The Canterbury

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Probably the most famous cross channel steamer of them all, she entered service in May 1929 when she would carry just 300 first class London - Paris 'Golden Arrow' Pullman passengers, the Canterbury took a terrible pounding at Dunkirk.

On the afternoon of the 25th the Canterbury set out for Dunkirk captained by Captain Hancock, she was shelled by German batteries on the way, by 6.50 she had taken on 1,300 men arriving back at Dover at 21.30 hours. She returned to Dunkirk after discharging and loaded another 1,300 men under continuous bombing and was away again at midnight. After five and a half hours she was off again reaching Dunkirk at 20.00 hours, she loaded 450 troops most of them wounded and including stretcher cases, in 58 minutes, and started for Dover again. Conditions were bad, and the bombing so continuous that the Canterbury had orders to turn back any vessel trying to reach Dunkirk that night, she did turn back accordingly she reached Dover at six o'clock that evening and was setting out yet again. On the 30th the Canterbury arrived at Dunkirk again, after three hours she was leaving with 1,900 troops, during this time she had been attacked several time by dive bombers. On the way home one salvo fell so near that she was damaged and had to go to the Granville Dock Dover for compulsory repairs. After repairs she set out for Dunkirk again, under heavy fire she embarked 700 French troops and then with the tide falling and considerable risk of being grounded she had to leave Dunkirk for the last time.