A miniature square rigger

[DelF]

I spotted this strange little vessel in Falmouth harbour earlier this year:

With her square rig and a line of portholes painted in a checkerboard pattern mimicking the gunports on a man of war, I thought she must either be a rich person's modern toy or perhaps a film prop. However I found she was called the Marjorie and she's well over 100 years old.

 

According to the National Historic Ships UK website she was built in 1913 as a motor-powered ketch by David Munroe and Sons of Blairmore on the River Clyde, possibly for an Air Commodore Upfill-Brown. After being requisitioned for service as a Thames River patrol boat during the First World War she was eventually bought in 1938 by Vice Admiral Richard Bell Davies who had her converted to a brig with two new masts in 1939. His motives for the conversion aren't known, but Bell Davies is a notable figure for several reasons - he was among the last cadets to be trained under sail, one of the first naval pilots (he joined the Royal Naval Air Service the year Marjorie was built) and one of only four to be awarded the Victoria Cross.  He was awarded the latter for what has been described as the first known instance of the rescue of a downed pilot behind enemy lines. He picked up a fellow pilot under heavy fire and got them both safely back to base. His single-seater cockpit was such a tight squeeze he had to push his comrade into a tiny space beyond his foot controls - it took two hours to extract him! From 1917 he was heavily involved in aircraft carrier development and was the first man to land on a carrier-proper (as opposed to a converted warship). I expect this might spark some debate, but I checked the claim in several sources. He was actually sailing Marjorie in summer 1939 when he received his joining instructions from the Admiralty and he did not see her again until 1945. She has remained in the Bell Davies family ever since.

 

Here's a picture of this fine little brig under sail:

Derek

[Jim Lad]

What an interesting little vessle, Derek.  One would think she'd be a bit of a handful to sail around harbours and inlets.

 

John

[DelF]

28 minutes ago, Jim Lad said:

One would think she'd be a bit of a handful to sail around harbours and inlets.

I agree John. She was under motor power when I saw her in Falmouth, and I expect the engine gets a lot of use inshore.