This twin-screw turbine steamer of 2,586 tons was launched in 1927. She served as a troop transport during the Second World War and also carried out three successful rescue missions to Dunkirk. On D-Day she was part of the invasion fleet to Normandy. After the war she was returned to the Company and remained in service until 1965.
SG174 606 IOM Post Office.
BEN-MY-CHREE IV
A veteran of the Dunkirk operation in which she rescued over 4,000 troops, the Ben-my-Chree IV worked as a transport vessel plying between the northern ports of Britain and Iceland. Then because of her reputation as a good sea boat and her ability to be extremely stable even in the roughest of waters, she was later fined out as an LSl (H), capable of carrying six landing craft. On the first day of D-Day she was involved in the landing of the US Army and US Rangers onto the OMAHA BEACH.
After that, she was used as the Headquarters ship for the 514th Assault Flotilla.
Ben-my-Chree lV 1927
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shipstamps
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Ben-my-Chree lV 1927
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aukepalmhof
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Re: Ben-my-Chree lV
Built as a passenger-ferry under yard No 926 by Cammell, Laird & CO, Birkenhead for the Isle of Man Steam Packet Co.
05 April 1927 launched as the BEN-MY-CHREE (VI)
Tonnage 2,586 gross, 1823 net, 1,043 dwt., dim. 355 x 46.1 x 17.4ft.
Powered by four steam turbines, manufactured by builder, 1,745 nhp, twin screws, speed 22 knots.
Accommodation for 2,000 passengers.
June 1927 completed. The builders reported a direct loss of £17,000 on the building of the ship, due to a long coal strike and steel had been bought at a premium from the European continent.
She was the first vessel built for the company after World War I, and she set the pattern for all the larger ships in the company to have just one funnel.
29 June 1927 maiden voyage.
During the summer was she used in the early morning sailing from Liverpool to Douglas, returning in the evening.
During the early 1930s was the hull painted white as seen on the 13p stamp, but after the war painted black again.
During World War II, she left Liverpool on 10 September 1939 for the Bristol Channel for troopship service to Quiberon Bay in France.
24 September she sailed in this service for the first time from Newport, later that year in December used in the Cross Channel troop service from Southampton to Le Havre of Nantes.
Then she took part in Operation Dynamo the evacuation from Dunkirk.
30 May 1940 she left Southampton for her first trip from Dunkirk to Dover.
On her last voyage on 2 June in Dunkirk road she came in collision with an unknown vessel in which she sustained severe damage on her bow and bow rudder, but she made it safely to Dover.
07 June she sailed from Dover to the Mersey for repair in Birkenhead.
27 June she sailed again from Birkenhead bound for Milford Haven with the intention to use her in the troop transport between Great Britain and Ireland.
From 2 September used in the troop transport service between Aberdeen or Leith to Kirkwall and Stromness.
1941 Made also voyages from Scotland to Thornshavn, Faeroes, two months later made a voyage to Iceland.
The later part of the year used for the transport of troops, refugees and other personnel.
For the most part of 1942 and 1943 she sailed between Belfast and Fleetwood.
30 December 1943 she received orders to proceed to North Shields to be fitted out as a Landing Ship Infantry (hand hoisting).
Fitted out with six landings craft.
02 March 1944 she left the Tyne to take part in the Operation Neptune, the landing in Normandy.
05 June 1944 as part of Assault Convoy 01 she sailed from Weymouth for the Omaha Beach, after landing her troops she returned to the U.K. where after she was used as troopship to ferry troops to France and later Belgium.
She was used in this role till10 May 1946 when she sailed from Dover for an extensive refit prior to re-entering her service between Fleetwood and the Island of Man.
After 1950 only used during the summer months until 1965, after the last season laid up before she was sold to the Belgium shipbreaker Heyghem Ferres and towed to Brugge (Bruges) where she arrived on 28 December 1965 for scrapping.
Isle of Man 1980 13p sg174, scott?. 1994 4p sg606, scott? and 2004 47p sg?, scott?, she is the vessel on the right of the stamp, the other on the left is the LADY OF MAN.
Source: Island Lifeline by Connery Chappell. Short Sea: Long War by John de S. Winser.
http://www.miramarshipindex.or.nz
05 April 1927 launched as the BEN-MY-CHREE (VI)
Tonnage 2,586 gross, 1823 net, 1,043 dwt., dim. 355 x 46.1 x 17.4ft.
Powered by four steam turbines, manufactured by builder, 1,745 nhp, twin screws, speed 22 knots.
Accommodation for 2,000 passengers.
June 1927 completed. The builders reported a direct loss of £17,000 on the building of the ship, due to a long coal strike and steel had been bought at a premium from the European continent.
She was the first vessel built for the company after World War I, and she set the pattern for all the larger ships in the company to have just one funnel.
29 June 1927 maiden voyage.
During the summer was she used in the early morning sailing from Liverpool to Douglas, returning in the evening.
During the early 1930s was the hull painted white as seen on the 13p stamp, but after the war painted black again.
During World War II, she left Liverpool on 10 September 1939 for the Bristol Channel for troopship service to Quiberon Bay in France.
24 September she sailed in this service for the first time from Newport, later that year in December used in the Cross Channel troop service from Southampton to Le Havre of Nantes.
Then she took part in Operation Dynamo the evacuation from Dunkirk.
30 May 1940 she left Southampton for her first trip from Dunkirk to Dover.
On her last voyage on 2 June in Dunkirk road she came in collision with an unknown vessel in which she sustained severe damage on her bow and bow rudder, but she made it safely to Dover.
07 June she sailed from Dover to the Mersey for repair in Birkenhead.
27 June she sailed again from Birkenhead bound for Milford Haven with the intention to use her in the troop transport between Great Britain and Ireland.
From 2 September used in the troop transport service between Aberdeen or Leith to Kirkwall and Stromness.
1941 Made also voyages from Scotland to Thornshavn, Faeroes, two months later made a voyage to Iceland.
The later part of the year used for the transport of troops, refugees and other personnel.
For the most part of 1942 and 1943 she sailed between Belfast and Fleetwood.
30 December 1943 she received orders to proceed to North Shields to be fitted out as a Landing Ship Infantry (hand hoisting).
Fitted out with six landings craft.
02 March 1944 she left the Tyne to take part in the Operation Neptune, the landing in Normandy.
05 June 1944 as part of Assault Convoy 01 she sailed from Weymouth for the Omaha Beach, after landing her troops she returned to the U.K. where after she was used as troopship to ferry troops to France and later Belgium.
She was used in this role till10 May 1946 when she sailed from Dover for an extensive refit prior to re-entering her service between Fleetwood and the Island of Man.
After 1950 only used during the summer months until 1965, after the last season laid up before she was sold to the Belgium shipbreaker Heyghem Ferres and towed to Brugge (Bruges) where she arrived on 28 December 1965 for scrapping.
Isle of Man 1980 13p sg174, scott?. 1994 4p sg606, scott? and 2004 47p sg?, scott?, she is the vessel on the right of the stamp, the other on the left is the LADY OF MAN.
Source: Island Lifeline by Connery Chappell. Short Sea: Long War by John de S. Winser.
http://www.miramarshipindex.or.nz
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D. v. Nieuwenhuijzen
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