Vintage Views with Aled Jones: The New Royal Sovereign
Bridlington owes as a seaside resort to pleasure boats – and one such was New Royal Sovereign which started work here in 1936 and quickly became a leading visitor attraction.
The vessel also served the nation with distinction in WW2, carrying out naval duties in the Bay.
Tragedy beyond belief. At around 2am on Friday, 23rd August, 1940, an enemy plane dropped a stick of bombs on the harbour. Sadly, the first bomb struck a direct hit on Royal Sovereign and blew her to bits. The force of the blast was so severe that pieces of the vessel were found later that morning in the Old Town!
While the second device failed to explode, the third bomb destroyed both the Britannia Hotel and the Cock and Lion public house.
The same blast demolished Foley's Café and Woolworths, also on Prince Street.
In a Nazi propaganda broadcast, Lord Haw-Haw reported that HMS Royal Sovereign had been sunk at Bridlington after an encounter with Luftwaffe bombers.
TSMV Royal Soveriegn had been built at Southend in 1929 and was used for excursions there. She was ideal for cruising because she had a large saloon that could be used as a cafe or for dancing. The saloon included a buffet.
The lifebelt provided for every person made seafaring a relaxed, safe experience.
New Royal Sovereign is the white-painted vessel moored at the North Pier in the image. She has a gang plank attached and is steadily filling up with passengers.
Astern of her is the much larger TSS Yorkshireman, which could carry up to 400 passengers. She first came to Bridlington in 1928 and remained with us until 1954.
The other vessel at the pier is the motor powered Cutty Sark, which may be something of a ‘ghost’ ship, as no physical information can be found on her!
The boat just disappearing through the harbour mouth is Boys’ Own, which was built in early 1938 at Beverley, by Cook, Welton & Gemmel Ltd. She was renamed the Flamborian in the 1960s after a structural refit.
During the war, she served on the Humber with the Royal Army Service Corps and is said to be the first vessel to shoot at a German plane!
This picture shows the South Pier before the fish wharf and market was created.
This rare postcard is dated 6 June, 1938, and is a real photograph published by Excel Series.