A World War Two ship which has undergone a £1m restoration at Gloucester Docks, is returning to the Thames this weekend

The Massey Shaw fireboat is currently making
its way to London after undergoing a £1m restoration at Gloucester Docks and is
due to arrive at the West India Dock on Saturday.




The boat, which was
originally built in 1934 for the London Fire Brigade, played a key role in
rescuing soldiers from Dunkirk during World War Two.




The vessel will have a
permanent home on the River Thames and be used as a living museum.


The restoration work
took place after the boat was found abandoned in a London dockyard in the 1980s
and was sunk in the 1990s.


David Robins from T.
Nielson and Company, which carried out the 18-month restoration told the BBC: “We’ve
rebuilt her like-for-like to make her as close as possible to as she was when
she was built.”




Meanhile, the Massey Shaw Society’s David Roger said:
“The boat is a talisman for lots of families.




“In London we will
invite a number of families who have been involved with the vessel over the
years to step aboard where their father or loved one was rescued for or served
aboard the boat.”

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Image credit: Matt Gardner