HMS Hampton Ferry

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Along with its sister ship "Twickenam Ferry" this vessel was requisitioned by the Admiralty on the outbreak of war from Southern Railways where they previously operated as train ferries mainly between Dover and the French channel ports.

They were used by the Military Railway Service Transportation Corps, along with the American USS Sea Train Texas to deliver over a hundred diesel locomotives to be used on French railways.

The two British ships were fitted with a rear rolling crane for the duration of the war that enabled them to place locomtoves weighing more than 60 tons directly onto rails on the quay. The US ship did not have this facility and had to use a crane on another vessel moored alongside. All the Cherboug dock facilities had been sabotaged by the Germans.