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Original Text (Annotation: epw062742 / 1327041)
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10oTons.Displacement, 107ft long, "New Prince Of Wales",powered by twin Thorncroft petrol/paraffin engines of 75shp each, and built by J. Fowler, of Mariners Yard, High Path, Schoolhouse Rythe, Bosham, Sussex, in 1922 and launched for the 1923 Southend Summer Season. Board Of Trade Licensed to carry no more than 375 passengers under a "Steam 6 Certificate". Dunkirk Little ship, requisitioned on 28th may, 1940, - over the protests of her ex-RN-veteran Owners and regular Crew, - who pleaded to be allowed to sign-on for a month under Crew Agreement Form T.124X, but were refused by the hidebound capt. J.P. Champion, Rtd. since 1922, and with no sea time since 1916, who'd bee re-employed" as naval Control Office.i.c. HMS leigh [the Pier]. The "New Prince of Wales" was sunk off the La Panne beaches due to the incompetence of her untrained Naval crew, who had contaminated her main fuel supply by topping-off the tanks with petrol, - which caused repeated engine stoppages that the very junior RN engineering-Rating didn't know how to cure. While stopped in shallow water just off the La Panne beaches on her first trip, and unable to maneuver to dodge the incoming shelling, she was sunk by a near-miss which ruptured her planking. Her RNR crew were saved by the 56ft ML Triton. '
