Volume Nine - Pre-Victorian to the present day - even more aspects - The White Funnel Fleet during Wartime . . .

The White Funnel Fleet during Wartime - 1939 - 1945 - The fleet of eleven pleasure paddle steamers of the P. & A. Campbell Company were requisitioned by the Admiralty during WWII and converted for minesweeping, anti-aircraft, and other duties. They lost their white funnels and were understandably repainted grey. Some were lost and some did not return to service after the war. I was lucky enough as a child to sail on one of those fine steamers i.e. the single funneled, aging lady of the fleet, the 'Glen Usk'. Whilst researching this section about activity at Penarth Dock I came across an excellent book 'On Admiralty Service - P. & A. Campbell Steamers in the Second World War' [313] by Chris Collard; the book serves as the basis for the following section. Thanks to Chris for his fine series of books which chronicle the history of the steamers on the Bristol Channel.