Volume Eight - Pre-Victorian to the present day - more aspects - The White Funnel Fleet - P & A Campbell Limited

It is perhaps of some interest, while referring to the South Coast routes, to recall the great gale, which took place off Land's End on 31st August, 1908. On that night the 'Cambria', en route fro Brighton, passed through the gale area and, while suffering some minor damage, reached Southampton the following day, and about a week later was on passenger service again. During the night, five other vessels on the 'Cambria's' course foundered.

Until 1910 the Company owned ten steamers and during this period encountered the fiercest competition. The Barry Railway Co. operated two splendid excursion steamers, the 'Gwalia' and the 'Devonia'. At the same time, two other vessels, the 'Barry' (later renamed the 'Waverley') and the 'Westonia' (later the 'Tintern') were run by the Barry and Bristol Channel Steamship Co. They afterwards joined with the 'Devonia' and 'Gwalia' and became known as the Red Funnel Line.

Day by day the steamers of the different companies plied from pier to pier at the fastest possible speed, setting up a number of records which, in many cases, have never been surpassed.

At this time a number of quite interesting excursions took place ; there was a week-end trip in the year 1907 when the 'Britannia' sailed from Cardiff and Ilfracombe to Newquay, Penzance and the Scilly Isles. It is perhaps of interest to mention that prior to the 1914-18 War, the Swansea-Ilfracombe service was operated by a vessel named the 'Brighton'. Built in 1878 and operated by the L.B. and S.C. Railway between Newhaven and Dieppe, she ended her career in this service by striking the pier at Dieppe in fog and sinking. Salvaged by a French broker, she was sold to Pockets Bristol Channel Steam Packet Co. and continued in the Bristol Channel service until the outbreak of war in 1914.

In 1910 the Red Funnel Steamers' fortunes began to wane, and the 'Gwalia', later to return to the Bristol Channel as the 'Lady Moyra', was sold to the Furness Railway. In 1911 the remaining three steamers became members of the P. & A. Campbell Fleet, to which the 'Lady Ismay' (1911), 'Glen Avon' (1912) and 'Glen Usk' (1914) were also added.

The 1914-18 War saw all the steamers on war service of one kind or another, and two, the first 'Brighton Queen' and 'Lady Ismay', were sunk by enemy action. Three favourites, 'Albion', 'Glen Rosa' and 'Waverley', were scrapped at the end of hostilities.