SS Mona's Isle (1905)

Mona's Isle
History
Name	1905: Onward 1920: Mona's Isle
Owner	1905: South Eastern & Chatham Rly 1920: Isle of Man SP Co
Operator	1939: Royal Navy
Port of registry	1905: London 1920: Douglas, Isle of Man
Route	1905–1918: Folkestone – Boulogne 1920–1948: Mainly summer Douglas – Dublin / Belfast.
Builder	Wm Denny & Bros, Dumbarton
Yard number	751
Laid down	1905
Launched	11 March 1905
In service	1905
Out of service	1948
Refit	1920
Identification	UK official number 120522 code letters HCMF (until 1933) call sign: SEO (by 1913) GUM (1914 onward) GFPN (1930 onward)
Fate	Scrapped at Milford Haven 1948
General characteristics
Type	packet ship
Tonnage	1914: 1,671 GRT, 692 NRT
Length	311.2 ft (94.9 m)
Beam	40.1 ft (12.2 m)
Depth	15.8 ft (4.8 m)
Decks	2
Installed power	7,500 ihp (5,600 kW)
Propulsion	3 × screws 3 × steam turbines
Speed	22 knots (41 km/h)
Capacity	1,479 passengers
Crew	70
Notes	sister ship: Victoria

SS Mona's Isle was a steam turbine passenger ship that was built in Scotland in 1905 as Onward, renamed Mona's Isle in 1920, and scrapped in Wales in 1948. She was designed as an English Channel ferry for the South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SE&CR), who operated her between Folkestone and Boulogne. In 1920 the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company (IoMSP) bought her and renamed her Mona's Isle. The IoMSP ran her mainly on summer services linking Douglas with Dublin and Belfast. She was the fourth IoMSP ship to be called Mona's Isle.

In 1918 Onward caught fire in Folkestone Harbour, and was saved by being scuttled. In 1920 she was raised, which was when the IOMSPCo bought her to replace ships lost during the First World War. In 1940 Mona's Isle was the first ship to complete a round trip during the Dunkirk evacuation, rescuing a total of 2,634 troops.