Challenge’s History
Challenge was built as one of a pair by Alexander Hall and Sons of Aberdeen and was built in excess, which would be useful later in her life. She was launched on the 22nd January 1931.
On the 2nd March she steamed down to the Thames to join The Elliot Steam Tug Company. She was built as a sea going tug and was the most powerful steam tug on the Thames at the time.
Challenge’s launching.
Challenge’s main duties were towing ships and barges of all kinds in and out of the Thames, transporting pilots and carrying out salvage work around the coast of the UK. It would not be uncommon for Challenge to ferry a ships crew, sometimes up to 70 people, to and from shore whilst they waited for the tide to turn. Challenge also spent spent a large portion of the 1930s towing barges of bricks from Holland. Below is a timeline of her known activities.
1931
22nd January: Christened by Mr J. Falder and Launched at Aberdeen.
26th February: Carried out trials and exceeded guaranteed speed to reach 12.5 knots.
2nd March: Steamed For London.
1932
19th August: In West India Dock dry dock.
10th September: Towing tall ship Tormilind.
Challenge towing the Tall Ship Tormilind 10/09/1932
1933
21st June: Towed lighter Rupel Nethe I to Brewers Wharf, Deptford, from Antwerp.
23rd June: At Gravesend.
4th July: Challenge cleared outwards for Antwerp.
6th July: Steams for Antwerp with lighters Boom I and II.
12th July: At Gravesend.
21st September: A fireman from the steam tug Harlow fell into the Thames at North Woolwich whilst crossing From Challenge and Conquest which were moored. No trace of him was found.
25th October: Cleared outward in ballast for Antwerp with lighter.
29th October: Challenge arrives in Antwerp from London, towing the lighters Thames III and Thames VI.
31st October: Arrives back at Gravesend.
4th November: At Gravesend.
1st December: Berthed at Gravesend having returned from Antwerp.
Challenge alongside twin Contest. Early 1930s.
1934
6th April: In West India dry dock
13th April: In West India dry dock.
21st April: Steamed with lighter Hallsta for Antwerp and lighter Thames II for Brussels.
22nd April: Arrived Antwerp with both lighters.
23rd April: Departed Antwerp for London towing lighter Boom I.
16th May: At Gravesend.
3rd June: Steamed for Antwerp towing lighters Boom III and Thames V.
4th June: Arrived Antwerp.
5th June: Cleared outwards from Antwerp.
9th June: At Gravesend.
11th June: Steamed for Antwerp towing Lighters Thames IV and Hallsta.
16th June: Berthed Gravesend.
20th June: Arrived Gravesend from Antwerp.
3rd July: At Gravesend.
Before 12th July: Towing Barrow Deep.
12th July: Steamed to Antwerp towing lighters Rupel Nethe I and Frieda.
25th July: Arrived Gravesend from Antwerp towing lighters Rupel Nethe II, Niel Erith and Boom III.
30th July: Challenge and Contest cleared outwards from Antwerp.
4th August: At Gravesend.
12th August: Steamed for Antwerp towing lighters Hallsta and Thames II
13th August: Arrived Antwerp.
16th August: Berthed at Gravesend.
11th September: Passing Dover.
Challenge coaling alongside the coal hulk Artemis.
1935
17th April: Departed Gravesend for Antwerp towing lighters Boom III and Thames III.
24th April: Cleared outwards in ballast from Antwerp.
8th May: Challenge arrives Dover towing pile driver for Messrs. Mowlem.
5th May: Towed Steamer Elsiston from Dover to Victoria Dock.
6th May: Passed Gravesend towing Elsiston.
6th March: Departed Dover.
13th March: Arrives Gravesend from Antwerp towing lighters Thames III and Thames IV.
2nd August: In Nelson dry dock.
17th October: Arrived Gravesend from Goole.
22nd October: Departed for Gravesend from Antwerp towing lighters.
23rd October: Arrived Gravesend from Antwerp towing lighters Boom, Plaistow, Thames III and Thames IV.
2nd November: Departed Gravesend for Antwerp towing lighters Wall and Thames V.
2nd November: Arrives Antwerp.
Challenge and Contest (1933) towing together.
1936
20th May: Escorted Yugo-Slav steamer Sveti Duje to Nieuwe Waterweg (Rotterdam).
21st May: Arrived Regent’s Dock from Rotterdam.
1937
17th July: Challenges passes Beachy Head going west.
19th July: Challenge, towing British Petrol (broken crankshaft), passes Dungeness and Dover heading east.
23rd July: Passed St Abb’s Head with British Petrol in tow, heading for Grangemouth.
27th July: 8:15pm Challenge brings British Petrol into the Tyne and hands her over to local tugs and then berths at middle dock.
British petrol
28th October: Arrives Gravesend from Southend.
27th November: Arrives Gravesend from Hull.
1938
23rd January: Arrives Grimsby from Gravesend.
29th January: Challenge departs Grimsby for Gravesend.
11th October: Challenge cleared outwards from Antwerp.
1939
22nd January: Berthed at Terneuzen
23rd January: Cleared outwards from Terneuzen.
5th February: Arrives Gravesend from Antwerp.
5th April: Passes Dungeness heading west.
6th May: Challenge passes St Catherine’s heading west.
7th May: Passes Dover heading east towing one lighter.
10th May: departed Gravesend for Antwerp towing lighters Thames III and Thames VI.
12th May: Cleared outwards in ballast from Antwerp.
15th May: arrives Gravesend from Antwerp towing lighter Thames III.
1st June: Challenge passes Dungeness heading east, towing lightship Outer Gabbard.
18th July: Departed Gravesend towing the Charles Parsons to Barry.
31st July: Departed Gravesend for Antwerp towing Thames III and Thames VI.
3rd August: Arrives Gravesend from Antwerp.
26th August: Cleared outwards from Antwerp.
3rd September: War with Germany declared.
11th October: Challenge is involved in taking on rescued crew members when the engine room of the stranded, 7,000 ton steamer, Mahratta exploded and broke the vessel in half. 60 Lascars and 16 men officers and men of the crew were taken to challenge by two smaller motorboats.
Mahratta aground.
1940
30th May: At 4:45pm Challenge and Crested Cock depart Southend for Ramsgate.
At 12:30pm arrived off Ramsgate and was ordered to Dover.
Arrived at Dover at 3pm.
31st May: At 4am she headed to Dunkirk beaches towing a lighter of supplies.
Arrived in Dunkirk Roads at 12:30pm.
From here Challenge was sent to a beach, but when she arrived they discovered it occupied by Germans. She steamed to another beach, which had British troops and went full ahead and released her lighter and it beached successfully. A German bomber almost immediately blew it up though. From there Challenge headed to Dunkirk harbour to help with berthing.
Whilst at Dunkirk the destroyer HMS Impulsive sustained damage to its propeller and required Challenge and Crested Cock to turn her around.
At 2:10pm Challenge and Crested Cock were ordered to let go of tow rope. Challenge and Crested Cock escorted Impulsive to the Dunkirk pier heads. From here Impulsive made her own way to Dover with Challenge and Crested Cock in company.
Arrived Dover at 8:00pm.
HMS Impulsive.
1st June: At 8:00pm Challenge, Crested Cock, Ocean Cock, Sun VII and Sun XII went to the assistance of HMS Worcester, which had been in a collision with Maid Of Orleans.
Finished berthing HMS Worcester at 9:30pm and proceeded to Dunkirk to try and collect any remaining craft before zero hour at 3am on the 2nd June.
HMS Worcester
Maid Of Orleans
At midnight Challenge, Crested Cock, Ocean Cock, Fairplay I, Sun VII, Sun XI and Sun XII were off Goodwin Sands in single line ahead, heading for Dunkirk.
2nd June: No ships found and returned to Dover.
Arrived at Dover at 7am to find mines blocking entrance.
Later in the Day Challenge and another tug were recruited for special work. They were to serve the destroyers who were going to return to Dunkirk to bring off their own crews. Challenge’s job was to take off any spare rifles, to issue ladders and do any other work required for these ships. This work lasted for two days.
After this Challenge was put in charge of distributing the “Little Ships” between tugs to be towed back to their respecting areas. Once this work was done Challenge took her own group and returned to Gravesend.
1942
1st June: Towed HMF Sunk Head into position for sinking with Crested Cock and Watercock.
At some point after this but before August Challenge had two gun bridges added. One bridge was in front and below of the wheelhouse and mounted two Lewis machine guns and possibly search lights. The second bridge was above the wheelhouse and mounted a 20mm oerlikon cannon.
1st August: Towed HMF Knock John to position ready for sinking along with Crested Cock and Watercock.
1943
4th June: Towed parts of Army Fort Nore Sands into position.
Challenge towing HMF Roughs Tower.
Challenge towing HMF Knock John, now armed.
1944
During this year Challenge was involved in towing Mulberry harbour parts. We believe this would be to their start points to be hidden.
3rd July: Challenge and Vincia were towing the Fort Gibraltar into the Royal Docks when a V1 flying bomb explodes against the quayside just off Challenge’s Port side. Challenge sustains significant damage along her portside and the Chief Engineer Cyril Sedge is thrown down a stair case and bangs his head.
She was sent to Mills and Knight’s yard for repairs. We believe this is when her weapons and wheelhouse were removed.
Challenge with part of an army fort.
A fort class ship.
1945
2nd September: End of the Second World War.
25th December: Departed the Tyne with Contest.
With the end of the war Challenge’s work somewhat changed from what they had been in the 30s. She would no longer be making trips over to Europe and would mostly be working just on the Thames towing ships into and out of the Thames, along with berthing and unberthing of them. We have a copy of a logbook of her activities from 59 to 64 but to put the entries of it here would result in having thousands of entries. Instead we have opted to not put them here and keep it to non regular entries and activites.
1950
During the 1950s Challenge was fitted with radar and became the first Thames tug to have it.
1st February: Elliott Steam Tug Company, William Watkins Ltd and Gamecock tugs merge and become Ship Towage (London) Limited.
3rd March: James Payne is summoned for navigating Challenge without “care and caution”. It was claimed that challenges wake caused damage to the police launch Valiant and nearly threw an officer into the water.
Challenge returns to Dunkirk for the 10th anniversary of Operation Dynamo.
1953
1st March: Challenge along with Ocean Cock and Sun XVI answered the call when the Baalbeck hit the Nore Fort in thick fog. Four of the fort’s crew were lost.
The Baalbeck with part of Nore Fort across its bow.
1954
26th October: Challenge and Arcadia were handling the liner Arcadia when Cervia was girted and sank very quickly. Cervia took five of her crew with her and Challenge saved the three survivors.
1957
1st February: Challenge undergoing annual refit at Messrs. Claxton and Company Ltd (Ramsgate).
1958
14th March: Challenge undergoing refit at Ramsgate.
1959
9th March: 10:30pm arrives at Ramsgate for refit.
3rd April: Challenge returns to the water after annual refit at Ramsgate.
9th April: Departs Ramsgate for Gravesend.
11th May: Raising steam after tube repairs.
1961
19th March: At Canal Buoy carrying out boiler joint repairs.
22nd August: Carrying out repairs to circulating pump.
1962
5th March: At Canal carrying out repair to tubes.
19th June: Proceeded to Sheerness for refit.
13th July: left Sheerness at 8:45pm.
1964
Challenge is converted from coal to oil burning at Sheerness.
1974
29th October: Challenge is purchased by the Taylor Woodrow group and moved to St Catherine’s dock for preservation.
1995
19th January: Challenge’s boiler was fired and she moved under her own power for the first time in 21 years. Maneuvering tests were carried out in Tilbury Dock.
2000
December: Challenge is towed to Southampton.
2001
23rd July: Challenge is slipped for major work.
November: Work completed.
2004
January: Attended London Boat Show.
May: Attended Dordtrech in Stoom.
July: Attended Brest Festival of The Sea.
2005
January: Attended London Boat Show.
May: Challenge attends the Dunkirk 65th anniversary. Sir Robin Knox-Johnson.
June: Challenge attends the International Fleet Review by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Spithead.
2007
Challenge is dry docked
2010
18th July: Challenge is the central attraction at the Shoreham Port Open Day.
2011
The main engine was dismantled this year so that the bearing can be re-metaled and the engine re-aligned.
2012
Throughout 2012 Challenge was having her new boiler made by Byworth. To remove the old boiler the funnel was removed. Then the boat deck had a section removed to allow pieces of the old boiler to be removed and the new boiler to be craned in.
27th September: New boiler installed.
2013
5th May: Challenge berths in her new home at berth 49 in Southampton docks. She also took part in the Southampton Maritime Festival.
September: Challenge attends Great Yarmouth Maritime Festival and St katherine’s Dock Classic Boat Festival.
2014
23rd June: Clive Purser (Chief Engineer) is presented an award from the Transport Trust for his work on Challenge.
August: Attended the Southampton maritime Festival.
2020
26th February: Challenge Slipped at Hythe.
13th March: Challenge returned to her berth.
20th June: Chris Bannister takes ownership of Challenge.
7th July: Challenge is slipped at Hythe for urgent repairs.
21st July: Challenge returns to the water.
24th August: The boiler is steamed for the first time in well over a year.
19th October: Challenge steams out of her berth under her own power for the first time in a number of years.
2021
30th May: Challenge steams out to The Needles.
18th July: Challenge joins S.S. Shieldhall for a celebration of steam in Southampton.
18th September: Challenge and S.S. Shieldhall steam along Southampton water during the Southampton Boat Show.
2022
21st July: Challenge leaves Southampton for her new home on the Medway.
22nd July: Challenge arrives on the Medway and moors near Sun Pier, Chatham.
1st August: Challenge steamed to knock John Fort on the 80th anniversary of Challenge towing her out there in 1942. Challenge was even there for the exact same time that she had been 80 years before.
10/11th September: Challenge attends Queenborough Boat Festival with great success.
3rd October: Challenge meets with the Paddle Steamer Waverley off the Thames army forts.
10th October: Challenge steams up the Thames for the first time in a decade and passes under tower bridge for the first time since 1974.
15th December: Challenge stars in an episode of Celebrity Antiques Road Trip.
2023
25th April: Challenge stars in the first episode of the TV programme The Big Steam Adventure.
3rd October: Challenge meets with the Paddle steamer Waverley off Red Sands Fort.
28th August: Challenge steams to Red Sands Fort for a BBQ.
6th November: Challenge at X-Pilot cruise together to Red Sands fort.
2024
1st June: Challenge departs Medway heading for the 80th D-Day celebrations in France.
2nd June: Challenge arrives at Ouistreham lock and procedes to Caen.
5/6th June: The crew attend the 80th D-Day celebration at Pegasus Bridge. Challenge moves to a mooring near Pegasus Bridge in the afternoon.
9th June: Challenge departs Normandy.
10th June: Challenge arrives back at the Medway.
21st/22nd September: Challenge attends Queenborough Boat festival.
13th October: Challenge meets up with the paddle steamer Waverley at Red Sands Fort.