Hilfranor is a historic vessel with a service life spanning over eighty years, notable for her participation in the Second World War, during which she was sunk by enemy action, subsequently re-floated, and returned to service. Currently, Hilfranor is well maintained and regularly participates in the quinquennial “Return” to Dunkirk. She is listed in the National Register of Historic Vessels of the United Kingdom and is a member of the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships (ADLS).

Constructed in 1935 by the Walton Yacht and Launch Works at Walton on Thames, Hilfranor was originally 36 feet in length. In 1936, she was extended by six feet to feature a distinctive canoe stern and was modified to include two bilge keels. Powered by two 20hp Morris petrol engines, she was capable of sea-going operations and spent much of her life in various English coastal harbours.

Hilfranor is built using carvel construction with a displacement hull, characterized by a long and narrow form that remains firmly in the water without planing. Her dimensions are 41 feet 2 inches in length overall (approximately 40 feet at the waterline) and 9 feet in beam, resulting in a hull speed of 8.69 knots. The vessel features oak frames, mahogany planking, and teak decking. Originally, she had an indented wheelhouse and berths beneath the stern deck, which were removed during a 1988 restoration. Architect’s drawings from this restoration document both the original layout and subsequent modifications.

Hilfranor was registered as number 81 of 1936 in London and appeared as number 2934 in the 1939 Lloyd’s Register of Yachts. Research conducted in 2018 by ADLS committee member Mark Webb revealed that Hilfranor was listed in Lloyd’s Register with a “Distinguishing Flag,” combining the flag alphabet letters F and E, representing Frank Ellam, her original owner.

The vessel’s original owner is believed to have been Frank Ellam of London, who reportedly named Hilfranor after his three daughters: Hillary, Frances, and Norah. Photographs from the period show the vessel with boarding steps and a rakish gunwale extending from bow to wheelhouse. Ellam was recorded as owner at the Medway Yacht Club from 1936 to 1938 and was likely affiliated with The Little Ships Club, the West Mersea Yacht Club, and the RAF Club. By 1939, ownership had transferred to Frank B. Parham of Gillingham, Kent.

In May 1940, following the Admiralty’s call for sea-going vessels to assist in the evacuation of Allied troops from Dunkirk, Hilfranor was collected from the upper Thames by Douglas Tough of Teddington. Her crew included Jock Christie, W. Hills, and V. Hissons. Contemporary film footage shows Hilfranor equipped with a Bren gun mounted astern of the wheelhouse. Although the exact number of Dunkirk crossings is unclear, it is recorded that the vessel was bombed by German dive bombers, sustaining cracked frames and settling in shallow waters off the French coast. According to accounts, French soldiers bailed her out and restarted her engines, enabling her to reach the Goodwin sandbanks near Ramsgate, where she sank again. Subsequently, a British minesweeper towed her into Ramsgate.

Hilfranor remained in service throughout the war, appearing in the Admiralty Small Craft Service List as a Naval Auxiliary Patrol craft from May 1940 to March 1943. In 1942, she was stationed at Ipswich. After a period laid up, she served in the Fire Service until May 31, 1945, when she was again laid up. The Admiralty paid £6 per month to retain her during this time.

• Her registration number was changed to 164629, retaining the call sign MHXW.
• In 1954, the original Morris engines were replaced by two Standard Motor Corporation diesel engines producing 40hp each.
• Jack R. Baker, a radio engineer from Kent, was registered as owner on November 2, 1955, and is believed to have owned Hilfranor from 1948 to 1958.
• Commander Walter John Redvers Bullers of London acquired the vessel on February 19, 1958. A company director and member of the Royal Temple Yacht Club, he took Hilfranor to Dunkirk in 1965.
• Ronald James Fry of Bromley purchased Hilfranor on March 19, 1975.
• Frederick Stevenson Miskimmin of Cowes, Isle of Wight, acquired her on August 13, 1986.

By the late 1980s, Hilfranor had deteriorated significantly, with vegetation growing on her decks. In 1988, ROCC Computers Ltd acquired the vessel, although official ownership was registered in 1990. She underwent a comprehensive restoration at Combe’s Boatyard in Bosham, costing approximately £190,000. The restoration included removal of the stern berths, relocation of the galley to the aft saloon, replacement of the short gunwale with a varnished gunwale encircling the vessel, and installation of two Perkins 4108 engines delivering 52hp each. The original planking was retained, with the ribs doubled up to address structural damage. The wheelhouse retains only the steps, ship’s bell, and Admiralty compass as original features. Modern navigation and communication equipment, including GPS chart plotter, radar, auto helm, and VHF radio, were installed. Teak decking was laid, and a new 8-foot clinker dinghy was built by apprentices of the Southampton Maritime Trust.

Following the 1990 Dunkirk crossing, Hilfranor was acquired by Norman Watling, a director of ROCC, who based her at Chichester and maintained her in excellent condition. In July 2001, she was sold to Mark Edwards of Ashtead, Surrey, who conducted an extensive refit during the winter of 2001. Edwards sold the vessel in September 2002 to a subsequent owner who transported her to Norfolk, where she was berthed at Cox’s Boatyard in Barton Turf for one season.

In November 2004, Hilfranor underwent further refurbishment under the supervision of Eric Bishop. She completed her first coastal voyage under new ownership along the Norfolk coast, across the Thames Estuary to Chatham Maritime, and then to Ramsgate for the 65th anniversary Dunkirk crossing in May 2005. Subsequently, she spent three months at Chatham before relocating to Bray Marina on the Thames in September 2005. Later, she moved to Temple Marina near Marlow, where she remains moored.

Since 2005, Hilfranor has been maintained by Colin Messer of Classic Restoration Services. She has received a new mast, windows, a triple-skinned roof, and machinery upgrades. In 2018, new Beta engines were installed during an extensive refit. The cabin tops were repainted white to better reflect her original appearance.

Hilfranor has participated in numerous events since arriving on the Thames, including Henley’s annual Traditional Boat Festivals, ADLS Veterans’ Cruises, annual commemorative cruises, visits to Ostend in 2014, Holland in 2016, and the Queen’s Thames Jubilee parade in 2012. She returned to Dunkirk in 2015 and was featured in the BBC Two series Coast in 2016. That same year, Hilfranor was one of eleven ADLS vessels skippered during the filming of Warner Brothers’ Dunkirk, directed by Christopher Nolan.