There was special lunch
for the VIPs on board on arrival at Calais and the Southern
Railway representative took the opportunity to have a
sly dig at Townsend’s service. The ‘Autocarrier’ was,
he pointed out, not second hand, and would stay on the
service whether it was profitable or not. Brave words,
but in the light of the increase in such traffic, not
with much risk attached. There were already two other
Southern Railway ships carrying cars to the Continent,
a midnight cargo boat to Calais and the return 4am sailing
from Calais.
The ‘Autocarrier’ was the first railway owned cross-Channel
car ferry and could carry 307 passenger and 26 cars. In
the summer she operated Dover to Calais, switching to
Folkestone to Boulogne in winter. In 1940 she was at
Dunkirk
rescuing troops, then later became a recreation ship for
men of the Royal Navy, complete with a large cinema and
canteen.
After refitting in 1945, the ‘Autocarrier’ ran first as
a cargo ship from Southampton, returning to Dover in 1946.
She operated on a number of routes in the following years,
including between Southampton, St Malo and Le Havre. She
was finally withdrawn in July 1954.
