253
620
THE WINE AND SPIRIT TRADE RECORD.
17TH JUNE, 1940.
THE PRICE OF ADMIRALTY.
scoured for craft of all descriptions, of which about
G.S.N. CO.'S FINE WORK.
1,000 took part in the evacuation.
"Never was there a more fantastic Armada," he said. " Never a weirder collection of vessels set sail-
THE annual Pepys Commemoration Service was pleasure steamers, cross-Channel steamers, coasting held on 6th June at St. Olave's Church, Hart Street, tramps, trawlers, drifters, motor-boats and launches,
E.C.3, the Lord Mayor (Sir William Coxen) and motor and sailing barges. Every tug from the River
Sheriffs attending. The Rector (Reverend Prebendary
Thames was taken. At our request the Royal National
Wellard) gave an address on "The Price of Admiralty."
Lifeboat Institution sent 20 lifeboats from ports between Lowestoft and Poole."
The address with curious appropriateness came close
Father and son would take their light craft across upon the last hours of the Dunkirk evacuation. Pepys'
from some south coast port without a word to anybody connection with the Navy of his time is so much and bring it back full of troops. A Deal boatman took common knowledge that it is unnecessary here to his motor-boat with several rowing boats in tow and expatiate upon the good work he performed. And brought them back full of troops.
Twenty merchant craft met a glorious and selfsacrificing end.
Looking at a map, the trip might seem short
I
enough, but to avoid minefields our ships had to make
21
W
d f atic w
e t as ist ag of
The Crested Eagle, lost in the great work of evacuating the e
B.E.F. from Dunkirk, She was a magnificent steamer of the
"Eagle Fleet" owned by the General Steam Navigation is
Co., Ltd.
a round trip of up to 160 miles. The men on the ships
Cabin Cruiser Mimosa worked until they dropped, without sleep and often y
(owned by Mr. Antony Gordon, brother of without proper meals.
Mr. Luis Gordon).
The General Steam Navigation Co., Ltd.-whose boats on the Bordeaux to London and other routes the work he did was done in the very centre, as it during many years have brought over many thousands ed were, of Wineland.
of tons of Wine, etc.-had several of its fine passenger en
London Wine merchants, particularly, in close steamers engaged in the memorable work of the evacuation. One steamer made repeated journeys touch in various ways with the great port of London, over and back, and two steamers were lost. When the are also familiar with many of the vessels bringing story is told, even in outline-for, as already indicated, it
Wine, etc., to London and are well aware of the great it will ever be impossible to secure all the details of one of the most remarkable naval feats in historypart played by the shipping companies - more it will reveal many stirring episodes. On this page especially the General Steam Navigation Co., Ltd.-
we reproduce a photograph of the Crested Eagle in serving the Trade.
(General Steam Navigation Co., Ltd.) which was lost t
in the great withdrawal. We also reproduce a photo-
Broadcasting on the part of the merchant navy graph of one of the smaller craft engaged in the heroic o
in the evacuation, Mr. Ronald Cross, Minister of and hazardous work. It is the cabin cruiser Mimosa, n
Shipping, said that they would never have a complete from Shoreham, captained by Mr. Fred Clarkson.
The boat belongs to Mr. Antony Gordon (brother of list of all the vessels that took part.
Mr. Luis Gordon, of Messrs. Luis Gordon and Sons,
Ports from the Humber to Southampton were
Ltd., sole agents and concessionaires for Domecq and
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