RMS Duke of Argyll (1928)

RMS Duke of Argyll was an Irish Sea ferry that operated from 1928 to 1956. William Denny and Brothers of Dumbarton on the Firth of Clyde built her for the London Midland and Scottish Railway. When the LMS was nationalised in 1948 she passed to the British Transport Commission.^[1]

Duke of Argyll
History
Name	RMS Duke of Argyll
Owner	1928–47: London Midland and Scottish Railway 1948–56: British Transport Commission
Operator	1928–47: London Midland and Scottish Railway 1948–56: British Transport Commission
Port of registry	Lancaster
Route	1928–56: Heysham – Belfast
Builder	William Denny and Brothers, Dumbarton
Yard number	1194
Launched	23 January 1928
Fate	Scrapped 7 November 1956
General characteristics
Type	Turbine steam ship
Tonnage	3,604 GRT tonnage under deck 1,998 1,493 NRT
Length	349.1 ft (106.4 m) p/p 360 ft (110 m) o/a
Beam	53.1 ft (16.2 m)
Depth	18.5 ft (5.6 m)
Installed power	1,628 NHP
Propulsion	4 steam turbines; twin screws
Speed	21 knots (39 km/h)
Capacity	1,500 day passengers; overnight cabins for 450 passengers; space for 250 cattle

History

The LMS ordered Duke of Argyll and two sister ships, RMS Duke of Lancaster and RMS Duke of Rothesay, for its passenger ferry route between Heysham and Belfast.^[1] William Denny and Brothers of Dumbarton built her, completing her in April 1928.

In the Second World War Duke of Argyll became Hospital Ship 65. She assisted the Dunkirk evacuation (Operation Dynamo) in May 1940^{[citation needed]} and then the evacuation from Cherbourg the following month (Operation Aerial).^[2]

Replacement

In 1956 the BTC replaced Duke of Argyll with TSS Duke of Argyll^[3]

References

1. Clegg & Styring 1962, p. 55.
2. Morling, p. 226.
3. Clegg & Styring 1962, p. 111.

Sources

• Clegg, W Paul; Styring, John S (1962). Steamers of British Railways and Associate Companies. Prescot: T Stephenson & Sons. pp. 55, 111.
• Col L.F. Morling, Sussex Sappers: A History of the Sussex Volunteer and Territorial Army Royal Engineer Units from 1890 to 1967, Seaford: 208th Field Co, RE/Christians–W.J. Offord, 1972.