Massey Shaw Fireboat

02/11/2022

Awards 2022 | National Historic Ships

It’s time to celebrate Britain’s maritime heritage once again with the National Historic Ships UK Virtual Awards Ceremony 2022!

The ceremony will be streamed from our website at 7.00pm on Tuesday 22 November – and you’re invited!

Join us and guest presenter Ash Faire-Ring at Historic Dockyard Chatham in Kent to learn the winners of our 2022 Photography Competition, Marsh Volunteer, and Excellence in Maritime Conservation Awards. We’ll also celebrate our Flagships of the Year and launch Historic Dockyard Chatham as our newest Shipshape Network Hub for the South East. Not to mention some very special behind-the-scenes content from the Dockyard, including the Ship Model Stores and a former Royal Navy submarine.

Follow on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and join us on the night to congratulate the winners as they are announced. Don't forget to use the event hashtag so we can see and share your posts.

Watch the ceremony live from our website at this link.

Filmed in The Historic Dockyard Chatham learn who this year's winners are for our Photography Competition, Marsh Volunteer Awards, Flagship of the Year, and Martyn Heighton Award for Excellence in Maritime Conservation, plus the launch of our Shipshape Network Hub. You'll also get a behind the scene...

28/10/2022

Great to see a fellow Little Ship back in British waters/land for restoration!

28/10/2022

Leave a gift in your Will - Massey Shaw Education Trust

Did you know you might save £400 inheritance tax for every £1,000 you leave Massey Shaw in your Will? The best thing is your adviser only needs our registered charity name and number to include! For more information, please visit our website: https://masseyshaw.org/support/leave-a-gift-in-your-will/

Gifts in Wills ensure that both Massey Shaw and the charity continues to share the vessel and it’s vast history with future generations.

25/10/2022

London Fire Brigade Museum on Twitter

Check this out from the LFB archive: Our final is this ‘goliath’ pocket watch. This large sized timepiece wasn’t actually made to be worn but instead features a stand to display it. It was presented to Chief Officer Captain Sir Eyre Massey Shaw in 1898. Learn more here orlo.uk/4G6by

“Our final is this ‘goliath’ pocket watch. This large sized timepiece wasn’t actually made to be worn but instead features a stand to display it. It was presented to Chief Officer Captain Sir Eyre Massey Shaw in 1898. Learn more here https://t.co/WTCJ2yloZ0”

29/09/2022

EVENT: event ! Join us to mark the 36th anniversary of the pilot movie showing of ’sburning with a showing of the pilot movie followed by an exhibition of London’s Burning related artefacts. Booking details to be released shortly on our website www.Firebrigademuseum.com ’sburning

event ! Join us to mark the 36th anniversary of the pilot movie showing of ’sburning with a showing of the pilot movie followed by an exhibition of London’s Burning related artefacts. Booking details to be released shortly on our website www.Firebrigademuseum.com ’sburning

25/09/2022

Great time lapse of the flotilla!

22/09/2022

Here are a few photos from the Plaistow Fire Station Open Day! Thanks to all those who attended and our volunteers for setting up and talking to everyone!

10/09/2022

Our charities mission is "..To advance public education in the history of marine vessels in particular by the preservation and public display of the Massey Shaw fireboat."

One of the ways we facilitate this is through fire station open days across London, but naturally we can't take the boat with us every time! Instead our volunteers put together a stand with information about the restoration, Massey's history and some interactive elements too!

We would like to thank all the members of the public we've met over the past few weeks at Fire Station open days and the amazing London Fire Brigade staff who invite us along and do amazing work for their communities.

We hope to see many of you again soon on board or at another event!

📸Photos from Enfield Fire Station open day where over 900 people attended!

If you're able to support our work please consider a donation or organising a fundraising event in your local area!
https://masseyshaw.org/support/donations-and-fundraising/

09/09/2022

David R recently attended the Headcorn Emergency Services Show and shared a few snaps from the event! Great to see the authentic wartime uniforms and engines plus more modern day appliances! Visit the website to stay informed about next years event: https://www.headcornevents.co.uk/Events/Emergency+Services+Show

08/09/2022

Our Board and volunteers mourn the passing of Her Majesty the Queen. God save the King.

The Association Dunkirk Little Ships mourns the passing of Her Majesty the Queen. God save the King.

08/09/2022

The London Fire Brigade officially welcomed two new fire boats into their fleet, as part of a £40 million investment with the Mayor of London to expand their fleet of equipment and vehicles.

A flotilla event (1 September) with the Mayor of London was organised seamlessly between our Harbour Master team and the Fire Brigade’s Group Commander, Nick Harding.

Each of the fire boats has a flat bottom so that they can reach the riverside easily. They’ve been named Tanner and Errington in recognition of two heroic members of the London Fire Brigade, who received awards for their courage and bravery during the Second World War: Auxiliary Fire officer Gillian Tanner (1920-2016) was awarded the George Medal, and Auxiliary Firefighter Harry Errington (1910-2004) was awarded the George Cross.

Based out of Lambeth River Station, the fire boats will be used by the London Fire Brigade, who will work alongside colleagues from the Metropolitan Police and RNLI in keeping the river safe.

Find out more https://hubs.la/Q01lCMZ00

Get up to date with the https://hubs.la/Q01lCPNK0

Subscribe now https://hubs.la/Q01lCK5l0

07/09/2022

Maintenance update: It's been a while since we posted any updates so keep checking back over the next few days to see what our volunteers have been up to!

Firstly, we've taken off the hatch leading into the crew space to sand and apply some varnish whilst the weather was sunny! Thanks to Bill H, Rodney M and David R.

If you're able to support Massey with a one off donation or a monthly/yearly subscription it goes long way!
https://masseyshaw.org/donate/

03/09/2022

Volunteers needed. We have a number of dates in the coming weeks where visitors would like to book tours of Massey. Due to holiday commitments we're struggling to facilitate these and hate turning people away. If you're available on the following dates to act as a tour guide, please email [email protected]
11/09/2022
17/09/2022
Thank you

08/08/2022

Go and check out our fellow Little Ships this September!

CONFIRMED - The 27TH Annual Veterans Cruise will take place over the weekend 3rd - 4th September.

On the Saturday 3rd September, we will be welcoming some of the very last Veterans from Operation Dynamo, Normandy Veterans, Chelsea Pensioners, Far East Prisoners of War, ladies who served in the WRENS during WWII and Coastal Forces Veterans. Leaving from Penton Hook heading upstream at mid-day and returning around 5pm, the route has many good locations to view the boats and their veteran guests such as alongside Penton Hook and Bell Wier Locks, the fleet will depart PHYC at 12:00 and cruise downstream turning before Chertsey lock back up towards Penton Hook lock with the first boats entering around 12:30. The flotilla will make its way through Staines and turn before Bell Wier and then make their way back to Penton Hook Marina. Laleham Pleasure Grounds, Staines Riverside and Penton Hook Lock will provide a wonderful vantage point to view the fleet.
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On Sunday 4th September the Little Ships will be hosting some from the South Atlantic Medal Association, the War Widows Association, Korean War Veterans, the Not Forgotten Association, the Argyll and Sutherland Veterans and HMS Britannia Veterans. Departing at 10am heading downstream to Weybridge Mariners Club. Both Chertsey and Shepperton Lock as well as the Chertsey Meads will provide a fantastic opportunity to view the fleet and the ADLS welcomes support all along the designated routes and will be delighted to see the public greeting their nation’s war heroes.

Special thanks to New Penton Hook Yacht Club and Penton Hook Marina MDL Marinas who are hosting the Dunkirk Little Ships and providing safe access for the Veterans

08/08/2022

Volunteer help required. Over the coming weeks we are in need of some more volunteers to help with preparation (sanding etc) and painting. If you're good with a paintbrush and have some time to spare, please email [email protected] and we will send out dates when we're on board and hopefully you can join us!

04/08/2022

Please like and share Essex Fire Museums next open day!
A big thanks to everyone who came along to our open day on Sunday. We hope you had a nice time.
We still have afternoon spaces left for our next open day on Tuesday 9th August. If you would like to come along, please email us at: [email protected] and tell us the number in your party and the time you would like to arrive. Thankyou.😀

14/07/2022

We will be attending the Kingston Fire Station open day this Sunday 16th July from midday. If you're nearby and would like to support us please come along!

07/07/2022

Our volunteers have been recording and testing the hose we have stored on board. This is important to ensure we have enough hose available to operate all of the pumps on board. This raised a question from the team:
How much hose would Massey store on board when she was operational? We're running a pull on Twitter to vote, but if you're not on Twitter post a comment below with one of the following options and we will reveal all in a few days!
1️⃣ Option 1: 100 feet (30 meters)
2️⃣ Option 2: 6000 feet (1.13 miles)
3️⃣ Option 3: 1000 feet (304 meters)

07/07/2022

Maintenance on our deck hose reel was undertaken at the weekend as we found a few leaks, which isn't great for a water hose! Once again our volunteers taking time and effort to keep everything operational on board.

02/07/2022

If you're an Amazon shopper, and let's face it, who isn't?! On 12th-13th July it's Prime day and by registering Massey Shaw as your allocated charity we will received double donations over Prime Day! You can register for Amazon Prime and search for Massey Shaw to activate the donations from everything you spend!
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/charity/homepage.html

23/06/2022

We've just launched a great recollection from Massey Shaw Director, John F on Massey Shaw's es**rt of HMY Britannia marking the end of over 330 years of Royal Maritime Tradition. Read it here and comment your thoughts!
https://masseyshaw.org/news/dunkirk-veteran-massey-shaw-es**rts-hmy-britannia-ending-337-years-royal-maritime-tradition/

18/06/2022

London Fire Brigade on Twitter

We understand that this truncheon was gifted to Chief Officer Captain Sir Massey Shaw, possibly to strengthen working relationships between the Brigade & Police at that time. It dates from the Victorian era https://t.co/v7arzTliST

“We understand that this truncheon was gifted to Chief Officer Captain Sir Massey Shaw, possibly to strengthen working relationships between the Brigade & Police at that time. It dates from the Victorian era ”

14/06/2022

Its a beautiful day on board Massey as you can see from our live camera! As we look ahead to the engine repairs and events we wish to gold we're keen to hear from YOU our supporters if you have any fundraising ideas? Post a comment below and like suggestions to see which ideas are most popular to help raise some much needed funds!

09/06/2022

The courageous engineer
Edith’s own heroine was a fellow female seafarer, Victoria Drummond, who withstood fierce prejudice to take on a career previously only open to men. Edith wrote in her memoirs of Victoria “Her record is fantastic – forty years at sea. Yet the young engineers who served in my ships opined that she was crackers – had she joined us, she would have been in for a rough time.” Victoria Drummond qualified in the 1920s as the world’s first woman marine engineer, and for decades she worked on ships with all-male officers and crew. She came from a more privileged background than most; her godmother was Queen Victoria, and her family whole-heartedly supported her unorthodox choice of career.

Many seafaring women displayed extraordinary heroism during World War II, but Victoria was truly exceptional. She assisted in the desperate evacuation of British troops from Dunkirk in 1940. But it was while she was working as the second engineer on the cargo ship Bonita, that she proved her true mettle. Four hundred miles from land, the ship was strafed by a German bomber in the mid-Atlantic. Time after time, alone in the engine room, Victoria coaxed a surge of extra power out of the ancient engines as the bomber approached, so that the captain could take last-minute evasive action. The pilot ran out of fuel, and the Bonita and her crew were saved. Victoria’s bravery won her the MBE, and the admiration of her fellow merchant mariners.
https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/blog/international-travellers-pioneering-women-who-worked-at-sea

08/06/2022

15 year anniversary for Essex Fire Museum, please visit if you can or share with friends and family!

07/06/2022

Our fellow Dunkirk Little Ships looking great!

05/06/2022

4 June 1940 📅 Massey returned to London from Ramsgate to a hero's welcome with people waving to the brave crew down the Thames after saving around 500 troops from the beaches.
Keeping the story alive...
We are all immensely proud of the Massey Shaw story and the individuals who volunteers for Operation Dynamo. In order to keep Massey operational our volunteers are working tirelessly to restore and maintain her, but we need regular funding to do this as we receive no direct government funding. If you're able to support us to keep telling these stories and showing people the only 1930 London fireboat around, then please visit our website to find ways to donate, or consider subscribing for as little as £3 per month.
https://masseyshaw.org/donate
You can also visit our Dunkirk, Operation Dynamo timeline here:
https://masseyshaw.org/learning-zone/dunkirk-timeline/

02/06/2022

Wishing our fellow Dunkirk Little Ships safe travels!

01/06/2022

On Saturday 4th June at midday, Massey will be joining other vessels and harbours across the country in celebrating the Queens Platinum Jubilee with a sound of the horn, known as a 'Ships salute'. So we wanted to let everyone know if you wonder what the noise is about and if you're taking a walk, feel free to watch from Thames Quay by the Dollar Bay Point building.
Unfortunately we won't be able to welcome visitors on board, but welcome a wave to our volunteers!
“As a proud maritime nation and where the name of Her Majesty has graced not only cruise liners but also the largest ship in the Royal Navy fleet, we really want the Maritime sector to show support with Merchant, Naval and leisure vessels alike by marking the Jubilee as a synchronised ‘salute’ from their horn,” RT.Hon. Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Transport.

01/06/2022

It's and we wanted to say a MASSIVE THANK YOU to all our volunteers for taking time to both maintain and restore Massey, to explaining the history and stories to visitors. Thank you again and anyone looking to volunteer can make contact via our website www.masseyshaw.org

31/05/2022

- 31st May 1940 - Massey continued on to Southend Pier to collect her orders. The crew were busy painting all the brass work grey and placed wooden boards over the crew space windows to protect them from heavy weather.
They arrived in Ramsgate later that day and after a brief stopover they were placed under the command of a young Naval sub Lieutenant who was to take them to Dunkirk.
Originally they were expecting to undertake firefighting at the oil refinery, but were redirected to Bray Dunes to assist the evacuation of the troops.
Massey had taken a small rowing skiff with them to help the troops get aboard the boat but this was sunk within mins by desperate soldiers.
A second attempt was made to get a line ashore by a crew member (Richard Helyer) swimming with a floating line to the shore and attaching it to another sunk vessel. Unfortunately, the line was lost due to the number of men that tried to use it.
Eventually, some 40 men were taken aboard and Massey left the beaches at 11pm in the dark to return to Ramsgate.
The soldiers were sea sick and many suffered from hyperthermia. They slept on the deck, in the engine room and forepeak.

30/05/2022

Dunkirk evacuation timeline - May 1940

28/05/2022

Come along and see us today - we are undertaking minor restoration jobs on our 1978 Bedford Water Tender Ladder

24/05/2022

Please share with your network to help preserve these fire engines!

HELP!!!!
We have recently planned to move to new storage for our vintage fire engines. This has today fallen through leaving us with nowhere to store our vehicles.

We are in urgent need of the following
🚒short term 1-4 weeks storage for 5 fire engines - open storage is fine but needs to be secure
🚒 long term covered storage 1-6 months for 10 fire engines

Both ideally in fairly close proximity to the Romsey area.

It’s important we secure the short term as urgently as possible otherwise we will have no choice but to begin disposing of these vehicles from our collection

We have explored all known commercial opportunities so are really looking for privately owned land and/or barns and would ask you to explore opportunities on our behalf.

Thank you in advance

19/05/2022

Crew Space Stories launched on board Massey Shaw fireboat - Massey Shaw Education Trust

Video: check out our crew space stories video looking at the Dunkirk plaques and Massey Shaws involvement in the Dunkirk evacuation in WWII. We're extremely proud of our history and hope to continue sharing it with the public for many years to come!
Watch the video here: https://masseyshaw.org/news/crew-space-stories-launched/
#1940

Watch our first video detailing the history behind our Dunkirk plaques and the brave crew who saved troops from the beaches in WWII.

17/05/2022

UPDATE: Sunday service on the 4th June has changed to 2pm
Massey will unfortunately not be in attendance due to our engines being in bits still.

14/05/2022

Great to see our fellow little ships taking a trip out in the sunshine. We cannot wait for Massey to be up and running again to take her out and have other enjoy being out on the water. Fingers crossed we'll continue at the current pace of rebuilding the engine!
www.masseyshaw.org/donate

11/05/2022

Massey Shaw Fireboat updated their information in their About section.

Massey Shaw Fireboat updated their information in their About section.

11/05/2022

Historic Barge Race is a great event to watch. Please like and share!

07/05/2022

It was great to have the team from Wharf Life magazine on board to interview David and meet some of the volunteers. We look forward to seeing the article and sharing Massey with lots of new residents and visitors of Canary Wharf.