Name RFC113

RFC113 was built as a twin screw Express Cruiser by the British Power Boats Company of Hythe in 1938 and is a vessel of double diagonal timber construction. Originally fitted with twin Power-Meadows petrol engines, trhese have now replaced with twin Perkins diesel engines model 6.354.2.

The Second World War soon overtook the vessel, then with the name 113RFC and she served at Dunkirk, St Malo and the Channel Islands: after Dunkirk, under her WW2 name of RFC113 and with her volunteer crew from the Island of Jersey, MAKAIRA was used by Admiral (then Commander) Howard-Johnston to lead a demoltion party to destroy the port of St Malo and to evacuate Allied Servicemen and also civilians. From Anthony Holtham, Secretary of the WSS Small Craft Group, “In the additions and Alterations section of the MOWT (Ministry of War Transport) Records Register R.F.C. 113 is mentioned as being previously owned by J.H. Storey and was under Miscellaneous Naval Duties on the 13.2.46. Phil Simons informed me that 113 RFC was first registered in March 1947 at Southampton. This gave me something to work on, he also mentioned she was in service in the Channel Islands and was known as a vessel taken up for duties in Operation Dynamo. Further he mentioned that she was later transferred to Scotland.

Further wartime service included Air Sea Rescue and Seaplane Flying and Bombing training.  Later in WW2, she was engaged for Despatch duties with the Allied Invasion Fleet following D Day in 1944.

Later she served in various roles in Scotland before returning to the Solent and was used as a Dispatch Boat in the run up to the D Day landings. In 1947 she was returned to her original owner, Mr J H Storey.

The vessel progressed through ten different owners before being purchased by her present owner in 2010 and is now being restored to her original 1938 condition.  It is intended that she will attend the 2020 Dunkirk Anniversary and also visit Jersey and St Malo for the anniversary of Operation Aerial. 

We then have a gap until February 2010 when Phil was contacted by Charlie Cantan with reference to a mystery boat at Swansea, which I believe he was thinking of purchasing. He identified it as Makaira even though by this time it had been modified with a raised wheelhouse, which altered considerably the original simplicity of line.

By August 2010 she was purchased by Richard Dyson-Harvey and was left at the Pembroke Sunderland Trust at Pembroke Dock for restoration and display. Dyson-Harvey had emigrated to Australia. In late 2012 The Sunderland Museum was forced to move premises and having at that time found no evidence of her wartime history decided not to pursue the project.

They asked Mr Dyson-Harvey to have the boat back. Mr Dyson- Harvey decided to sell the boat through a third party, John Powell, and she was sold on to Jon Blair who took her by road to the Thames & Kennet Marina, at Caversham, Berks. Jon wishes to restore her to her former good looks and has been widely researching the vessel, and that is how I came to be involved when he contacted Richard Hellyer at the BMPT, who asked me to answer his queries.

In 2012 the archivist of the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships confirmed that “RFC113” / “113RFC” took part in both Operation Dynamo and Operation Aerial but needs to make the link between “Makaira” and “RFC113” / “113RFC”. With the information obtained from the Southampton Registry office, this link is now without doubt.

Update, January 2021: Vessel nominated in Restored Power Vessel category in Classic Boat Awards 2021, under previous name of MAKAIRA.