Earl of Zetland (ship) facts for kids
The ship Earl of Zetland was a special steel ship built in 1939. It was made in Aberdeen, Scotland, by a company called Hall, Russell & Company. This ship was designed to carry passengers. It is also listed on the UK's National Register of Historic Vessels, which means it's an important part of history.
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The Ship's Amazing Journey
Built for Service
The Earl of Zetland started its life just as WWII (World War II) was beginning. It was quickly put to work. This strong vessel traveled a huge distance, more than 100,000 miles! It also carried around 600,000 soldiers and sailors. These servicemen traveled to and from the Orkney Islands, which are islands off the coast of Scotland.
A Hero in Wartime
The Earl of Zetland is also thought to be one of the many brave small ships that helped in the Dunkirk evacuation. During this famous event, many small boats helped rescue soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk in France. This shows how important the Earl of Zetland was during the war.
New Names, New Jobs
Over the years, the Earl of Zetland had a few different names. It was known as Celtic Surveyor and La Passerelle. In 1975, the ship was sold and renamed Celtic Surveyor. It was then changed into a special ship for divers, called a diving support vessel. It helped divers with their work until 1982. After that, it became a floating restaurant on the River Thames in London. Later, in 1998, it moved to Albert Edward Dock in North Shields. There, it continued its life as a popular floating restaurant.
The End of a Long Voyage
By October 2020, the Earl of Zetland was getting old and needed a lot of repairs. It had been in a worsening condition for several years. So, a plan was started to carefully take the ship apart. This work took about eight weeks.
Mike Newbold, who owned the restaurant ship since 2009, explained why it was time for the ship to go. He said that keeping the Zetland in good shape was very expensive. It was hard to even make enough money to cover the costs. With new challenges like the Covid pandemic, it seemed like the right decision. He mentioned that "Everything comes to its conclusion." Even though the ship is no longer sailing, it is still remembered. It is now listed in the National Archive of Historic Vessels, keeping its memory alive.
