Eye on Millig: Part 2 of our look at the Clyde's puffers

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THE CLYDE puffer had a role in wartime. During the First World War, many of the hardy little craft had been used at places like Scapa Flow as fleet tenders.

With the onset of the Second World War, this use was not forgotten, and the Government ordered a number of specially commissioned vessels.

Local historian Alistair McIntyre, who is a director of Helensburgh Heritage Trust, has researched the history of puffers, and I am grateful to him for the details which follow.

Known as Victualling Inshore Craft, or VICs for short, the first batch to be built were almost exact replicas of two puffers built by Scott’s of Bowling shortly before the outbreak of war – the 'Anzac' and the 'Lascar'.

At 66 feet in length, they were faithful to the size limits imposed by the Forth and Clyde Canal. Later, another batch was ordered, this time being more than 80 feet in length. In all, some 100 VICs were built in the period 1941-46.

READ MORE: 'Eye on Millig' tells the real stories of the Clyde puffers

Another seeming gesture to tradition is that many were designed to burn coal rather than oil, which might have seemed behind the times.

However, official thinking was that in the event of oil supplies from overseas being disrupted, coal was a safer bet, thanks to the plentiful home supply.

Only two of the VICs were actually built in Scotland, far less the Clyde. Many were built by Dunston’s of Thorne and Pimblott’s of Northwich, with smaller numbers supplied by other English yards.

But why should a vessel so much associated with the Clyde not be built locally? There was a good reason — Scottish yards were otherwise fully engaged in other war-related work.

Some of the VICs did carry out wartime duties in Scotland, and of course existing puffers were among the small vessels that served on the Clyde and elsewhere during the war.

Some VICs also served abroad, being transported on heavy lift ships for service as water and store carriers.

Post-war, quite a few VICs were purchased by Clydeside companies. The attraction was that they could be had for around £4,000, as opposed to about £6,000 for a new build. Another source gives the asking price as £2,000.

However, there was a catch, in that coal-burning steam vessels were by now uncompetitive, while running costs were rising relentlessly.

Other factors that played against the traditional puffer included the rise of roads and road transport, and in due course, the introduction of roll-on roll-off ferries.

Diesel engines and larger and better-equipped vessels came along in response, but the writing was on the wall for small coastal trading vessels.

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Len Patterson, a director of Glenlight Shipping Ltd., the last of the puffer companies, and author of the fine book 'The Light in the Glens', comments on the financial and political considerations surrounding the final days of the company in 1993.

He referred to the lack of a level playing field and the inevitable outcome — a very large increase in the numbers of big lorries on the roads network, carrying loads that could otherwise have gone by sea.

What is the status of the puffer in Scotland today? The few examples that survive are actually ex-wartime VICs, and of these, only one, VIC 18, renamed 'Spartan' after the war, was built in Scotland, a product of Hay’s, Kirkintilloch, in 1942.

She was the first vessel to be acquired by the Scottish Maritime Museum at Irvine after it was set up in 1983. Much altered, she had her original steam engine replaced by diesel in 1961.

Other survivors include 'Auld Reekie', ex-VIC 27, being restored at Crinan Boatyard; VIC 32, which has retained the name, does cruises, and is sometimes seen in local waters; and 'Vital Spark of Glasgow', formerly VIC 72, which has had a very varied history and is now moored at Inveraray Pier as a visitor attraction.

The sole remaining Clyde-built puffer that dates from the era of the Para Handy stories, the 'Basuto' (1902), is to be found in England, at the Boat Museum at Ellesmere Port.

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But the Clyde puffer is best remembered today from the ways it was immortalised on both the big and small screen.

Following the enormous success of their 1949 film adaptation of Compton MacKenzie’s book 'Whisky Galore', Ealing Studios decided to make another Scottish-themed comedy.

Alexander MacKendrick, the director of 'Whisky Galore', had his attention drawn to the Para Handy stories.

These evidently struck a chord, because the resulting 1954 film 'The Maggie' has as centrepiece an old puffer of that name, with a crew which bear many similarities to those of the 'Vital Spark'.

In fact, two Clyde puffers starred in the film, the 'Inca' (1938) and her sister vessel, the 'Boer' (1941), both built by Hay’s of Kirkintilloch, a firm which functioned both as a boat-builder and operator.

Much of the filming was done on the island of Islay. Both vessels were scrapped in 1965, but at least they live on in film.

The 1981 British spy film 'The Eye of the Needle', starring Donald Sutherland and Kate Nelligan, briefly featured a puffer, the ex-VIC 72 (1944).

The storyline recounts the adventures of a German spy, stranded on a remote Scottish island during World War Two. Many of the scenes were shot on the island of Mull.

VIC 72 had an interesting career, being known as 'Eldesa' and 'Eilean Easdale' over the years.

On the small screen, four series of the Para Handy stories were made for television, all produced by the BBC.

The first was screened in 1959, and starred Duncan Macrae as Para Handy. Two of the crew, Roddy McMillan and John Grieve, were to feature in two later series. The puffer which stood in for the 'Vital Spark' was the 'Saxon'.

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All trace of that first series was thought to have been lost, but an article in The Herald, published on March 6, 1990, revealed that a film had recently come to light, called 'Highland Voyage' (1963).

The main cast had been brought together again on the 'Saxon'. The footage was shot by Douglas Gray. This is thought to be the only footage in existence showing Duncan Macrae as Para Handy.

A second BBC TV series was shown in 1965-66, starring Roddy McMillan in the role of Para Handy. Once more, the faithful 'Saxon' was called into play as the puffer.

Sadly, for all her efforts, her reward was to be scrapped the next year. Unfortunately, too, all but one of the programmes from that series have also been lost.

The same leading cast of actors was brought together in 1974-75 for a new series, although for the most part, this was a re-make of programmes shown in the previous series, this time in colour, and some of the episodes have survived.

Yet another TV series, 'Tales of Para Handy', was screened in 1994. Starring Gregor Fisher as Para Handy, Sean Scanlan played the first mate, Rikki Fulton appeared as McPhail, the engineer, and Andrew Fairlie played Sunny Jim.

The series was set in the 1930s, and it is acknowledged as being more faithful to the original stories than its predecessors. For this series, the 'Vital Spark' was played by the former VIC 27 (1943), often to be seen in the canal basin at Crinan.

Over and above the world of Para Handy, footage of old puffers may be seen as part of various documentaries.

'Clyde Puffer Memories' is available for purchase as a video/DVD, and there has also been a recent hour-long BBC TV documentary, which was presented by David Hayman, entitled 'Scotland’s Vital Spark: the Clyde Puffer'.

There are several excellent books about the Clyde puffer, and it is worth remembering that the Para Handy stories have never been out of print.

Truly, the story of the puffer continues.

Email: milligeye@btinternet.com