1926-1984

 

On 27 August 1925 Turbine Steamers Ltd. placed an order with Messrs Denny of Dumbarton for a turbine steamer for service on the Clyde with machinery to be provided by the Parsons Company of Wallsend-on-Tyne. Messrs Denny’s offer was for £65,500 with machinery at a cost of £29,000 included. The final cost of the ship was £69,648.

 

The first hint that the new vessel would be unconventional was mooted in December 1925 when it was reported that the high-pressure turbine invented by Sir Charles Parsons in answer to the diesel engine would be fitted to the new ship. The revolutionary design of the vessel was further revealed in January 1926 with a press report of the protected promenade deck, which one newspaper declared to be the first attempt in a Clyde steamer to provide shelter on deck for fair weather or foul.

 

Construction went ahead rapidly with the frames erected on 29 December and the ship was launched on 29 April when Lady Parsons named her KING GEORGE V. It is understood that it had been the owner’s intention to name the vessel simply KING GEORGE (in keeping with KING EDWARD and QUEEN ALEXANDRA), but the Roman numeral had to be added to avoid confusion in Lloyds Register. Fitting out continued at Dumbarton, but on 15 July she moved to Greenock for dry-docking. Early in August she began trials on the Firth. Her completion had been delayed by labour troubles following the General Strike and further delay was caused by the Board of Trade insisting on the closing of a door at the after end of the engine room which had resulted in difficulties with ventilation. On her speed trials the mean of two runs on the Skelmorlie measured mile was 20.78 knots comfortably exceeding the contract speed of 20.50 knots. The official trial trip was held on 7 September when representatives of the major shipping companies and shipbuilders were on board as guests of the builders. At this date only the contractor’s speed and power trials had been completed, but, as the Chairman of Turbine Steamers Ltd. was insistent in having the ship in service before the close of the season, the consumption trials were delayed until the autumn.

 

At a distance of 80 years it is difficult to appreciate how radically the appearance of the new turbine differed from her predecessors and this is best illustrated by comparing her with the LMS GLEN SANNOX built at the same yard in the previous year. In fact KING GEORGE V was the pioneer ship which introduce a new standard of design which came to be accepted as the norm and was repeated in the later CSP turbines DUCHESS OF MONTROSE and DUCHESS OF HAMILTON. The most obvious difference was the enclosing of the promenade deck amidships and the fitting of large picture windows. The main observation saloon was fitted in the forward portion of this area while the dining saloon finished in mahogany panelling with carving between the windows was located in the main deck aft where the saloon was to be found on the older steamers. The fitting of large windows enabled passengers to enjoy the scenery while dining. The forward end of the upper deck was finished with varnished wood lining to the height of the handrail affording more protection to passengers than the canvas sheeting fitted over the rails on the earlier turbines. Two funnels were fitted at a jaunty rake and a single mast rose out of the upper deck just forward of the bridge. The upper deck lifeboats were fitted amidships and a further pair of lifeboats were carried at the stern on the promenade deck. The aft capstan was fitted at promenade deck level, this allowing the main plating of the hull to carry round the stern at full height giving a most satisfactory profile. Completed in the immaculate black and white colour scheme with red boot topping and white dividing band and teak grained ventilators with crimson bell mouths the new ship presented a most attractive appearance and soon attracted large crowds of interested and curious passengers.

 

However it was below decks in the engine room that the most sensational innovation of all was to be found with the installation of high pressure turbine machinery. The vessel was propelled by twin screws driven by an unusual arrangement - the low pressure turbines being located forward of the gearcase and the intermediate and high pressure aftermost. The four turbines acted in series: the high pressure turbine only 3 ½ ins. in diameter exhausting into the first intermediate turbine at 7 5/8 ins thence to the second intermediate turbine at 13 ½ ins. and finally expanding into the low pressure turbine at 29 ½ ins. diameter. The high pressure and intermediate turbines rotated at 4,000 rpm.  while the low pressure rotated at 3,000 rpm. The two bronze propellers 5ft. in diameter rotated at 570 rpm. although during the speed trials the screws recorded 582rpm. The boiler contract was awarded to Yarrow and Company who designed and constructed two special boilers each weighing 40 tons. In these boilers which were triangular in section rather than the more familiar cylindrical shape the air was preheated to 500 degrees Farenheit before entering the furnace and steam was superheated to 750 degrees Farenheit at 500 psi pressure. Because of the intense heat of the steam Monometal was used for the blades of the high pressure and intermediate pressure turbines with cast steel for all other parts. The starting platform was located forward of the turbines and the machinery was controlled by three valves one of which admitted steam to the high pressure turbine when running ahead at full power. The other valves were used for manoeuvring purposes while a non-return valve fitted on the branch connecting the high pressure and the first immediate pressure turbine made it possible to run the starboard turbines ahead while the port turbines were reversed.

 

Following the successful completion of her trials KING GEORGE V entered passenger service on Wednesday 8 September 1926 when she sailed from Greenock (08.45) and Gourock (09.05) to Campbeltown (13.00) calling at Dunoon, Weymyss Bay, Fairlie, Lochranza and Pirnmill (ferry). The return sailing from Campbeltown (14.50) retraced the same route to arrive at Gourock (18.35) and Princes Pier (18.50) However the following day and until the close of the season on Glasgow Autumn Holiday, Monday 27 September, she sailed daily to Inveraray from Princes Pier (08.50) and Gourock (09.13) calling at Dunoon, Rothesay, Tighnabruaich, Crarae and Strachur arriving at Inveraray at 13.10 and returning at 14.10 by the same route.

 

On Monday 16 September KING GEORGE V was unable to take her sailing to Inveraray: while she was berthed in the Albert Harbour over the weekend there had been an abnormally high tide and the belting around the hull caught on top of one of the quayside piles. As the tide receded the belting was torn off. The damage was slight and soon repaired in drydock while KING EDWARD took the Inveraray sailings. Perhaps the accident was deliberately engineered by the vessel in protest at an unconfirmed report published in that morning’s “Glasgow Herald” of an arrangement by the LMS Railway Company and David MacBrayne Ltd. to purchase jointly the Williamson Buchanan and Turbine Steamers fleet, the transfer to take place after the close of the tourist season. A special evening cruise was given by KING GEORGE V from Princes Pier on Friday 27 September to Rothesay Illuminations and on Monday 30 September she gave her last sailing to Inveraray. Later that week the newspapers confirmed details of the purchase of the White-Funnel fleet that took place on Thursady 3 October. The two Turbine Steamer Ltd. vessels QUEEN ALEXANDRA and KING GEORGE V were acquired by David MacBrayne Ltd. to replace the ageing IONA and COLUMBA, which had been withdrawn from service and would now be offered for disposal. In November KING GEORGE V’s funnels were repainted in MacBrayne red while at Lamont’s slip at Port Glasgow during her overhaul in the Spring of 1936 she received an additional pair of lifeboats at the stern. These small boats were originally fitted on MacBrayne’s SCOUT and latterly had been carried by COLUMBA on her small upper deck.

 

The 1939 Oban season for KING GEORGE V opened on Monday 5 June although the previous day she had given a charter sailing to Iona. In the course of her Spring overhaul a cross trees was fitted to the mast, thus enabling her to fly her name pennant and the Royal Mail pennant below the MacBrayne houseflag at the masthead. When war was declared on Sunday 3 September emergency services were introduced on the Clyde and excursions were cancelled. KING GEORGE V sailed from Oban in the early morning of Sunday 3 September and was laid up in the East India Harbour at Greenock were she was repainted warship grey later in the month. On Tuesday 9 January 1940 she was requisitioned by the Admiralty and sailed from Greenock on Sunday 14 January bound for the English Channel where she was employed initially as a troop carrier below Dover and Boulogne. In the spring of 1940 she saw active service at Calais, Boulogne, Ostende, Rotterdam and Dunkirk. She made five crossings to the French port where she entered the harbour under enemy gunfire and moored alongside the mole to embark the remnants of the British Expeditionary Force. KING GEORGE V was one of the last ships to leave Dunkirk and in recognition of these exploits Captain Robert McLean and Chief Engineer W. McGregor were each awarded the DSO while Bosun D. J. MacKinnon was awarded the DSM.

 

On 11 June the turbine returned to the Clyde to serve as a troop carrier sailing from Gourock and Princes Pier to the armada of ships anchored at the Tail of the Bank and in 1941 carried Mr. Winston Churchill to the warship which was to convey him to his historic meeting with President Roosevelt, which resulted in the signing of the Atlantic Charter.

 

What was to prove to be KING GEORGE V’s final season at Oban was programmed to start on Saturday 18 May, but due to a strike of fuel tanker drivers it was delayed until Wednesday 22 May. The Staffa and Iona cruise was given at 09.30 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday all sailings via Tobermory (11.15). The Wednesday sailing from Fort William (08.45) was from Oban (11.45) direct to Iona. On Friday a new cruise was offered from Fort William (09.30) and Oban (11.45) to the Isles of the Sea and Corryvreckan. Evening cruises to Fort William were given from Oban on Wednesday (18.00) and Friday (17.00). In addition the steamer sailed from Oban on Thursday (18.45) to Fort William where she lay overnight. There were no Sunday cruises in 1974. The final cruise of KING GEORGE V to Staffa and Iona was given on Saturday 14 September. The following day she was chartered by Coastal Cruising Association to cruise to Tobermory and Loch Sunart. KING GEORGE V left Oban finally on Monday 16 September at 12.20 and sailed to the Clyde where she anchored overnight at Kilchattan Bay. Next morning she continued to Gourock and moored symbolically at Berth A - the traditional berth of the Ardrishaig Mail Steamer. Astern of her lay the other reminder of the Williamson-Buchanan fleet - QUEEN MARY. Later in the day KING GEORGE V sailed to Greenock and was laid up in the East India Harbour.

 

A press statement issued on Friday 20 December 1974 saying that “ the decision to concentrate cruising on the COLUMBA will mean the departure of the veteran Steamer KING GEORGE V from the Caledonian MacBrayne fleet” confirmed the beginning of the end for KING GEORGE V.                              

 

The liferafts had been removed on Wednesday 14 December and transferred to the car ferry JUPITER. Thereafter the disposal of the veteran turbine went ahead with almost indecent haste. On Wednesday 2 April 1975 Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd. confirmed her sale to Nationwide Transport, a member of the C H Bailey Group of Companies based at Cardiff. After having her windows boarded up KING GEORGE V was moved from the East India Harbour to the Bristol Berth on Wednesday 16 April and on Saturday 19 April at 10.45 she was towed away by a tug to Cardiff. Once there she was placed in drydock and left to moulder subject to vandalism for six years. In the Spring of 1981 a sale was concluded with Bass Charrington Ltd. who were looking for a replacement vessel for OLD CALEDONIA which had been badly damaged by fire while berthed in London.Work proceeded to rehabilitate KING GEORGE V and all was going well until Wednesday 26 August when fire broke out on board and severely damaged the steamer, which was abandoned. After three years the remains of KING GEORGE V were hauled to the mouth of the River Taff and beached opposite Penarth to allow the sea to demolish what was left - an inglorious end to a great ship.

 

KING GEORGE V was an iconic ship that became a legend in her own lifetime; a pioneer vessel in both design and comfort that became taken for granted. Continually subjected to a rigorous schedule on her daily cruise round Mull she steamed 114 miles on the most exposed excursion route in British coastal waters. Built to serve the public in peacetime she earned glory in our nation’s hour of greatest peril; built to carry the public on pleasure sailings she conveyed Royalty on her decks; built by Scottish craftsmen in the Clyde tradition she sailed for 49 years and gained immortality.