Massey Shaw
Encyclopedia
The Massey Shaw is a former London Fire Brigade
fireboat. The historic vessel was saved from dereliction by a group of enthusiasts who are currently engaged in its restoration.
The Massey Shaw was built in 1935 by the J. Samuel White
company at Cowes
, Isle of Wight
. She was built to a London County Council
design, and cost around £18,000 to build. The vessel was named after Eyre Massey Shaw
, a former chief of the London Fire Brigade.
During the Second World War, the Massey Shaw, along with a volunteer crew of Firemen
, formed part of the flotilla of small vessels which were sent to Dunkirk to help evacuate British troops from the beaches. The Massey Shaw made three trips to the beaches and rescued over 500 troops.
The Massey Shaw served throughout the remainder of the War as a fireboat on the Thames. During the Blitz
, the vessel pumped vast quantities of water from the Thames to fight fires all along the Thames waterfront.
The Massey Shaw remained in service as a Thames fireboat until 1971 and is now undergoing restoration by enthusiasts.
London Fire Brigade
The London Fire Brigade is the statutory fire and rescue service for London.Founded in 1865, it is the largest of the fire services in the United Kingdom and the fourth-largest in the world with nearly 7,000 staff, including 5,800 operational firefighters based in 112 fire...
fireboat. The historic vessel was saved from dereliction by a group of enthusiasts who are currently engaged in its restoration.
The Massey Shaw was built in 1935 by the J. Samuel White
J. Samuel White
J. Samuel White was a British shipbuilding firm based in Cowes, taking its name from John Samuel White . It came to prominence during the Victorian era...
company at Cowes
Cowes
Cowes is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east Bank...
, Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
. She was built to a London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
design, and cost around £18,000 to build. The vessel was named after Eyre Massey Shaw
Eyre Massey Shaw
Captain Sir Eyre Massey Shaw KCB was the Superintendent of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade , and its predecessor, the London Fire Engine Establishment, from 1861 to 1891...
, a former chief of the London Fire Brigade.
During the Second World War, the Massey Shaw, along with a volunteer crew of Firemen
Firefighter
Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations...
, formed part of the flotilla of small vessels which were sent to Dunkirk to help evacuate British troops from the beaches. The Massey Shaw made three trips to the beaches and rescued over 500 troops.
The Massey Shaw served throughout the remainder of the War as a fireboat on the Thames. During the Blitz
The Blitz
The Blitz was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941, during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed...
, the vessel pumped vast quantities of water from the Thames to fight fires all along the Thames waterfront.
The Massey Shaw remained in service as a Thames fireboat until 1971 and is now undergoing restoration by enthusiasts.
Specification
- Length: 78 feet
- BeamBeam (nautical)The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position...
: 13 feet 6 inches - DraughtDraft (hull)The draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness of the hull included; in the case of not being included the draft outline would be obtained...
: 3 feet 9 inches - Weight: 50 tons approximately.
- Speed: 12 knots (maximum)
- Engines: Two Gleniffer DC8 eight cylinder diesel engines.
- Pumps: Two Merryweather & SonsMerryweather & SonsMerryweather & Sons of Clapham, later Greenwich, London, were builders of steam fire engines and steam tram engines.The founder was Moses Merryweather of Clapham, who was joined by his son Richard Moses .-Fire appliances:...
, four stage fire pumps, 3,000 gallons per minute.
See also
- Salvage SquadSalvage SquadSalvage Squad is a television programme in which the "Salvage Squad" faced the challenge of restoring an item of classic machinery. The task was usually against a tight deadline, such as a public unveiling at a vehicle rally...
, the Massey Shaw's restoration was the subject of two episodes of this TV programme. - FireboatFireboatA fireboat is a specialized watercraft and with pumps and nozzles designed for fighting shoreline and shipboard fires. The first fireboats, dating to the late 18th century, were tugboats, retrofitted with firefighting equipment....