HMS Princess Beatrix World War 2 Landing Craft Infantry

(In fond Memory of Uncle Stanley Lee and David "Yorkie" Hoyle both having crossed the bar, without whose inspiration and help, this model may never have been made and to all who served on her)

Here follows the tale behind the construction of 100th Stand-off scale Radio scale model by Peter Lee

The idea was born late 2000

My Uncle Stanley Lee one day let me peruse his collection of materials put together by his Daughter Cindy and her husband Peter, on the ship HMS Princess Beatrix L.S.I. (formerly Motor vessel Prinses Beatrix, a Netherlands Ferry Boat, to which occupation she and her sister ship HMS Queen Emma (Koningin Emma) reverted to after the war - see Service History), on which he served during most of the Second World War, whilst he was in the Royal Navy. He attained the rank of Able Seaman Quartermaster and was one of her Coxswains and in that capacity was up in the bridge steering her on her many missions, from Lofoten to the Far East, amazing to think she had originally only been built to cross the North Sea, not for deep water operations, says much for her constructors De Schelde of Rotterdam skills, and their crews & Captain(s).

Although most of the pictures were photocopies, I was really struck by her, to me at least, quite modern looks and the germ of an idea came into my mind, to see if it would be possible to recreate her in model form. I have over the years constructed a few scratch built radio controlled ships, mainly based on scaled up drawings taken of plastic kits, Airfix in the main, my fleet so far included, the Bismarck (now no more sadly rotted away in a damp shed), King George V class battleship the HMS Duke of York (this was based on Revel kit for a change), HMS Belfast, a Norfolk Broads Cruiser (Silver Light 2), Vosper Motor Torpedo Boat, Egret a Rhine’s pusher tug to name a few, so the skills where there, but could I do her justice as I did not want to make a mess of it, if I did it at all.

The original Line drawing of HMS Princess Beatrix, which along with photographs

from my Uncle's collection sparked the idea of constructing a model of her.

It stayed on the back burner for sometime, until the discovery of this small line drawing in a ships book, the original was only about four inches long and my Nephew locating another ex-Crew-member through the World Wide Web, a David “Yorkie” Hoyle, who had also been an AB Quartermaster in a different section than my Uncle on the Beatrix, he came aboard around the Torch Landing in North Africa. I subsequently made contact with him by post and sent him the above line drawing and possible some copies of Stanley’s pictures, bit vague on that, he responded with an invite to us to go and see him and his wife Vera, so off we went Uncle Stan, my Mother and my wife, to their home in the Colne area of Yorkshire as a kind of reunion. On the appointed day in the year 2000, we arrived to a lovely Yorkshire welcome, the first of many it was as if we had known them for years, and the old sea salts where happily swapping yarns over a glass or two of Navy Rum the years just dropped away, To my surprise David presented me with a waterline drawing of the HMS Princess Beatrix, done from his memory and based on that little line drawing, turned out he was not only a well known local Historian, but also artist, a skill he learned after the war, and is famed for his pictures of the Yorkshire Dales and on the evidence of pictures hung around his home, ships of all eras. Armed with that drawing the sparks burst in to flame, the build was definitely on, I got onto re-scaling his drawing to a 1/100th scale, dredging up my old technical drawing skills back from to my schooldays, in the early '60s ,this gave a model length of roughly 44", so when built would be easily transportable and as it turned out a very stable boat.

This is the original drawing as done by David “Yorkie” Hoyle in 2000

Having recently been introduced to the magic of the World Wide Web started to research the Princess Beatrix and her sister ship the Queen Emma more deeply, was surprised at the amount of material to be found, even more so when I altered my wording of my search request, to say their Dutch Ferry names m/v Prinses Beatrix and Koningin Emma, even the odd spelling mistake could turn up an unexpected finds. As things were spotted on the various photographs, I started to alter David Hoyle's drawings, for example the shape of the front 12 pounder Gun Butt were found to be wrong, the position of the ladders on the bridge, small things like that, with the full backing of David Hoyle until we came up with this next drawing originally without the proper below the waterline details, this was added later (see next paragraph), that we finally used as a basis to complete the deck and superstructure, and to cap it all a David Murray, from New Jersey, USA, whose Father Sub Lieut. William Murray, RNVR, served on HMS Princess Beatrix as her Third Engineer, sent me a whole boat load of material (pardon the pun :-)), most of which can be found in the next two parts of this site and a collection of pictures of a waterline model of the HMS Princess Beatrix made on board by the "Chippie's" and presented to his father on his discharge from the ship, These pictures can be found at my Google+ & OneDrive web sites. links at bottom of page.

The final (if one can say finished?) Drawing on which the model was mainly based on especial the above the waterline.

By the time we had been kindly sent a hull only builders drawing by De Schelde her constructors and seen a copy of Shipbuilding and Shipping Record, May 25, 1939 issue, showing the correct shape, we had gone ahead and constructed the hull to a much simplified, but an easier shape and had successful “sea” trials at Etherow Park Model Club, Stockport, all be it with out much of the superstructure, and had found her to be a very responsive ship, even going astern, so decided to leave well enough alone it was after all a stand off, not true scale we were after and she look the part out on the water, when viewed from the bank. The drawing above as taken into account her actual hull shape.

Plan as I said should never say finished - now adapted once more on finding this diagram on a Russian site which on checking against Builders Drawing gave a more accurate layout of position of Funnel and Forecastle so with a little tweaking of our Superstructure details, managed to blend the two drawings to come up with this late war version - below is link to Russian site, which shows HMS Princess Beatrix early in her career (not hundred percent on funnel outlets)

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=HMS+Princess+Beatrix&espv=2&biw=1920&bih=945&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAjgKahUKEwjGrqaU3pDIAhUKAxoKHYuDDHI#imgrc=rZaTGb7qhdgEvM%3A

Just checked this picture of a waterline model on Display in a little Amsterdam Museum and it looks like neither of us have got Funnel outlets right 😃

The model of HMS Princess Beatrix moored up during a sailing session at Etherow Park, Stockport

These were taken at the home of David "Yorkie" Hoyle, a RN Quartermaster on Princess Beatrix, whose drawings the model was mainly based on, as she was during World War II, taken by David on a visit to show him the progress of which he was very pleased with I am happy to say. Bottom right is me the builder holding her to show size (45").

At the moment she is lay up whilst I fit new railings, and update her Armament brass for AA and printed version of 12 and 4lb Guns, replace Radar housing again a printed version. Even added a rack of depth charges (RN say she and other Landing craft carriers did not have them), but have photos showing them on board.

Here is one others are scattered around my One Drive albums

From the 8 to 10 photocopied pictures I had scanned from my Uncle Stan’s collection, my collection is now around 360 plus and growing, showing both the Sister ships Prinses Beatrix and Koningin Emma throughout their service life’s and some other static models made by other people, some from the web, others from Maritime Museum, both British and the Netherlands and not forgetting other crew members located through a now defunct Quarterly Magazine which was called the Kedge Hook, who kindly sent me not only their private photographs, but their records and stories, for which I am very grateful and continue to keep them up to date on any new findings to this day. My search as taken me around the world on the web, places like U.S.A., Netherlands, Canada and Australia, written to and got replies from Colonels (Commando), Lieutenants (Navy), OBE and MBE’s all this and me a lowly Leading Aircraftman (RAF) CDM and Bar, okay Cadbury's Dairy Milk Bar :-), in my youth so all in all a joint services venture.

If you go to following web sites you will find my Albums of said photographs. Just high lite right click and either select go to or copy to your search bar

https://onedrive.live.com/?id=7C5B2FA919862DB5%2133512&cid=7C5B2FA919862DB5

Thel ink below is a video of HMS Princess Beatrix still sailing at Etherow Park, late 2023, now with individual Speed controllers to her twin engines

1drv.ms/v/s!ArUthhmpL1t8hfUl0V3Oy_mOQtYe4Q?e=LSdnE7

Would also like to thank Landing Craft Association through whose quarterly magazine, "The Ketch Hook", readers, I made several good contacts with former crew members and their kin, unfortunately the Association, as now laid up their banners and closed down, as time as caught up with them which is a shame - Tempus Fugit.