As early as 14th May 1940 the BBC announced that "the Admiralty requests all owners of self-propelled craft between 30ft. and 100ft. to send all particulars within fourteen days" so that they could be requisitioned. This was more an order than a request and by 26th May most of them were called into service.

 

At Dunkirk she ferried troops from the beach to the larger vessels lying offshore and she finally returned full of British and French soldiers. For the rest of the war, she was stationed in Chatham Dockyard.

 

After the war she was cruised extensively by a number of owners mainly on the French canals and eventually was hit and sunk on the Canal du Midi. Although she was salvaged, her then owner, Mr Peter Cherry, was not able to carry out the repairs and after some time she was taken to Simon Evans' yard at Sens.

 

The D.L.S. Restoration Trust saved her and brought her back on a low loader to Marchwood, Hampshire. Due to other commitments and circumstances the Trust were not able to restore her. She was then moved to the Wheatcroft Collection in Leicestershire.

 

ln 2014 an enquiry was made to Jerry Lewis of the Restoration Trust with regard to Nydia. Her new custodians have now moved her to Surrey where she is being totally restored with the aim of taking part in the 2020 return to Dunkirk.

Hull survey of Nydia - The Wheatcroft Collection, Arnesby, Leicestershire, 25th November 2014.

 

The report from the hull survey indicates the amount to be done prior to her re-commissioning: 'Nydia is still at the point where she can be salvaged, as in her centreline structure is still in a serviceable condition. Her restoration will be a massive job, and the work list above is only to get the hull back to a stable and watertight condition. After this work, the process of installing the engine and its systems, the plumbing and the tanks, the electrical installation and fitting out the interior will begin. At the end of the job Nydia will be a fine vessel with a good pedigree, but the process will take a lot of time, effort and money.