The Massey Shaw is a fire tender, built in 1935, which served on the River Thames and also took part in theDunkirk evacuation, after which she played a vital role during the Blitz. Today she is run by a Trust, manned by volunteers and is undergoing restoration with the aid of a substantial grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The vessel will be ready by May 2012. If you google ‘Massey Shaw’ you will find all her details and her history. But I can tell you that the great water jet which she shoots out is pretty impressive.
I have been contacted by Barbara Reid, an ex-Maritime Museum colleague, who has been helping the Trust plan the project. She has contacted me she thought that there could be people in the GMI who might take an interest in the Massey Shaw. At the end of the year the Trust will be looking for volunteers, and also for 12 passengers to take part in the Queen’s Jubilee Pageant on 3 June 2012, accompanying HMQ up theThames – one of a thousand vessels in the Pageant.
If you would like to enquire further, please let me know, and I can pass you on to the right people.
Roger Knight