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The Massey Shaw Fireboat

'The Master and Chairman of Trustees were

invited to attend a reception at the Westminster

Boating Base on Thursday 30th April. The event

marked the return of the historic LFB Fireboat

Massey Shaw to the River Thames following her

restoration. Then, on May 21st, Massey Shaw left

Ramsgate Harbour with some other 45 plus

‘Little Ships’ in the Armada to cross the Channel

and visit Dunkirk for the 75th Anniversary of

Operation Dynamo.

The “Miracle of Dunkirk” meant that between 26

May and 3 June 1940 over 330,000 made the

hazardous crossing back to the UK, far more

than was originally anticipated! Massey Shaw was

called up to take part and, with a mixed crew of

volunteer River Service and Auxiliary Fire Service

personnel, made for Ramsgate to join the other

‘Little Ships’ heading for the beaches of Dunkirk.

Initially she was to be used to fight the fires in

and around the harbour and oil installations but

was quickly pressed into action taking soldiers off

the beaches to larger ships laying off-shore. With

her shallow (36 inch) draft she was able to get in

very close to the beaches of Bray Dunes and La

Panne for this purpose.

Massey Shaw made that hazardous trip three

times across the channel and was attacked on

numerous occasions. Her firefighting monitor

was of great interest to the enemy as she

appeared to be an armed vessel. Despite being

dive-bombed she made it home safely after

clocking up the rescue of over 500 troops from

the fore-shore and directly ferrying some 110

across the channel. Badly injured troops were

carried in the warmth of her engine room whilst

others fell asleep exhausted on her upper decks.

On her last passage to Ramsgate she came across

a sinking French merchant ship the “Emile

Deschamps” which had struck a mine, and from

which she directly rescued about 40 badly injured

and oil contaminated men.

In order to participate in the 75th

commemorations, a group from the British

Firefighters Motorcycle Club, which included

Past Master Peter Cowland and Freeman Tony

Smith, rode to Dover for the Channel crossing to

Calais, and by late afternoon were on the

harbour side at the Dunkirk Basin du Commerce

to cheer “Massey” and the other little ships as

they arrived safe from their crossing.

No trip by firefighters abroad could ever pass

without a visit to the local fire station and, with a

number of London Fire Brigade Cadets, we were

privileged to join the Massey Team at Dunkirk

Fire Station where all were made most welcome

by the “Sapeurs Pompiers” on duty there that

day. Liveryman David Rogers, Director of the

Massey Shaw Education Trust, with the assistance

of the LFB Cadets, was pleased to present

Captaine Christophe Libert with a specially

crafted trophy entitled “The Spirit of Dunkirk” to

mark the 75th Anniversary. (The base of the

trophy is formed from a portion of the original

Massey Shaw deck).

Massey Shaw continued to serve London

throughout the Blitz and, on the night of 29

December 1940, supplied water for land crews

ashore in their firefighting operations, thus

helping to prevent the major fires spreading to St

Paul’s Cathedral on a night when the Thames

was at very low-tide. Massey Shaw remained in

service until 1971. In 1982 a group of enthusiasts

formed the Massey Shaw & Marine Vessels

Preservation Society to preserve her history and

keep her for future generations to enjoy. From

this Society was formed the new Massey Shaw

Education Trust which now uses her to allow

young people to experience a “day-in-the-life” of

a 1930’s fire-fighter on the River Thames. This

project has recently been extended to allow

them to hear stories, from monologue actors,

about the London Blitz and the Dunkirk

evacuation.

The Worshipful Company of Firefighters

Charitable Trust continues to support this

particular project. Thanks to a grant from the

Heritage Lottery Fund Massey Shaw has recently

underwent a major restoration which, completed

in 2013, was in good time for her to celebrate

her 80 Birthday in 2015. She is currently

moored at the West India dock.

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