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Ferry Nymph
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At 11 o'clock on 29th May,1940, Ferry Nymph and her sister ship Southern Queen were ferrying passengers across the entrance of Poole Harbour for J. Harvey & Sons, her owners who had built both vessels, when a telephone message was received from the Admiralty ordering both ships to Dover. There Ferry Nymph was taken over by Lt-Cmdr Gerrard RN, re-fuelled and despatched to Dunkirk. Her shallow draft made her ideal for the task of embarking troops from the beaches and she is known to have taken 72 on one trip and 90 on another across the Channel to Ramsgate. Eventually she was towed back to Poole in July with many scars in her hull, as well as empty cartridge cases and Dunkirk sand in her bilges.
She continued operating as a ferry for her original owners until 1953, when she was sold to the Great Yarmouth Ferry Company on the East Coast, giving them satisfactory service for ten years. She was then sold to Percy Fields, a local fisherman, who re-named her Shepherd Lad, then converted and used her as a herring drifter for 22 years. He hit the local headlines when he was apprehended by the government fisheries officer for attempting to land a catch of more than 5,000 kilos of fish during a herring ban. "You can't sell your catch here," said the officer. So Percy landed his fish and invited the locals to help themselves. He didn't break the law, which forbade him to sell them!
In 1985 she was sold again and her new owner discovered her previous name and distinguished war record just in time to join the fleet on their 50th Anniversary return to Dunkirk in 1940.
In 1994 Ferry Nymph sank in rough weather off Holehaven, but was saved by members of the Association and once more restored.
She is now in new ownership.
Source 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 19 & 20
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