HMS Iris Pinnace Badge – 1940

Original Royal Navy Pinnace badge from HMS Iris

Formerly TSS Train Ferry No.1 1917

In 1940 she was requisitioned by the Royal Navy and renamed HMS Iris

She assisted with the evacuation of the Channel Islands

In 1941 HMS Iris was converted to a Landing Craft Carrier, and the twin funnels were incorporated into a single stack

In 1942 she was renamed again to Princess Iris

Dimensions :

20cm overall   15cm badge

2kg weight

History :

TSS Train Ferry No. 1 was a freight vessel built for the British Army War Office in 1917. The ship was built by Armstrong, Whitworth & Company Ltd, Low Walker. Ordered by the British Army to provide rail freight transport from Richborough harbour to the continent to sustain the war effort.

After their use by the British Army ended in 1922, they were purchased by the Great Eastern Railway and moved to Harwich where the landing stage was re-erected to provide a service to Zeebrugge in conjunction with the Belgian Government through a joint company, the Great Eastern Train Ferry Company. The Great Eastern Railway was taken over by the London and North Eastern Railway company in 1923 with its interest in the Great Eastern Train Ferry Company.

In 1934, the Great Eastern Train Ferry Company was liquidated and she was bought by the London and North Eastern Railway.

In 1946 she returned to the London and North Eastern Railway and renamed Essex Ferry. She was in service with British Railways from 1948 until 1956 when she was withdrawn from service, renamed Essex Ferry II and then scrapped in 1957.