has, for over three years, maintained the L.N.E.R. Clyde Coast service by herself. Leaving Craigendoran at 6.30 a.m. she sails throughout each week-day almost continually until 7.45 p.m. In setting up this record she has covered some 94,000 nautical miles.”—Daily Record, November 24, 1942

Examination vessel H.M.S. Wee Cumbrae off Greenock. She was generally based at Rothesay

During the war, news of the steamers that had been taken by the Admiralty was restricted but some inklings of their gallant service filtered its way into the newspapers.

H.M.S. Duchess of Fife in WW2

“Clyde steamers.—In the current issue of “Shipyard Spotlight,” the shipyard workers’ own publication, there’s news of the veteran paddle steamers Eagle III and Duchess of Fife, known to millions of holidaymakers on the Clyde since long before the last war. The 33-year-old Eagle III is now the minelayer H.M.S Oriole, and has been out on many secret missions to leave her dangerous cargoes in the North Sea. The 40-year-old Duchess of Fife, after a spell minesweeping off the East Coast, is now used for training officers and ratings for new minesweepers, at the rate of nearly 50 a week. Both steamers were at Dunkirk. The Eagle brought back nearly 3,000 troops, the Duchess of Fife about 1,500. The present commander of the Eagle is Lieut.-Commander H.W.C. Hyde, R.N.R., who hails from Kent. His chief engineer is Lieut. Hugh F. Bain, R.N.R., who served in a sister ship on the Clyde for 22 years. Even in their Navy grey war paint—“Ye canna beat these old ships,” says Lieut. Bain. “This one’s as braw as ever.” Captain of the Duchess—which is estimated to have steamers nearly 100,000 miles since the beginning of the war—is Lieut.-Commander N. F. Wills, R.N.V.R., who has his cabin in what was formerly the tea lounge. His engineer officer, Lieut. J. M‘Clymont, R.N.R, served in this steamer for five years before the war. “It’s a wee bit different now,” he says, “but I’m glad to be in the old ship while she’s doing her bit in the war.”—January 1943.

H.M.S. Oriole at La Panne during Dunkirk evacuation. John Rutherford Crosby in the foreground

Dramatic photograph of the Dunkirk evacuation taken from H.M.S. Oriole that was published in the Sphere 

Notably positive war news was a little more forthcoming.

H.M.S. Queen Empress

“Clyde’s Queen Empress brings down raider off coast.—An enemy aircraft shot into the sea while approaching the east coast of England has been claimed by H.M.S Queen Empress, a former pleasure steamer which in peace-time plied between the Broomielaw and coast resorts on the Clyde. She was built in 1912 and saw service in the last war as a transport and as a minesweeper. H.M.S Queen Empress is under the command of Lieut. H. Astbury, R.N.R/, whose home is at North Hartlepool. A substantially-built vessel, the Queen Empress was the product of the Port-Glasgow yard of Messrs Murdoch and Murray, Ltd. One of the Williamson steamers, she was taken over by the L.M.S. in 1935, and in the 1936 season was almost exclusively used for railway connections from Greenock, Gourock, and Wemyss Bay. In the last war she was also used as an ambulance transport in the White Sea, and was actually under gunfire. Once she ran aground but was successfully refloated. At the end of the war she resumed her Clyde service, regaining her previous popularity. The Queen Empress is 210 ft overall and 26 ft broad, with a gross tonnage of 410. Her trial trip speed is about 17 knots.”—May 22, 1943

Bad news was tempered with good.

H.M.S. Helvellyn early in WW2 off Greenock

“For these Men-o’-war this Fair Monday would be busy.—Famous Clyde paddle steamers, from whose decks thousands of peacetime holidaymakers saw the beauties of Dunoon, Rothesay, the Kyles of Bute, and the Isle of Arran, are giving a good account of themselves as men-o’-war. Camouflage has distorted their graceful lines, guns are mounted on deck, and even the names of some of the ships have been changed. Five will not return. H.M.S. Mercury was sunk while minesweeping off the Irish coast on Christmas Day, 1940; the Juno—renamed Helvellyn, was sunk in the Thames during the blitz; H.M.S. Marmion went down off Harwich; H.M.S. Kylemore, veteran of the group, is no more; and H.M.S. Waverley came to a heroic end in the evacuation from Dunkirk. The Duchess of Rothesay, Eagle III—renamed Oriole—and Duchess of Fife survived to share the glory of Dunkirk. These and the Queen Empress, Caledonia—renamed Goatfell, Jupiter—renamed Scawfell—and Jeanie Deans are carrying on the fighting tradition of Britain’s little ships. The family of paddlers is now widespread, but some have managed to stick together in groups of two or three. One of the happiest combinations in the Navy was in the early days of the war when Jeanie Deans, Scawfell, Caledonia, Juno, and Mercury swept the Clyde together under the command of Captain Fitzroy. All the chief engineers were taken over with their ships. With typical pride they have kept their engine-rooms as much show place as before the war. All hold the rank of lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve. Veteran of the group is Lieut. C. B. Howe, of the Goatfell, who has been in Clyde paddlers for 21 years and in the Goatfell in peace and war for eight years.—July 19, 1943

Waverley with Marmion behind from a newspaper clipping

The winding down of the war in Europe brought some welcome relief.

Lucy Ashton in 1945 when fitted with her concrete wheelhouse

“Lucy Ashton lays aside her battledress.—Ships are discarding their battledress and putting on colours again. First of the Clyde fleet to shed her war-time grey is the old paddler Lucy Ashton, which yesterday appeared with a funnel in the familiar L.N.E.R. colours—red, with a white and black band on top. The Lucy Ashton is the Clyde pleasure steamer on service, and the only one of the L.N.E.R. fleet which has been continuously on service on the Clyde during the war.”—Daily Record. May 31, 1945

Gourock Bay in 1945. There are three turbines at the end of Gourock Pier, Queen Mary II and likely with King George V and King Edward berthed alongside each other. In the foreground is the Belfast tug Duchess of Abercorn that later sailed to Campbeltown as Wimaisia, and the North Wales steamer St Silio.

After VE-Day, the steamers began returning to the Clyde, and there was great anticipation of the resumption of more normal service.

Jeanie Deans in Bowling Harbour awaiting conversion to peace time duties

“Jeanie returns to the Firth.—Good news for Clyde shiplovers, the Jeanie Deans has returned to the Firth and lies at Bowling, waiting to be reconditioned. As a flotilla leader she has seen wide and thrilling service since she left us, all grey and warlike, in the autumn of 1939. She was built for the L. and N.E. Railway Company at Fairfield in 1931, and is a large and very handsome ship of 635 gross tons and of dimensions 250 x 30-1 x 8-7 feet. These show her as being broad for her size, and with rather shallow draft to suit her terminus pier. Her engines were at first unique as being the only triple crank set among our river steamers, although the ancients around the Harbour Bar will recall that nearly 40 years ago there had appeared the first triple-expansion three-crank engine in the Culzean Castle, which ran to Campbeltown, not too successfully, for a few years. But the Jeanie’s engines are very powerful indeed, and so speedy that she is probably the fastest paddle-steamer on the Clyde. Her small wheels give her a remarkably short and rapid beat that is known far away. On her first appearance she had very low funnels enclosing the steampipes, but next year they were lengthened by 9 feet and 6 feet, thus making them unequal, and giving her a somewhat peculiar appearance. Both funnels are in front of the paddleboxes., a feature not seen on the Clyde since the Brodick Castle left in 1887. At the same time she received a large shelter lounge on both forward and after decks to give some protection from weather, for her excursion traffic takes her to Arrochar and Lochgoilhead where rain is frequent. Always big and imposing, the Jeanie made a very fine appearance when in her splendid peace-time colour-scheme of silver-grey hull, salmon-pink underbody, white cabin windows and upper-works, ochre sponson houses, graceful open paddle boxes touched in red, and red funnels with black top and white band. Ay she soon be with us again, brilliant as she was before, and gay with eager crowds from Craigendoran.—A.C.S.”—July 16, 1945

The Glasgow Fair of 1945 was marred by long lines and shortages but the populace made the best of it as some wartime restrictions eased.

“Quietest engines on the Clyde.—Old stagers travelling on the river steamers were very pleased to hear that the Duchess of Fife was lying off Kilcreggan, home from the wars. Now she is in Lamonts at Port Glasgow being reconditioned for her former service.She is remembered as one of the most popular steamers on the Clyde for her comfort, her bonnie lines, and her swift and reliable passages on the run to Dunoon, Rothesay, and the Kyles. She had a very smart and graceful appearance, with her open bow—so long standard to the Caledonian Company—large windows, and all funnel, though all these features may not be retained now. Her engines consist of four cylinders in tandem working two cranks, and were remarkable for their smooth and silent action—the quietest on the Clyde. They made almost less noise than a sewing machine. Like the Duchess of Rothesay, she maintained her speed of over 17 knots even after the stress and strains of the last war—a performance most creditable to the Fairfield yard which built her in 1903. She received a new boiler in 1928. The Duchess of Fife is 210 feet long by 25 broad, and carries 1206 passengers on her No. 5 certificate. She was always a good seaboat, and was used for winter traffic, her bow being then boarded and shuttered back to the paddleboxes to enable her to stand the heavy seas. Below decks she has the older style of large comfortable cabin with dining-saloon below, and a small but cosy tearoom, which now will be quite inadequate so great is the change in habits of the travelling public. When she reappears in the yellow, white, and black of the L.M. and S. Railway Company, she will receive a warm welcome from her old friends.—A.C.S.”—July 23, 1945

An election in July returned the Labour Government to power.

“Jupiter’s turn for demob.—Those who cross the railway bridge over the Kelvin will recognize with pleasure a well-known Glasgow girl who has been away from 1939 on war service, and is now in process of being demobed—the Jupiter. She made her debut from the Fairfield yard in 1937 for the L.M.S. Railway Company, and her dimensions are 223.6 x 30.1 x 9.7 feet, and 642 gross tons. She has one navy boiler, double-ended, leading to two fat funnels, both forward of the paddle boxes and giving a steam pressure of 150 lb. The engines are triple expansion diagonal, and operate with a remarkable degree of silence and speed, giving her 16½ knots.

“Her paddleboxes are, to a sailor’s eye, her poorest feature, for they are “concealed,” a fashion in great favour with her English directors, but one which, we hope, will be corrected in future. On the other hand she is well designed below decks, and has proved particularly suitable for winter as well as summer sailing. Handy at piers and comfortable to her 1230 passengers when on ferry service out of Gourock or Wemyss Bay to Rothesay or Dunoon, she soon became a most popular ship. Boys and girls now at school, and some older people have forgotten that our Clyde steamers had ever any other colour but grey. For the benefit of these, the Jupiter looked exceedingly well with black hull, green underbody, white cabin windows and upperworks, and bright yellow funnels with black tops. Lying in the river Kelvin at present, she appears grey, squat, immensely low and broad, and rather froglike. But we hope that sometime in the late autumn or winter she may be with us again, brilliant in her old-time colours, and lording it once more among her older girl friends—the Lucy Ashton and the Jeanie Deans.—A.C.S”—July 24, 1945

The steamers that remained on the Clyde service were not forgotten.

“Lucy Ashton Still Game.—There is something extraordinarily attractive in a paddle steamer. The throw and thrust of the engines, the fascination of the whirling machinery, the nearness to the water, the revolving paddle wheels, and her marked handiness at piers all make her infinitely preferable to the uninteresting turbines of the day. The run of the Lucy Ashton on Monday, July 2, from Craigendoran to Rothesay via Gourock and Dunoon made history on the Clyde. It marked the reopening of that route and the reappearance of the familiar red, white, and black funnel after an absence of nearly six years. But it was also a happy event for many steamboat lovers, for it meant the return of the paddles, and all along the shores of the firth her passing was hailed with immense interest and enthusiasm by a delighted public.

“The Lucy Ashton is an elderly steamer, though still a game old lady, having first felt the water at Seath’s yard in Rutherglen in 1888. In these days she had a single cylinder and crank, but in 1902 she was re-engined to a compound diagonal two-crank unit with the usual and almost eternal haystack boiler. For years she has been the Gareloch boat, and her length of 190 feet and capacity of 903 passengers has been found sufficient for local needs. In design she is old fashioned, a type so long standard to the North British Railway, of large paddle-boxes, deck saloons fore and aft with alleyways round the former, and a low flush-deck bow with high bulwark. During the war she acquired an immense house on her bridge for the better protection of the great hand wheel. Her cabin, decorated with more care and colour than those of the moderns, is particularly comfortable, and she has a fire in the centre of it (modern designers please note) which is most cosy and popular in the chilly days of winter. Other attractions are the pretty tearoom, the band of two musicians, the two captains, and the lady purser. What more can heart or holiday desire?—A.C.S”—July 28, 1945

Reference to the two captains:

“Captain Campbell and Captain M‘Phail of the L.N.E.R. Clyde Steamers, were each presented with a wallet of Treasury notes on board the Lucy Ashton on her last run to Dunoon last night.”—Daily Record, September 8, 1945.

Much was made of the partial return of the fleet.

H.M.S. Goatfell awaiting conversion at Denny’s yard

“Four Clyde steamers back from the war.—Four of the 18 Clyde pleasure steamers which sailed to war in 1939 have returned to the river battle-scarred and grimy. They need extensive reconstruction, and it is considered unlikely that they will be back into service in time for this season’s sailings. The four are the L.M.S Caledonia, Jupiter, and Duchess of Fife, and the L.N.E.R. Jeanie Deans. Fourteen of the L.M.S Clyde fleet were requisitioned. Nine paddles—Caledonia, Mercury, Juno, Jupiter, Duchess of Rothesay, Duchess of Fife, Queen Empress, Eagle III, and Kylemore—were taken over in one day in October, 1939. Two turbine steamers requisitioned were the Duchess of Hamilton and the King Edward, and three smaller vessels, Ashton, Leven, and Wee Cumbrae were also taken. All nine paddlers were fitted out first of all as minesweepers. Later the Caledonia, Jupiter, and Queen Empress became flak ships, and the Duchess of Fifebecame a minesweeping training ship for officers and crews in the Forth. The Ashton, Leven, and Wee Cumbrae have been employed as communication vessels between merchant ships and naval shore establishments at Gourock and Rothesay.

“Of the five paddlers—Jeanie Deans, Waverley, Talisman, Marmion, and Lucy Ashton—the first four were requisitioned, and were used for a time as minesweepers in the Firth of Clyde. The Talisman was renamed Aristocrat, and served as the headquarters of a Scottish division which sailed to Normandy on D-Day. The Waverley was lost at Dunkirk, and the Marmion went to the bottom of the North Sea the following year after air attacks.

“While minesweeping off the Irish coast the Mercury, which had been damaged in the Portland blitz, was sunk on December 25, 1940. The Juno was sunk and the Caledonia and Jupiter were damaged in the London blitzes. While on the Humber as a flak ship the Caledonia brought down two German planes. The Duchess of Rothesay, the Duchess of Fife, and Eagle III brought back thousands of troops from Dunkirk. Deck officers, engineer officers, and crews went with the ships from the Clyde, but only one, Lieut.-Commander Howe, continued to serve in his original ship, the Caledonia. Two interesting items in the war record of the Queen Empress occurred in 1943, when she shot down an enemy aircraft approaching the East Coast and later brought down a Focke-Wulf 109. The Kylemore, serving as a minesweeper, was sunk off the East Coast of England.”

And another commentary on the same material.

“War stories of famous pleasure steamers.—Of the 18 Clyde pleasure vessels called to don the battle-dress of war-time grey in the autumn of 1939, 12 played an exciting part in clearing the menace of Nazi mines in the early critical days. When hostilities began the Admiralty, confronted with an acute shortage of fast sweepers capable of towing double Oropresa gear, decided to convert every suitable paddler for this work, and commandeered a dozen of the required type from the Clyde fleet. They were given the prefix H.M.S., four were given new names, and all were put in hand for immediate conversion. Two popular L.M.S. veterans—the Duchess of Rothesay built in 1895, and the Kylemore, built in 1897—became part of the 10th Minesweeping Flotilla. Five old favourites born before the war of 1914—Queen Empress, Eagle, and Duchess of Fife, from the L.M.S. fleet, and Marmion and Waverley, which bore the L.N.E. colours—were grouped together as the 12th Minesweeping Flotilla. Originally it was intended that this flotilla should operate from Dover, but they were allocated to the Nore Command in the spring of 1940 as Oropresa minesweepers. They took part in the evacuation of Dunkirk. The youngsters—Mercury, Caledonia, Juno, and Jupiter, of the L.M.S., and Jeanie Deans of the L.N.E.—which had all been built in the eight years prior to 1939 and were regarded by the Admiralty as the most modern and powerful types, became the 11th Minesweeping Flotilla. With the advance of the war and the construction of a special class of fleet minesweepers, those Clyde paddlers which survived were, with others, converted to A.A. ships to counter the onslaughts of the Luftwaffe. And they have many “killed” to their credit. Of the six other Clyde vessels on war service, the King Edward and Duchess of Hamilton, of the L.M.S., have acted as tenders ferrying American and Dominion troops. Five of the gallant band of little ships—Juno, Kylemore, Marmion, Mercury and Waverley—were among the victims of war and will not return. The Caledonia, Duchess of Fife, Jeanie Deans and Jupiter have returned to the Clyde to be reconverted to peacetime needs and will be in service again next year. The others are still in war service.”

Occasional pieces brought some exploits to public attention as the year wore on.

“Jupiter tackled the Luftwaffe.—Under the name H.M.S. Scawfell, the 1937-built Jupiter was among those vessel which suffered damage in the London Blitzes while being converted to flak ships. She later did good work on the East Coast in breaking up enemy air attacks. A former Jupiter, which was given the name H.M.S. Jupiter II, was a minesweeper in the Dover area in the last war.”

“Target for Luftwaffe.—The Duchess of Rothesay, celebrated her Jubilee this year. She was built at Clydebank in 1895. As part of the 10th Flotilla at Dover she was one of the favourite targets of the Luftwaffe. In 1940 she was transferred to the 12th Flotilla at Harwich, and brought back hundreds of troops from Dunkirk. Two years later she became an accommodation ship at Brighlingsea. When in her twenties in the last war this lively Duchess towed the disabled Zeppelin L15 into Margate, assisted in salving 15 sips, and swept up more than 500 mines. She sank, but it was at Merklands Wharf on the Clyde I 1920 when a sea-cock was left open. In 1935 the Duchess put up a speed performance of 17½ knots.”

At the beginning of 1946, there was a focus on the MacBrayne fleet.

“Ships and men of the MacBrayne fleet at war.—Veteran paddle steamers, crack turbine and motor ships, and small ferrying craft which, before 1939, maintained the Clyde and West Highland services of David MacBrayne, Ltd., were called on for Admiralty work during the war. In all 12 vessels with a combined gross tonnage of under 5000, were engaged by the Government. Two were at Dunkirk and one of the ferry boats was in the Normandy D-Day landings. The cruise ship Lochgarry, the Caledonian Canal paddler Gondolier, and the old Islay paddler Pioneer will not return to the familiar MacBrayne colour. A part almost as important in the war effort was played by the veteran servants of the company who emerged from retirement—one from Vancouver, to do their bit. They have returned to their leisure, but with some regrets. They enjoyed their busy days.

“The high-pressure turbine steamer King George V did high pressure work at Dunkirk. She made six trips in all to carry men home in those dark days of 1940. Her performances then earned the D.S.C. for her skipper, Captain Bob MacLean, and her chief engineer, Mr W. Macgregor, and D.S.M for Bosun Mackinnon. She returned from Dunkirk to serve as a tender in the Clyde when Dominion and, later, American troops were pouring into Gourock, and she carried Mr Winston Churchill to his battleship when he was on his way to the other side of the Atlantic. The glory of that job compensated the crew for the week they spent in isolation so that news of the Prime Minister’s trip did not leak out. The King George V, of 801 gross tons, and built in 1926 at Dumbarton, is undergoing reconditioning at Greenock in preparation for the summer traffic. Thousands of holidaymakers cruised in West Highland waters on the Lochgarry. The Lochgarry foundered off the North Coast of Ireland in 1942 while on service between this country and Iceland. More than a score of her crew were lost. She too, had been at Dunkirk, and suffered severe damage from a near-miss bombing. Built at Pointhouse shipyard in 1898, the Lochgarry was first the Vulture in the service of G. & J. Burns, and the Lairdsrock with Burns and Lard Lines, Ltd. She was of 1670 gross tons and the largest vessel in the MacBrayne fleet.

“The Saint Columba did not travel far on war service from which she has not yet been released. She was the Clyde’s boom defence depot ship and as such remained at Greenock. This was a change from the last war when the Saint Columba was the recently Denny-built Queen Alexandra II, of 827 gross tons. For more than four years between 1914 and 1919, the triple-screw Queen Alexandra was on transport work for the Admiralty, in which service she rammed and sunk a German submarine. When the Queen Alexandra was acquired by David MacBrayne Ltd., in 1935 her two funnels were shortened and a third added, and she was renamed Saint Columba to perpetuate the name of the famous paddler Columba which served the firm for 58 years. Veteran of the MacBrayne fleet, the paddle steamer Gondolier was built by J. and G. Thomson at Clydebank in 1866. A small craft of only 173 gross tons, she served for many years on the Caledonian Canal, and was known to visitors from all parts of the world. Requisitioned for service by the Admiralty, the Gondolier was deemed suitable as a block ship at Scapa Flow, and ended her career there. The 1905-built paddle, Pioneer, which served on the West Loch Tarbert-Islay run until succeeded by the Locheil, was taken over as a depot ship (part of the time at Fairlie where she was known as the Wren’s Rendezvous), and is likely to continue under Admiralty ownership. She is 241 gross tons. Built at Bowling in 1904, the 229 ton Lochaline was examination ship at Rothesay, and the 1934 Dumbarton-built Lochnevis was engaged in minelaying for three years. Five of the company’s small ferry craft—the Fingal, Soay, Kyle, Garry, and Lochbuie—were on service, one of them being at the D-Day landings in Normandy.

Pioneer in wartime colours in 1939

Lochnevis approaching Wemyss Bay on the Ardrishaig mail run before her requisition as a minelayer

“A few hours after the declaration of war in 1939, David MacBrayne, Ltd., received a cablegram from Vancouver, in which Mr James Archibald, a retired official, volunteered his services for the duration. Mr Archibald had 50 years’ service with the company when he retired from the position of quay manager, and went to live in British Columbia. He did not wait for a reply, but crossed Canada and the Atlantic at his own expense and presented himself at Robertson Street, Glasgow. As the company carried out all convoy work in the West of Scotland his knowledge of shipping work was put to good use. All through the war years he continued at the accountancy side of that work, a task which necessitated the preparation of accounts in seven copies. When the final reconning came in November last it was found that Mr Archibald’s accounts showed not a penny deficit. Now in his 78th year he has returned to Vancouver carrying with him another presentation from the company. Travellers on the old Columba and her successor, Saint Columba, knew “Fitz” as the purser, otherwise Mr James Fitzgerald. He too came out of retirement to serve all through the war in the company’s audit department. So did Mr David Malcolm of Inverness. The three veterans made a grand team of workers.

“A word should be said about the vessels that maintained the services to the Isles all through the war, through mine-strewn and sometimes submarine-infested waters. Every day for nearly six years the passenger traffic carried was greater than the peak summer holiday traffic of pre-war days. There has been criticism of the service supplied, particularly in regard to time schedules. But the MacBrayne vessels run to train connections, and the late arrival of trains for outward journeys meant late running for the vessels with insufficient time to overtake work in ports and consequent late departures for return trips. “Our ships and buses have been working at full pressure for more than six years with little opportunity for repair and overhaul, and it is not surprising if, like some of us who have been invalided out of the Services, they are limping a little,: said an official to the Glasgow Herald. “The marvel is that an efficient sea service was maintained without a single mishap through dangerous waters over the whole period,” he added.”—Glasgow Herald, January 11, 1946.

The basic Clyde services were upgraded in 1946 as vessels became available. However, excursion traffic was limited.

“Sailings resumed in June.—Many of the Clyde river services which were abandoned on the outbreak of war will be restored at the beginning of June. The Queen Mary II and the King Edward will provide the resumed sailings from Bridge Wharf, Glasgow, at 10 a.m. (11 a.m. Sundays) to Dunoon, Rothesay, Largs, Millport, and the Arran coast, and at 11 a.m. on weekdays to the Kyles of Bute. The new services to Lochranza and Campbeltown on Tuesday, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and to Inveraray on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, will be given by the Duchess of Hamilton; while the Duchess of Montrose will be on the Gourock, Dunoon, and Arran run, and the Duchess of Argyll will sail from Gourock to the Kyles of Bute.

“The regular services between Gourock, Dunoon, Wemyss Bay, and Rothesay will be undertaken by the Caledonia and the Jupiter, and the Duchess of Fife will be on the Holy Loch run. The Marchioness of Graham will provide the Wemyss Bay, Largs, and Millport service. Local sailings will be made by the Wee Cumbrae between Largs and Millport, and the Glen Sannox will be on the Ardrossan and Arran service. The Motor vessels Ashton and Leven, which were engaged before the war on short river trips from Bridge Wharf, are to give hourly service daily, including Sundays, from Gourock to Dunoon from 11.30 a.m. to .30 p.m. (7.30 p.m. on Saturdays). From Dunoon to Gourock there will also be an hourly service from 12.30 p.m. until 7.30p.m. (8.30 p.m. on Saturdays). This service is intended wholly for passengers booking locally. The ordinary service will continue to be available for through booked passengers. The L.M.S. Railway Company announce that, while the return of the vessels from war service has enabled them to improve their services, there will be no cheap excursions this year. The ordinary or monthly fares will be charged.”—June 1, 1946

Duchess of Montrose at Dunoon in 1946, still awaiting the finishing touches to her demob

Duchess of Argyll, still in grey passing Wemyss Bay where the newly repainted Lochfyne on the Ardrishaig run, is berthed (Ralston)

Jupiter at Rothesay in 1948 (Tuck)

“Reconditioned.—The Jeanie Deans has been reconditioned from stem to stern. She resumes the Kilcreggan, Dunoon, Innellan and Rothesay run this morning, with accommodation for 1700 passengers The Jeanie thus brings relief to the Lucy Ashton, which until this morning has been carrying on the L.N.E.R. service alone, since September, 1939.”—Daily Record, June 1, 1946

The reconditioned Jeanie Deans in her glory (Valentine)

Jeanie Deans at Tighnabruaich (Spencer)

“Clyde paddle steamers sold to the shipbreakers.—Three well-known paddle steamers of the L.M.S. Railway’s pre-war Clyde steamship fleet—the Queen Empress, Duchess of Rothesay, and Eagle III—have been sold for breaking up following their return from war service. The L.M.S have decided that they are unsuitable for modernization. Queen Empress and Duchess of Rothesay have been sold to the Netherlands firm of Scheepslooperij de Kopphandel, Nieuw Lekkerland, and Eagle III to Messrs Smith and Houston, Ltd., Glasgow. Queen Empress (411 gross tons), built by Messrs Murdoch and Murray in 1912, served with the Royal Navy in both the 1914-18 and 1939-45 as a minesweeper”—April 5, 1946.

A forlorn Eagle III awaiting disposal in the Holy Loch

Unlike the L.M.S.R., the L.N.E.R moved to replace the tonnage they had lost in the war. H.M.S. Aristocrat was eventually released in February 1946, to be reconditioned as Talisman and join Jeanie Deans, but the Craigendoran fleet had lost half the vessels requisitions for war service. The north bank railway went to Messrs A. & J. Inglis, Pointhouse for a replacement for their war losses.

Lucy Ashton continued in her service. Early in 1946, she appeared in most unusual peace-time colours.

Lucy Ashton early in 1946

Later, she reappeared in more conventional L. N. E. R. garb.

Lucy Ashton later in 1946.

Lucy Ashton (Valentine)

Talisman looking splendid (Valentine)

Post-war Talisman at Rothesay

Talisman at Tighnabruaich

The new vessel, Waverley, was launched on the 2nd of October, 1946.

“L.N.E.R. ship launched.—The latest addition to the L.N.E.R. Clyde fleet, the paddle steamer Waverley, was launched from the Pointhouse (Glasgow) yard of A. & J. Inglis, Ltd, yesterday, by Lady Matthews, wife of the chairman of the L.N.E.R. The new vessel will replace one sunk by enemy aircraft in 1940 when taking part in the Dunkirk evacuation. The master of the new Waverley will be Captain J. E. Cameron , who was on the vessel lost at Dunkirk. At a gathering following the launch, Sir Ronald Matthews, pointing out that only two of the four L.N.E.R. Clyde ships which went to the war came back—the Jeanie Deans and the Talisman, said they could regard the rebirth of the Waverley as one more indication of the persistence of our national life and ideals, of our strong desire to make good the ravages of war ,and to recover and exceed as early as might be our 1939 standards. The new vessel has a length of 235 feet, a breadth of 30 feet, and is designed to carry about 1350 passengers. She will have a speed of 17 knots.”—Scotsman, October 3, 1946

The Glasgow Herald featured Sir Ronald Matthews’ speech which was focused against the then current Government’s plans to nationalize the ailing railway network.

“Nationalisation “no answer” to industrial problems—risk and enterprise needed.—A vigorous answer to those “well-meaning but not very clear-sighted people” who considered that many of the problems of the basic industries would be most readily solved by nationalization was made in Glasgow yesterday by Sir Ronald Matthews, chairman of the London and North-Eastern Railway Company. Sir Ronald, who was speaking after the launching by Lady Matthews of the new L.N.E.R. paddle steamer Waverley from the Pointhouse yard of  A. & J. Inglis, Ltd., said that those who clung to the idea that under the inspiring control of the filing systems of Whitehall the problems of industry would by some mysterious and unexplained way be simplified and would obligingly work themselves out, forgot—indeed, perhaps they never learned—that the driving forces of industry were enterprise, leadership, hard work, and the taking of calculated risks.

“—“I have the highest regard for the Civil servant in his own sphere,” but I have never associated him with enterprise or leadership. His whole training teaches him to calculate risks only to the extent of withdrawing rapidly from the brink of decision and passing the file to another department. The greatness of this country has lain in the courage and originality and in the irrepressible buoyancy of great leaders in the fields of politics, business, literature, and sport, backed up by a similar spirit on the part of all who follow, each according to his gifts. It is in no State-controlled forcing houses that we have produced these leaders. Our way has been the individual way, the way of men greatly daring and greatly enterprising, shirt-sleeved and open-collared, not of men eternally sitting in committee trying to distil the national genius and character into lifeless minutes and memoranda.”

“In his introductory remarks Sir Ronald observed that he had resented a tendency on the part of certain Englishmen, particularly those in higher political circles, to go to Scotland, partly on holiday and partly on business, and to lecture the Scots on Scottish affairs. He knew the Scot loved a sermon, but he fancied he did not particularly like to be the subject of it, and that he liked the sermons to be preached by some one with at least a nodding acquaintance with the subject. He had been much impressed by the extent to which the Scots had tolerated those itinerant orators instead of rudely repelling them from their borders,” as you did in the case of so many of their ancestors.” To him it was an education and an inspiration to be on Clydeside and to associate with those who maintained so sturdily its glorious shipbuilding traditions. Their skill and enterprise were one of the main pillars of our national life, and it gave the keenest pleasure to know that they had a multitude of orders on their books, including many from foreign owners. It would be a bad day for Britain and for Clydeside if ever the private enterprise of this great industry of ship-building were allowed to die.

“Mr James D. Inglis, Chairman of A. & J. Inglis, who presided, said that as to the future, it might soon be possible to fly from Glasgow to Dunoon in five minutes, or from the city to Rothesay in 10 minutes; yet there would be many who would still want to survey unhurriedly the beauties of the Clyde scenery and for that there could be no better place than the deck of such a vessel as had been launched that day. The new Waverley is the fourth of her line, and the third to be built by Messrs Inglis. Her immediate predecessor, built in 1899, served in both World Wars. She was sunk by enemy aircraft in 1940 during the evacuation of Dunkirk. Two of her officers, Captain J. E. Cameron, who will command the new Waverley, and Mr Charles M‘Lean, the chief engineer, were present at yesterday’s ceremony. The new steamer, designed to carry 1350 passengers, will be fitted with the latest design of triple-expansion engine, and will have a speed of 17 knots. Deck observation lounges, affording adequate shelter and a clear view of the passing scenery will be provided.”—Glasgow Herald, October 3, 1946

The new steamer missed the beginning of the season but had her initial sailing to Lochgoilhead and Arrochar on Monday, June 16, 1947.

“Clyde steamer’s first trip.—With the general resumption of the Clyde steamer services yesterday, the new L.N.E.R. paddle steamer Waverley, built by A. & J. Inglis, Ltd, Pointhouse made her inaugural run on the popular Three Lochs tour from Dunoon. This represented the first occasion the service had been operated since 1939. The Waverley, which is the third of that name to ply in the Clyde, is under the command of Captain J. E. Cameron, D.S.C., who was navigating officer on the second Waverley when she was sunk by aircraft at the Dunkirk evacuation. The new vessel, which is capable of a speed of more than 17 knots, can accommodate 1350 passengers and there is a spacious sheltered observation lounge.”—Scotsman, June 17, 1947

Waverley of 1947 (Ralston)

The Transport Act of 1947 stipulated that on January 1st, 1948, a new body, the British Transport Commission, would take over the assets of the railway companies. On the Clyde, this meant an amalgamation of the ships of the L.N.E.R based at Craigendoran, and the Caledonian Steam Packet Co. Ltd., the subsidiary of the L.M.S.R. In an effort to impose a principle on the decoration and adornment of pleasure steamers, it was proposed to give all the boats a uniform colour scheme, and on the Clyde this meant the buff and black funnels of the former Caledonian Steam Packet Co. Ltd. The edict went a bit further, banning such things as bands on the steamers but fortunately, this matter was resolved in favour of the musicians.

 

Bowling Harbour with Jeanie Deans in L.N.E.R colours and the new Waverley with buff funnels (Ralston)

Jeanie Deans and Waverley ready for British Transport Commission service

Over the spring, the members of the Craigendoran fleet had their funnels painted for uniformity. Technically the Craigendoran steamers were owned by British Railways but it was not until November, 1951, that they were transferred to the Caledonian Steam Packet Co. Ltd., and could sail to Inveraray, and Campbeltown.

In 1948, a new company entered the Clyde scene, filling a gap created by the closure of the regular service to Campbeltown. The Duchess of Abercorn, referred to above was renamed Wimaisia and placed on the Campbeltown service for passengers and light cargo.

Duchess of Abercorn sailed as Wimaisia to Campbeltown in 1948

Wimaisia

She was not particularly suitable for the service and was replaced the following year by the Taransay.

Taransay on the Clyde

Another change that took place between 1947 and 1948, was the provision of wheelhouses on the steamers that had not acquired them when reconditioned. Duchess of Fife was one of the first of the Caledonian fleet to be fitted in the summer of 1947.

Duchess of Fife approaching Millport (Walter Kerr)

The summer of 1948 was the last for Lucy Ashton in the fleet.

Lucy Ashton in British Railways colours

Lucy Ashton worked on until the middle of February, 1949, when her passengers certificate expired. She was laid up in Bowling Harbour until December when she was removed to the shipbreakers at Faslane. However, her course was not yet run. Her hull was used the following year in jet propulsion trials to study hull resistance, and she was finally broken up at Faslane in December 1951.

Jet-propelled Lucy Ashton

Jet engines on Lucy Ashton

“Lucy will make gulls scream to-day—Clyde seagulls are in for the shock of their lives to-day if they try to “tail” their old friend the Lucy Ashton when she starts off with a thunderous roar and a cloud of spray off the Tail of the Bank. The wind-stream from four Rolls Royce Derwent V jet engines will give them something to scream about. The former paddle steamer has been converted into the world’s first jet-propelled ship for experiments which will last with intervals until the end of September.

“Floating laboratory.—The engines are mounted on a steel frame across the deck. Stripped of her paddles and gutted out, the shell of the Lucy Ashton now houses instruments and equipment which make her a floating laboratory. From the Dumbarton shipyard of William Denny and Brothers Ltd. who carried out the work as agents for the British Shipbuilding Research Association, the vessel will be towed this morning to the Tail of the Bank. Then she will proceed on her preliminary manoeuvrability trials In the Firth, under the power of four aircraft engines each developing a thrust of 3500 lbs at 14,500 revolutions a minute. Rolls Royce engineers will tend the engines which burn £50 of fuel an hour.

“No one quite knows how the Lucy will behave under jet propulsion and only the bare skeleton crew will be allowed aboard with the pilot until he has familiarised himself with his strange charge. Observers will sail in an accompanying tender. A special dragging device has been fitted to stop the vessel in an emergency as she cannot go astern. The trials are being conducted by the Research Association to obtain accurate data on hull resistance and have nothing to do with the application of jet propulsion to ships. The only reason jets are used is that there is no turbulence from propellers which would upset calculations. Hitherto resistance has been measured on models up to 16 or 20 feet long in experimental tanks but Sir Maurice Denny told me yesterday that it has never been possible so far to determine satisfactorily the resistance of a full-sized ship in this way. For Accurate Results By propelling a real ship with engines that do not thresh the water, results can be secured which will be accurate and dependable. These results can then be correlated with the data obtained in the experimental tank. It is all part of the unceasing effort to maintain British shipbuilding supremacy.”—Raymond Thomasson in Daily Record, August 9, 1950

Queen Mary II at Bridge Wharf in 1949

Waverley in 1949 (Valentine)

Duchess of Argyll leaving Gourock in 1950 (Valentine)

Jeanie Deans at Kilcreggan in 1950

Marchioness of Graham leaving Tighnabruaich in the early 1950s

Glen Sannox at Whiting Bay in 1952

Saint Columba at Gourock in 1953

In the early 1950s, Messrs Ralston issued a series of cards depicting major members of the Clyde fleet. Some of these have been included above but those that have not fit into the narrative are presented here. I’m presuming the cards of Glen Sannox and Saint Columba are particularly rare as I have never seen them. Some of the cards depicted the steamers in the late 1940s, and some came from other photographic studios.

Bridge Wharf with King Edward and Queen Mary II (Ralston)

Duchess of Hamilton at Lochranza (Ralston)

Duchess of Hamilton (Ralston)

Duchess of Montrose (Ralston)

Duchess of Fife before 1947 (Ralston)

Caledonia before 1948 (Ralston)

Marchioness of Lorne (Ralston)

Marchioness of Graham (Ralston)

Jeanie Deans in British Rail colours (Ralston). This is a Valentine negative that is shown above in this article with the funnel livery changed. The funnel ring is missing.

Jeanie Deans in the Kyles of Bute in British Rail colours (Ralston). Like the previous photograph, this is faked from the Ralston postcard shown above with the steamer in L.N.E.R. colours.

Jeanie Deans at Rothesay in British Rail colours (Ralston)

Jupiter (or is it) prior to 1948. The steamer has P.S. Jupiter on her bow. It might well be the Juno in a pre-war photograph.

King George V in the late 1940s (Ralston)

King George V in the late 1940s (Ralston)

Lucy Ashton in 1946 (Ralston)

Queen Mary II prior to 1948 (Ralston)

Talisman (Ralston)

Waverley in Rothesay Bay (Ralston)

Two more of the old Clyde fleet disappeared in 1952; to be replaced by motor vessels, the Maids.

Duchess of Argyll prior to 1948 (Ralston)

King Edward (Ralston)

“Two popular Clyde steamers sold.—Two popular steamers of the Clyde fleet have been sold by British Railways, one to Admiralty and the other to a Belgian shipping concern. They are the Duchess of Argyll and the King Edward, and they will be replaced in the Clyde service by smaller diesel-driven ferries, several of which are now being built in local yards. The Duchess of Argyll, built by William Denny and Brothers, Ltd., in 1906, will be used for Admiralty experiments to be carried out off Portland, while the King Edward, built in 1901 by the Dumbarton firm and the first commercial vessel in the world to be propelled by steam turbines, will be transferred to Belgian ownership later in the year. It is a condition of the sale that neither vessel will be used in future for carrying passengers.”—Glasgow Herald, March 26, 1952.

Duchess of Argyll in the early 1950s

Peter G. Herriot, Steamers at War, Clyde River Steamer Club, Glasgow, 2015.

George Blake, John Rutherford Crosby, Maclehose, Glasgow, 1946