The SS Royal Daffodil was a notable Mersey ferry constructed in 1906 by Robert Stephenson & Sons, with yard number 101. Launched on April 20, 1906, and completed in June of the same year, she served primarily as a passenger ferry operating between Liverpool and Wallasey. The vessel was originally named Daffodil but was renamed Royal Daffodil in recognition of her distinguished service during World War I. During the war, in 1918, she was requisitioned by the Admiralty and converted into HMS Daffodil. Her sister ship, Iris, was similarly requisitioned and became HMS Iris II. Both ferries were specially prepared for the Zeebrugge Raid, a daring operation aimed at blocking the German U-boat port at Zeebrugge. They were stripped of furniture and fittings and reinforced with armor on the superstructure to withstand combat conditions. Due to their shallow draught and double hulls, they were chosen for this mission. HMS Daffodil was tasked with transporting two of the three seamen demolition parties, known as "C" Company, commanded by Lieutenant Cecil Dickinson. These teams were responsible for using explosives to demolish strategic targets. Initially, the demolition team was to embark on Iris, but on the day of the raid, they boarded HMS Daffodil instead. On April 23, 1918, both HMS Daffodil and HMS Iris were towed across the English Channel by HMS Vindictive for the attack. During the operation, HMS Daffodil was struck in the engine room by two shells but managed to hold her position, assisting HMS Vindictive against the wall of the Mole. The raid resulted in one crew member of Daffodil losing their life. Following the raid, she returned to the Mersey on May 17, 1918, and was received with a heroes' welcome. After repairs at Chatham, she resumed her service as a Mersey ferry. Post-war, she was renamed Royal Daffodil under the order of King George V, bearing scars from shrapnel from the raid. In 1932, she succeeded PS Royal Iris on excursion routes, and in 1934, she was sold to the New Medway Steam Packet Co., operating routes from Rochester to Sheerness and Southend. The vessel's service concluded when she was sold for scrapping in Belgium in 1938. The Royal Daffodil remains a vessel of maritime historical significance, distinguished by her wartime service and long-standing ferry career.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.