When the Admiralty's Requisitioning Officer visited E.F. Elkins' boatyard in Christchurch, Hampshire, concern arose among the boat owners present. For some, their vessels represented their most treasured possessions; for others, they were a source of livelihood. The purpose behind the requisitioning was initially unclear. Christchurch was a strategic location due to its shallow waters, which accommodated ships of modest draft. However, its distance from Dover and Ramsgate—where the Dunkirk evacuation fleet was assembled—posed logistical challenges.

Reg Yebsley, who became a partner at Elkins in 1930 and remained until the company ceased operations in 1976, recalled that some boats were loaded onto low-loaders but subsequently unloaded when news arrived that the Dunkirk evacuation had concluded.

Fleury II was constructed at the Elkins yard and designed by Eric French of Poole, whose designs influenced most Elkins boats measuring between 32 and 36 feet before World War II. The vessel was originally named by the Fleuret family, her first owners. Subsequently, she was renamed Mada by a later owner, Mr. Adam, who derived the name by reversing his own.

In 2010, Mada changed ownership and was brought upstream to Marlow on the River Thames by the Dargavel family. According to the Autumn 2017 ADLS Fleet News, the vessel was noted as being under new ownership. By June 2018, the vessel had reverted to her original name, Fleury II.

Additional information indicates that around 1948, the vessel was moored on the Severn at Apperley near Gloucester and was owned by Percy Hough. A family member recalls staying aboard Mada during that time and describes her as a remarkable little ship, continuing to follow her appearances, including during the Thames parade.