Page 45 - Greystones Archaeological Historical Society

GREYSTONES ARCHAEOLOGICAL & HISTORICAL SOCIETY JOURNAL VOLUME 8

between Dover, U.K. and Dunkirk, France commenced operation
th
on 10 October 1926. These services were suspended for the
duration of World War 2 and resumed when this conflict was
over.

But in the post-war years this Ro-Ro concept was adapted
for use by some merchant ships making short sea ferry crossings
with the MV Princess Victoria operated by British Railways on
the Stranraer, Scotland, to Larne, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland,
route being one of the earliest of these vessels.

The Larne, Co Antrim – Stranraer, Scotland Route

On 27 June 1872 the Larne and Stranraer Steam Packet
Company introduced the paddle steamer Princess Louise on this
route, the first of 10 ships used on this route by the company.

In 1923 the London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) took
over this ferry route and in 1939 introduced a new ferry, MV
Princess Victoria, with a car deck for up to 80 vehicles, fitted with
doors at the stern so that cars could be driven on at the port of
embarkation, turned around on an internal turntable and then
driven off at the point of disembarkation. Within eight weeks of
rd
the outbreak of World War 2 on 3 September 1939, this ferry
was pressed into military service and was later sunk in the

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