SS Royal Daffodil

SS Royal Daffodil was built in 1906 and scrapped in 1938. She was built as Daffodil for service on the River Mersey and renamed Royal Daffodil in recognition of her part in the Zeebrugge Raid.

Pre war
Daffodil was built by Robert Stephenson & Sons as yard number 101. She was launched on 20 April 1906 and completed in June 1906. She was put into service as one of the Mersey ferries operating between Liverpool and Wallasey.

Zeebrugge Raid
In 1918, she was requisitioned for war service and became HMS Daffodil. Her sister ship Iris was also requisitioned and became HMS Iris. In preparation for the raid, all furniture and fittings were stripped and armour fitted to the superstructure of the Iris and Daffodil. The ferries were chosen because of their shallow draught and double hulls. They were towed across the Channel by HMS Vindictive and took part in the Zeebrugge Raid on 23 April 1918. The raid was an effort to stop Germany using Zeebrugge as a submarine base. Although hailed as a triumph at the time, it only achieved this aim for a short time. Daffodil was hit in the engine room by two shells, but was able to maintain her position holding Vindictive against the wall of the Mole. Eight VCs were awarded.

Return to Liverpool
Iris and Daffodil returned to the Mersey on 17 May 1918, to a heroes welcome. After repairs at Chatham, both vessels returned to service on the Mersey.

Post war
After the raid, she was renamed Royal Daffodil on command of King George V and returned to the Mersey, bearing shrapnel marks from the raid. In 1932 she succeeded PS Royal Iris on excursion work and in 1934 Royal Daffodil was sold to the New Medway Steam Packet Co. (NMSPC). She was used on the Rochester - Strood - Sheerness - Southend route. The NMSPC was taken over by the General Steam Navigation Co. Ltd. in 1936 and in 1938 Royal Daffodil was sold for scrapping in Belgium.

HMS Daffodil (1940) - TF3 train ferry
During World War II, three train ferry ships (TF1, TF2 & TF3) which had been built during World War I were requisitioned by the Royal Navy. TF2 was lost off Saint-Valéry en Caux on 13 June 1940. In 1940 TF1 and TF3 were renamed HMS Princess Iris and HMS Daffodil, after the ex-Mersey ferries used in the famous World War I Zeebrugge raid. In 1941 HMS Princess Iris and HMS Daffodil were converted into Landing Ship Sternchute (LSS) and used as locomotive transports. HMS Daffodil (ex-TF3) was lost off Dieppe on 18 March 1945, after striking a mine leaving only HMS Princess Iris (ex-TF1) to survive the war. The wreck of HMS Daffodil has been photographed by the Grieme organisation.