Glala now Mahalia
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When Sir Alan Cobham, famous aeronautical pioneer, needed to take a holiday from his exacting work in 1936, he decided to follow the example of many of his friends and buy a boat. He dreamed of crossing France by river and canal from the Channel to the Mediterranean. So, he sent his wife Gladys boat-hunting to Scotland which, he had been told, was the only place to get a good boat.
Soon he received a joyful telegram from Greenock, where she had found just what he wanted: a magnificent craft called Cupid, built in 1915 for exploring the Upper Amazon. A helpful Irishman called Sullivan beat down the price from ?2,000 to a mere ?900 and Sir Alan spent another ?140 to fit her out. They renamed her Glala, combining part of both their Christian names, and began their journey South along the East coast of Britain. On the way, they experienced engine trouble and Sir Alan had to go on by train so as not to miss some important trials of Flight Refuelling Ltd., his pioneer company. They did not keep Glala long. Cobham was no great sailor and thought she rolled too much! So Glala was sold, - and had two more owners before she was requisitioned by the Admiralty in October 1939 from AEC, the commercial vehicle manufacturers. She then began the war as a Harbour Defence Patrol Craft at Sheerness.
Commanded by Sub-Lieut. J.A. Dow, RNVR, she set out for Dunkirk on 31st May, 1940 in company with the yachts Amulree and Caleta. She arrived in Dunkirk Roads 3? hours later and immediately towed two whalers full of troops to HMS Golden Eagle, a paddle steamer commissioned by the Navy as a Special Service Vessel, which was driving off German dive-bombers with her pom-pom gun. The Glala then towed boats for the destroyers Venomous and Vivacious. Again the dive-bombers zeroed in on the small ships and Capt. Howson, in the yacht Ankh, gave the order to make for the open sea. Glala, who had sustained some damage, was ordered to return to Ramsgate for repairs and she arrived there on 2nd June at 1845. From there she proceeded to Sheerness with her port engine still out of action.
In 1941, manned by a civilian crew, Glala became a hospital tender in Belfast and was later used by the Naval Fire Service in Liverpool for a time before she reverted to civilian ownership. Since then she has cruised along the French and Italian riviera's. Glala changed hands in early 2003 and is now on the East Coast under her new name of Mahalia.
Source: 3, 4 & 5
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