Normandy Ferries Ship Postcards


Normandy Ferries
Southern Ferries


These pages are devoted to postcards of the P&O subsidiaries Normandy Ferries and Southern Ferries. The Table below gives links to complete postcard history pages on selected individual ships. Below the table are postcards of Normandy Ferries and Southern Ferries in chronological order.

Normandy Ferries
Normandy Ferries began service in 1967 between Southampton and Le Havre with the ferries Dragon and Leopard. The company was a joint operation with the British flag Dragon owned by P&O subsidiary General Steam Navigation, and the French flag Leopard owned by S.A.G.A. (Societe Anonyme de Gerame et d'Armencent). Services were also operated from Le Havre to Rosslare in Ireland.

In 1976, all P&O ferry subsidiaries were amalgamated under the single company P&O Ferries. Leopard remained under the French flag, with a French crew. In the same year, the Lion was moved from the Burns & Laird Ardrossan-Belfast route to start a new Dover-Boulogne service. Initially, this was also marketed as Normandy Ferries (although Boulogne is not in Normandy!). However, in 1980 the Normandy Ferries name was dropped, and all ferries received the P&O Ferries logo on their hulls. The Tiger joined the Dover-Boulogne route in 1978, followed by her sister Panther in 1979. In 1985, the UK port for the Le Havre service moved from Southampton to Portsmouth, shortly followed by the sale of P&O's English Channel services to European Ferries, operating as Townsend-Thoresen. Only two years later, the services reverted to P&O Ferries ownership when they acquired the whole of European Ferries. The Dover-Boulogne service was later abandoned, but ferries still operate between Portsmouth and Le Havre (and Cherbourg).

Southern Ferries
Southern Ferries was formed in 1971 to operate the new cruise ferry Eagle from Southampton to Lisbon and Tangier. Southern Ferries were also part of the P&O subsidiary General Steam Navigation. In 1973, they acquired the Panther, which opened a new service from Southampton to Santander in Spain. Both routes ended in 1975, with the Eagle sold to Nouvelle Cie. de Paquebots, Marseille (Paquet), who renamed her Azur for ferry work and cruising in the Mediterranean. Panther was chartered out until 1977 when she became the St Clair on the Aberdeen-Shetland route.


Ships on This Page:-
Dragon
Eagle
Leopard
Lion
SF Panther (1)
NF Panther (2)
NF Tiger

Associated Pages:-
General Steam Navigation
P&O Ferries
P&O Portsmouth
P&O Scottish Ferries
Paquet
Townsend Thoresen
British Channel Islands Ferries
British Ferry Postcards
Ferry Postcards
Simplon Postcards Home Page




Table of Ship Histories
Name Other names Built Dragon Ionic Ferry, Viscountess M, Charm M, Millenium Express II 1967 Eagle Azur, The Azur 1972 Leopard Countess M, Dimitra A, Mega I, Talya I 1968 Lion Baroness M, Portelet 1967 SF Panther (1) Peter Pan, St Clair 1965 nf Panther (2) Djursland 1972 nf Tiger Kattegat (2), Ålandsfärjan 1972 Normandy Ferries Fleet List Dragon(Normandy Ferries: 1967-85)
Southampton-le Havre & Rosslare-le Havre services.
6100 tons, 416 ft long, 850 passengers (plus 250 cars).
Normandy Ferries was a joint Anglo-French company, of which the British half was effectively the General Steam Navigation. Dragon was built for the service in 1967. In 1976, ownership passed to P&O Ferries, and the Dragon received the corporate pale blue hull. In 1980, the Normandy Ferries name was dropped and the P&O Ferries logo appeared on the hull. In 1985, the UK terminal was moved from Southampton to Portsmouth, followed soon afterwards by the sale of the Portsmouth and Dover routes to European Ferries. Dragon was repainted in Townsend Thoresen orange. In 1986 she was renamed Ionic Ferry and moved to the Cairnryan-Larne route. Only two years later, in 1987, the whole of European Ferries was acquired by P&O Ferries, and so Ionic Ferry (ex-Dragon) reverted to their ownership. In 1992 she was sold to Marlines and renamed Viscountess M. In 2000 she was listed as owned by Access Ferries and named Med. By 2002 she was named Millenium Express II and was due to start a new service based in Albania. On March 1st, whilst on her delivery voyage from Piraeus without passengers, she suffered a major fire which burnt for more than two days. It is unlikely that she will be rebuilt (Cruising Monthly - May 2002).

A complete postcard history of this ship is available on this link.


J.Arthur Dixon postcard SS.6866B (sold on board) of Dragon, showing the original colour scheme. The ships subsequently carried various P&O and Townsend-Thoresen colour schemes.
Salmon postcard 1-58-03-13/5972 of Dragon.
Editions Yvon postcard 10/1706 of Dragon.
A later Editions Yvon postcard, 10/10458 of Dragon. Note the raised level of the boot-topping and lack of painted bow emblem compared to the cards above.
J.Arthur Dixon published postcard, serial L6/SP.5235, issued as official card for both Dragon and Leopard, in later Normandy Ferries colours (rather poorly added to an earlier image). Ship is actually Dragon.
Beric Tempest published postcard, issued as an official card for both Dragon and Leopard.
Ship is actually Dragon.
J.Arthur Dixon published postcard in P&O Ferries colours, serial L6/SP.6026, issued as an official card for both Dragon and Leopard. A retouched version of the card above. Ship is actually Dragon.
Simplon Postcards, serial 4.2, of Dragon leaving Portsmouth. Photographed in 1985 by Ian Boyle.
The card was issued as part of a set of six cards, 4.1 to 4.6, titled Ferries of Portsmouth.
Chantry Classics postcard, serial CC/S170, of Leopard leaving Portsmouth in Townsend-Thoresen colours.
Photographed by Walter Sartori. Chantry Classics are now published by Harold Jordan.
Leopard
(Normandy Ferries: 1967-85) Southampton-le Havre & Rosslare-le Havre services.
6100 tons, 416 ft long, 850 passengers (plus 250 cars).
The French half of Normandy Ferrieswas was owned by S.A.G.A. (Societe Anonyme de Gerame et d'Armencent), and they built the Leopard for the service in 1967. In 1976, ownership passed to P&O Ferries, and the Leopard received the corporate pale blue hull. In 1980, the Normandy Ferries name was dropped and the P&O Ferries logo appeared on the hull. In 1985, the UK terminal was moved from Southampton to Portsmouth, followed soon afterwards by the sale of the Portsmouth and Dover routes to European Ferries. Leopard was repainted in Townsend-Thoresen orange for the 1985 season, but was then sold to Marlines and renamed Countess M. She was listed as owned by Marlines in 2000 ferry guides.
A complete postcard history of this ship is available on this link. This is the official Normandy Ferries card of Leopard.
Harvey-Barton postcard of Leopard and Thoresen freight ferry Viking IV.
Harvey-Barton postcard of Leopard and Dragon together at Southampton.




John Hinde postcard 2/1317 of Leopard at Rosslare in Ireland.




An enlarged view of Leopard from the card above.




J.Arthur Dixon published postcard, serial L6/SP.5235, issued as official card for both Dragon and Leopard, in later Normandy Ferries colours (rather poorly added to an earlier image). Ship is actually Dragon.




Beric Tempest published postcard, issued as an official card for both Dragon and Leopard.
Ship is actually Dragon.




J.Arthur Dixon published postcard in P&O Ferries colours, serial L6/SP.6026, issued as an official card for both Dragon and Leopard. A retouched version of the card above. Ship is actually Dragon.




Belcolor postcard P118 of Leopard at Le Havre, in P&O Ferries colours.




Simplon Postcards, serial 4.1, of Leopard leaving Portsmouth in Townsend-Thoresen colours.
This card was issued as part of a set of six cards, 4.1 to 4.6, titled Ferries of Portsmouth.
Photographed in 1985 by Ian Boyle.
Lion(Normandy Ferries: 1976-85)

In 1967, three new car ferries were delivered to Coast Lines to update their Irish Sea services. The Ulster Prince and Ulster Queen replaced the pre-war motorships Ulster Prince and Ulster Monarch on the Liverpool-Belfast night service of the Belfast Steamship Co, and the Lion took over the Ardrossan-Belfast day service of Burns & Laird. Coast Lines were purchased by P&O in 1971. The Lion was transferred to Normandy Ferries in 1976.

A complete postcard history of Lion is available on this link.


Official card of Lion.




J.Arthur Dixon postcard, serial L6/SP.4342, issued as an official card of Lion, in Normandy Ferries colours (rather poorly added to an earlier image).




Estel postcard of Lion at Boulogne, as originally transferred from Ardrossan with a black hull.




Editions Mage postcard 6223/96 of Lion at Boulogne, as originally transferred from Ardrossan with a black hull.




J.Arthur Dixon postcard, serial L6/SP.5236, issued as an official card of Lion, in Normandy Ferries colours (rather poorly added to an earlier image).




Beric Tempest published postcard, issued as an official card for both Lion and Tiger, in Normandy Ferries colours.
Editions Combier postcard, serial C1 62160-1-0268 of Lion, in P&O Ferries colours at Boulogne.
I do not have an official P&O Ferries card of Lion.
Editions Mage postcard, serial 6223-144 of Lion, in P&O Ferries colours at Boulogne.
NF Tiger (Normandy Ferries: 1978-85)
NF Panther (Normandy Ferries: 1978-85)

nf Panther and nf Tiger were built as the Djursland (2) and Kattegat (2) in 1972 for Jydsk Færgefart, for use on their Grenå-Hundested route. In 1974 Djursland (2) was transferred to the Juelsminde-Kalundborg Line as Lasse II. Djursland (2) and Lasse II were sold to Normandy Ferries for Dover-Boulogne services in 1978 and 1979, becoming the nf Tiger and nf Panther. In 1985 P&O Ferries' Channel operations (ie Normandy Ferries) were sold to the European Ferries group. The nf Tiger and nf Panther were then absorbed into the Townsend Thoresen fleet and painted in their orange livery. When retired in June 1986, they were both laid up in Chatham. nf Panther was then sold back to P&O Scottish Ferries as the St Sunniva. nf Tiger was sold to Viking Line as the Ålandsfärjan. Complete postcard histories are available of nf Tiger and nf Panther.


J.Arthur Dixon published postcard, serial L6/SP.5351, issued as an official card of Tiger, in Normandy Ferries colours.
Editions Mage postcard, serial 6223-117 of Tiger, in Normandy Ferries colours at Boulogne.
J.Arthur Dixon published postcard, serial L6/SP.6025, issued as an official card for both Tiger and Panther, in P&O Ferries colours.
Normandy Ferries Fleet Postcards

The two interesting large postcards below were printed for P&O Normandy Ferries by G.F.Wilson (Southampton). The top card shows the two Dover-Boulogne vessels Lion and Tiger (Panther had yet to join the fleet).
Click on the picture to open a larger image.




This card shows the two Southampton-Le Havre vessels Dragon and Leopard.
Click on the picture to open a larger image.
Southern Ferries Fleet List


Eagle
(Southern Ferries: 1971-75)

Eagle entered service in 1971 on a new cruise ferry service from Southampton-Lisbon-Tangier. Southern Ferries were part of the General Steam Navigation Co, who became part of P&O. In 1975 Eagle was sold to Nouvelle Cie. de Paquebots, Marseille (Paquet) and renamed Azur for ferry work and cruising in the Mediterranean. In 1981 Azur was rebuilt as a fulltime cruise ship, with cabins added in the car decks. Azur was sold to Chandris in 1987, and re-named The Azur. In 1994 she was sold to Festival Cruises, name retained as The Azur.


The first official Southern Ferries card of Eagle, printed by J.Arthur Dixon (serial no. L6/SP.2805). "M.V.EAGLE - Southern Ferries - The General Steam Navigation Company, part of the P&O Group. Cruise Liner car Ferry between Southampton, Lisbon, Tangier." A complete postcard history of Eagle is available on this link.
The second official Southern Ferries card of Eagle.
Ramsey Postcards card 52 of Eagle. Photographed by Philip James at Southampton.

(Southern Ferries: 1973-75)

Peter Pan was built for Travemünde-Trelleborg Linie in 1965 by Lübecker Flender-Werke. Peter Pan served on the Travemünde-Trelleborg route until 1973 when she was sold to Southern Ferries (part of the P&O Group). Peter Pan was renamed SF Panther and used on a route from Southampton to San Sebastian (Spain). The route was not a great success, and SF Panther was withdrawn in November 1975, soon going on charter to Oslo-Aarhus Linie (Da-No Linje) as the Terje Vigen. In 1977, ownership was transferred to sister P&O company North of Scotland, Orkney & Shetland Shipping Co, for service between Aberdeen and Lerwick (Shetland) as the fourth St Clair. Ownership was transferred to P&O Scottish Ferries in 1978. St Clair continued as the primary Aberdeen-Shetland ferry until 1992, when she was briefly renamed St Clair II to release the name for the fifth St Clair. A complete history of this ship is available on this link.


J.Arthur Dixon published postcard, serial L6/SP.3788, issued as an official card of Panther, in Southern Ferries colours.
P&O Ferries - P&O Portsmouth - P&O Scottish Ferries - General Steam Navigation
Paquet - Townsend Thoresen
British Ferry Postcards - Ferry Postcards Postcards
Top of Page - Simplon Postcards Home Page

Name	Other names	Built
Dragon	Ionic Ferry, Viscountess M, Charm M, Millenium Express II	1967
Eagle	Azur, The Azur	1972
Leopard	Countess M, Dimitra A, Mega I, Talya I	1968
Lion	Baroness M, Portelet	1967
SF Panther (1)	Peter Pan, St Clair	1965
nf Panther (2)	Djursland	1972
nf Tiger	Kattegat (2), Ålandsfärjan	1972