Great War truck Posted October 5, 2013 Share Posted October 5, 2013 The War Office commissioned the manufacture of three train ferrys (imaginatively named train ferry 1, train ferry 2 and train ferry 3) to speed up the supply of materials to France which travelled from Richborough to Dunkirk. Vehicles were usually embarked at Avonmouth docks but as you can see from these photos the TF’s were ideal for carrying trucks. TF 1 was taken over by the Royal Navy during WW2 and was renamed HMS Princess Iris. It was broken up in 1951. TF2 was sunk off Dunkirk. TF3 was renamed HMS Daffodil and was lost to a Mine in 1945 off Dieppe. Both TF1 and TF3 had been converted into landing craft carriers which were launched from a ramp at the back of the vessel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 These ferries operated from the Military Port of Richbourough at Sandwich during the Great War, I've a photo I'll try to find of TF1 in 1940 being used to evacuate forces from Jersey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Larkin Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 These ferries operated from the Military Port of Richbourough at Sandwich during the Great War, I've a photo I'll try to find of TF1 in 1940 being used to evacuate forces from Jersey. The Royal Engineers built Richborough Military Port for the train ferries. I'd heard about motor vehicles being carried on them, but this is the first evidence I've seen of that happening. Great pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally dugan Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 Very interesting in 1919 a sale of surplus equipment took place at RICHBOROUGH MILITARY PORT most of it had been destined for france amongst which was a ARMOURED SIMPLEX NARROW GAUGE LOCO which later on in its life was the subject of a SALVAGE SQUAD programe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 The Royal Engineers built Richborough Military Port for the train ferries. I'd heard about motor vehicles being carried on them, but this is the first evidence I've seen of that happening. Great pics. Also used to move heavy ordnance such as rail guns. Two biggest things shipped , ammunition and animal fodder! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 I am pretty sure the first tanks were shipped out of Richborough for France Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally dugan Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 IN the history of RICHBOROUGH military port there is mention of the tranportation of tanks on the train ferries during the first world war Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 Logical: The Tanks were moved by rail to the front where ever possible, and the ferries were built for heavy loads. Anyone know if any of Richbourough is accesable to the public? I'm looking for a day out soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted October 7, 2013 Author Share Posted October 7, 2013 (edited) Here is a link to the wreck dive on HMS Daffodil http://www.divernet.com/Wrecks/wreck_tours/1034869/wrecktour153_hms_daffodil.html Quite interesting I thought. More photos on the Kent history forum. The map shows it to be a massive complex. http://www.kenthistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=8154.0 Edited October 7, 2013 by Great War truck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redherring Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 Than you for posting. These train ferry's have filled a gap in my understanding of materiel movement. I have an interest in the siege brigades and movement of the big howitzers. I don't suppose you have come across any such photos? Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rewdco Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 (edited) "Train Ferry N°2" was used between Zeebrugge and Harwich after the Great War. Here are some postcards from the 1920's: Edited October 9, 2013 by rewdco Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rewdco Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 More: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rewdco Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 And more: Jan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rewdco Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 "Train Ferry N°1" was renamed "Essex Ferry" after WW2. Here is "Essex Ferry" in Zeebrugge: Jan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted October 9, 2013 Author Share Posted October 9, 2013 I wonder what the thinking was behind going from two funnels to just the one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rewdco Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 More information (in Dutch) and pictures on this website: http://communities.zeelandnet.nl/hobo/pagina/70954 Jan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 I wonder what the thinking was behind going from two funnels to just the one. Probably re-engined as an oil burner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
defiant1uk Posted October 12, 2013 Share Posted October 12, 2013 Than you for posting. These train ferry's have filled a gap in my understanding of materiel movement. I have an interest in the siege brigades and movement of the big howitzers. I don't suppose you have come across any such photos?Robert Just picking up on this - being slightly commercial (fund-raising our Trust for the Centenary event next year), I'd like to mention the new book that we have just released - Railway Gazette - Special War Transportation Number. This is a re-print of a special edition written in 1920, covering First World War Railway & the Inland waterways and Ports operations. There is a whole section on the special train ferries, Richborough Harbour and Tank transport on the railways..... more details are available here: http://www.wdlr.org.uk/tracks2trenches/site/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Railway-Gazette-flyer-advert-version.pdf Cheers, Gareth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted October 13, 2013 Author Share Posted October 13, 2013 That looks interesting. It is now on my Christmas list. This thread has attracted lots of interesting information. Many thanks to everyone who has added to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoseman Posted October 13, 2013 Share Posted October 13, 2013 Iris and Daffodil...... Mersey Ferries are called the same but given "Royal" status after the war. The ones in service now are obviously not the original ones! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted October 16, 2013 Author Share Posted October 16, 2013 I found some more pictures on the IWM website. The first one does describe it as tanks on the train ferry. A bit hard to say but could be. The rest are of the landing stage. These photographs are copyright of the Imperial War Museum and are published here with their permission under their non-commercial licence. © IWM (Q 20619) © IWM (Q 10011) © IWM (Q 10012) © IWM (Q 10016) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
defiant1uk Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 Just picking up on this - being slightly commercial (fund-raising our Trust for the Centenary event next year), I'd like to mention the new book that we have just released - Railway Gazette - Special War Transportation Number. This is a re-print of a special edition written in 1920, covering First World War Railway & the Inland waterways and Ports operations. There is a whole section on the special train ferries, Richborough Harbour and Tank transport on the railways..... more details are available here: http://www.wdlr.org.uk/tracks2trenches/site/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Railway-Gazette-flyer-advert-version.pdf Cheers, Gareth Following a chance conversation with a happy customer of our book, I've been told that part of the train ferry link-span from Richborough still survives - but at Harwich (& listed)! Apparently in the 1920's (following decommissioning of Richborough) the full link-span assembly was being transferred by barge between the harbours, but bad weather was encountered. The whole thing sank - but the link-span gantry (I think) was later salvaged, leaving the span on the sea bed..... More photos here: http://www.kenthistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=8154.0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rewdco Posted October 29, 2018 Share Posted October 29, 2018 The postcards that I posted above are quite common, but this is a rare one... Jan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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