Old photograph of the King George V passenger ship arriving at Fort William, Scotland. She was a pioneering Clyde passenger turbine steamer, built in 1926. She was a popular boat, seeing service to Inverary and later based in Oban, and withdrawn in 1974. She was novel in design, providing spacious accommodation with an enclosed promenade deck, the saloon extending the full width of the hull and half the length of the vessel. Above this was an observation deck. The restaurant was aft on the main deck, with large observation windows. King George V was initially mainly used on the Inveraray service but also visited Campbeltown. She became a much loved ship. After 1935, she was based in Oban cruising round Mull, to Iona, Staffa and Fort William. In World War II, she was requisitioned as a troop carrier, initially based at Southampton, England. In 1940, she evacuated troops from Rotterdam, Ostend, Calais, Boulogne and famously, Dunkirk, landing 4300 men at Dover. Returning to the Clyde in 1941 for tendering duties, she carried Prime Minister, Winston Churchill to his battleship en route to the Atlantic Conference. After the war, she resumed MacBrayne cruises on the Clyde in 1946, including the summer Ardrishaig mail service.
All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.
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