SS FALAISE

Nice shot of the old girl as originally built. 22 knots, eh? Couldn't get much above 18 at Newhaven as a car ferry from 1964 on.
Andy

Very first ship I ever went on. (School trip to France aged about 10). I think it was then that I decided I wanted to go to sea.
More than 20 years later I piloted her into Drydock on the Tees.
Happy memories.
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Tony C

The first ship I ever crossed the channel on. June 1959. Boat train Waterloo to Southampton, steam of course. Right to the dock side. boarded her for overnight crossing to St Helier in Jersey. Spent the day in Jersey then left in the early morning for short trip to St Malo. Saw Mont St Michel before the overnight crossing back to Southampton and the train back to London. Then straight into school. Had a great time on this lovely ship. Amazingly small by todays standards. I thought she was a TSS, Turbine Steam Ship rather than just an SS. We went from the same dock, which seemed to have sole use of British Railways ships. Such vessels as Normania for Le Harve, The Isles of Jersey, Gurnsey and Sark I recall also being tied up at the same time.
The Falaise used to do what were called weekend cruises prior to her summer schedule of Southampton to St Malo.

Great days!

Alan

Built in 1947 by Denny at Dumbarton for the Southern Railway's Southampton-St. Malo route. To British Railways at the beginning of the following year.
Converted to a car ferry in 1964 and placed on the Newhaven-Dieppe route. She moved to the Weymouth-Channel Islands-Cherbourg route in 1973, but was laid up the following year because of mechanical problems. Sold for scrapping in Spain.
3,710GT. 311' x 48', twin screw, turbine, 20 1/2 knots.
About 1,450 passengers in two classes (as built).

Bruce