Visit to Jersey by WW2 Historic St. Malo Evacuation Vessel RFC113
Published 11:21 on 7 May 2026
RFC113 was built by The British Power Boats Company in Hythe in 1938 for Mr John Storey.
John Storey had been in the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) 113 Squadron in WW1 and named the vessel after his old Squadron, hence the name RFC113.
In 1940 the Admiralty requested vessels for various duties from owners throughout the UK. Mr Storey gave RFC113 to them and she was first sent for use as an Air Sea Rescue Boat based in St Helier for the then Royal Naval Air Station at Jersey Airport in early 1940. The boat was crewed entirely by Jerseymen, namely skipper Bill Cox (a Town Pilot), his brother Ted Cox, Harry Le Boutillier and engineer Clarence 'Clarrie' Glendewar.
Evacuation of St Malo (Operation Aerial)
At the end of May 1940, she was ordered to Dunkirk for the Evacuation (Operation Dynamo) but had to pull out later due to engine trouble. She was then fully involved in Operation Aerial, as part of the flotilla of 20 Jersey boats crewed by Jersey volunteers assisting in the evacuation of Allied troops trapped in St Malo. Being the fastest of all the vessels, she completed several round trips to Jersey between 17th and 18th June. She was the last boat to leave St Malo just as the Germans were at the outskirts of the town. RFC113 carried Commander (later Rear Admiral) Clarence 'Johnny' Howard-Johnston, who was in charge of the Royal Navy and the Royal Engineer demolition party to blow up the fuel depot and port facilities there. .Those on the RFC113 were able to observe the explosives detonating from offshore before finally returning to Jersey. The weather made for a very rough return trip and she had to take in tow another Jersey boat from the original flotilla that had broken down off the Minquiers Reef.
Before the Germans arrived in Jersey to begin the Occupation, she was ordered to the mainland UK , departing on 21st June. She then went to do Air/Sea Rescue duties at various locations in Scotland until 1944, when she was dispatched back to the south coast of England, where she assisted in the D-Day landings (Operation Overlord) in June 1944.
In May 1945 the volunteer Jersey Island crew, Bill Cox, Ted Cox, Harry Le Boutillier and 'Clarrie' Glendewar who had served in "113RFC" throughout the war, were all given special leave following the liberation of the Channel Islands and allowed to return home.
At the end of hostilities the vessel was retained by the military until 1947 when she was handed back to the original owner John Storey, who sold her in 1951. She was renamed Makaira and had a number of English owners until she was based back in Jersey from 1960 until 1964, when she went back to the UK. She had a number of UK owners and names and at one stage was based in Antibes in the south of France.
The current UK owner, Jonathan Blair, saw her in South Wales and acquired her in 2012 in poor condition. Jonathan did an immense amount of research in to her history and managed to find some of her original construction drawings from 1938. Her restoration was done by Dennett Boat Builders on the Thames in Surrey, and she was completed in 2020. She was awarded the Motor Boat Restoration of the Year in 2021 by Classic Boat Magazine.
Last June 2025 she completed a cross Channel trip to Dunkirk in the flotilla of Dunkirk Little Ships with Royal Navy and other vessels as a commemoration of the 85th Anniversary of the Dunkirk Evacuation in 1940.
RFC113 is on the National Historic Ship Registry and a Member of the Dunkirk Little Ships. It is planned that she will arrive in Jersey, weather permitting, on Thursday 7th May, and will be in Jersey until about Sunday 10th.
RFC113 and her crew were a pivotal part of the St Malo Operation in 1940 involving 20 Jersey boats who answered the Admiraltys call to assist in the Evacuation of Allied Troops from there. This resulted in the St Helier Yacht Club being awarded their distinctive Red Ensign by the Admiralty. As it was awarded specifically as a Battle Honour and is the only flag of its type in the world. It is proudly flown every day at the Club in St Helier and by Club Members in their boats whenever they are on the water.
Specifications - RFC113
Type: Express Cruiser Length: 47ft 6in Boat Beam: 9ft 6in Draft: 4ft Current Engines: 2 x Yanmar 370 hp diesels
Cruising Speed: 18-20 knots
Max Speed: 28 knots
Original Builder: The British Power Boats Company, Hythe Build Year: 1938
Current Crew Guy Riviere Skipper Steve Dimmer - Engineer