Mystery British Channel paddlesteamer

[Roderick Smith]

A paddlesteamer features in this painting:
www.art.com/products/p14183214-sa-i2944416/graham-coton-dunkirk-scene-showing-bomber-attacking-paddle-steamer.htm?sorig=cat&sorigid=0&dimvals=5082348&ui=e6633d1d807d4608a29c25a85dea8541

Is it generic, or is it based on a specific original?

Regards,
Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

[Stuart Badger]

I think the picture may relate to the 'Glen Gower'. She was attacked by a JU88 (illustrated in the painting) and slightly damaged - about 5 members of the regiment on board being evacuated were injured.

I can't think of another twin funneled paddle steamer involved in the evacuation - but I am NOT an expert!

Stuart

[R.G.Y.]

Sorry Stuart, The paddle box pattern is wrong for the Glen Gower. The ship is most likely to be the Devonia , she was sunk on the beach at Dunkirk, or an outside chance the Brighton Queen. I know I am sad, but when drawing the plans for my model of Glen Usk I studied dozens of photos, of Campbells boats. Geoff Yarham.

[Stuart Badger]

Hi Geoff

I think that considerable 'artistic license' has been used in the painting. I was thinking of the incident, ie a bombing by a Junkers88, the ship depicted doesn't really look like an ACCURATE rendering of any of the Dunkirk paddlers!

Stuart

[AlistairD]

Plus the steamers would have been painted in naval grey and not in peactime livery like the drawing

[mjt60a]

Plus the steamers would have been painted in naval grey and not in peactime livery like the drawing

That's a good point, the book 'Glory Days - paddlesteamers' shows several photos taken during or just after war service and they are all either in grey or disruptive camoflage (?). Also the bridge is plated up with a kind of extra open area on top....

[ancoaster78]

I agree that considerable artistice license has been taken, and it deffinatly should be in grey, but it looks to me like the Devonia or its sister the Brighton Queen (2) as Geoff suggests. The shape of the paddle boxes and sponsons look very much like they were based on those ships. Deffinatly not Glen Gower, that has smaller paddle boxes and the front of the sponsons were curved not straight as here, and Campbells had no other 2 funnelled steamers at that time....

Cheers, Andrew

[R.G.Y.]

Had all steamers been commandeered and altered by this early part of the war? Just a thought. No knowledge. Geoff