Shipwreck of H.M.S. Devonia

Paddle Steam Ship Devonia was launched on March 22 1905 at Clydebank, Scotland. At the outbreak of WW1 she was converted into an auxiliary minesweeper along with her sister ship 'Gwalia', serving on the east coat of Britain as HMS Devonia.. After the war she was converted back to a passenger carrying ship and plied the cross channel routes from Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings to Boulogne and Calais.
Soon after the outbreak of WW2 she, and her sister ship now known as Brighton Queen, were once again re-commissioned as minesweepers and in May 1940 were ordered on Operation Dynamo to evacuate the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk. On 30 May 1940, Devonia was operating close into the beach when she came under air attack and an explosion caused serious leaks in her stern area. The Captain was ordered to beach her as far inland as possible in the hope that she could be used as a jetty for evacuating troops.
HMS Brighton Queen was also sunk at Dunkirk by German aircraft on June 1 1940.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar
• Photos: Michael Zurek

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