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Side-Wheeled Paddle Steamers
Embassy (ex - Duchess of
Norfolk)
Above : Embassy at Bournemouth on 17th July 1966. Photo by kind courtesy of Tom Lee
Built in 1911 by D
& W Henderson at Glasgow (yard no 475)
Length : 190 ft x breadth 26.1 ft (57.9 x 7.95 metres)
381 GRT
Engines : Compound diagonal 27 and 51 x 54 in
Built in 1911 for the
railway connection service from Portsmouth to Ryde as Duchess of
Norfolk
Launched 25/7/1911
Served as a minesweeper in the Mediterranean Sea in World War I (1916-1920) as HMS Duchess of Norfolk
Sold to Cosens & Co's Weymouth-based South Coast cruising
operation in 1937 and renamed Embassy
Became a minesweeper once again for the Second World War as HMS Ambassador
Substantially altered when restored to civil service with enclosed
wheelhouse and expanded deck shelters
Converted to oil burning in winter of 1946/7
The 1966 season was punctuated by mechanical problems and surveys
indicated that she would need considerable attention to sail in
1967.
Last passenger service undertaken on September 22nd, 1966, ending
Cosens cruising interests going back to 1848.
Left Weymouth for Gent, Belgium under tow on May 25th, 1967
Photo kindly supplied from the Nigel Lawrence collection
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