The Sittingbourne Shipbuilding Company of Rochester, Kent, primarily known for building barges, constructed the motor yacht Thelmar in 1936. The vessel featured a basic design, possibly serving as an apprentice project. In 1937, Claude E. Millson, a gentleman farmer from Goudhurst, Kent, and a member of the Medway Yacht Club, purchased the yacht new and already named. Millson was known for hunting from a punt in the marshes, using a shotgun to procure his dinner. He acquired Thelmar at Harty Ferry on the River Swale.

Prior to the outbreak of World War II, Millson had an aft cabin added at Kirklands boat yard to improve comfort, as the original design caused discomfort during rough conditions on the Medway. Millson only took one holiday aboard the yacht, visiting Burnham-on-Crouch. At the onset of war, Thelmar was located in Rochester. By this time, Millson had attained the rank of Paymaster Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve (RNR), eventually finishing his service as a Lieutenant Commander.

During the war, Millson used Thelmar to collect pay sheets from other vessels commandeered by the Navy. The yacht is recorded as having been deployed to Dunkirk. An eyewitness, an old fisherman who was accidentally knocked overboard during the evacuation, later identified Thelmar as the vessel that rescued him. The remainder of the war saw Thelmar serving as part of the floating garrison at Sheerness. Local fishermen recall her being moored near the River Swale.

The Navy extensively modified Thelmar by removing the entire fore-section to maximize space for carrying provisions. The fixtures and fittings removed during this process were stored with the intention that owners would reclaim them after the war. However, Millson was displeased with the vessel’s poor condition upon return and chose to sell her immediately.

Following the war, Thelmar remained out of the water for eight years until 1989, when she underwent a meticulous restoration to return her to her pre-war appearance. The exact original configuration of the fore-section remains uncertain, as even her brief appearance in the film Dunkirk provided little clarity. After another extended period ashore, as of 2004, Thelmar was undergoing a further restoration by two dedicated young owners.

Additional Information

• On 3 March 2011, Thelmar was rescued by Spirit of Dunkirk Ltd after being abandoned. Andrew Rosthorn of Sealand Ltd arranged her transportation to Scotland for immediate restoration.
• A former owner recalled that his father owned Thelmar in the late 1960s and early 1970s. During that time, she was moored in Ramsgate, and his father was a member of the Royal Temple Yacht Club (RTYC). The family honeymooned aboard the yacht in July 1971. Although seaworthy under his father’s ownership, maintenance challenges eventually led to the sale of the vessel.
• Robert Sands, son of a previous owner Stewart Sands, has preserved some original parts and historical information related to Thelmar. Stewart Sands carried out extensive repairs before his passing in 2005.