The Mersey ferries 'Iris' and Daffodil' returning to New Brighton on 17 May 1918, after the Zeebrugge raid RMG PV4588, William Lionel Wyllie

The mersey ferries 'iris' and daffodil' returning to new brighton on 17 may 1918, after the zeebrugge raid signed by the artist, lower right, this drawing shows the return to the mersey of the two wallasey ferries 'daffodil' and 'iris' on 17 may 1918, to anchor off new brighton pier, after their notable part in the zeebrugge raid of 23 april 1918. The two vessels are heading to anchor off new brighton pier with 'iris' in the centre and 'daffodil' on the right. They appear to have a small naval escort ahead of them. The now largely forgotten structure, centre right (previously mistaken here as blackpool tower), is the new brighton tower at the mouth of the river mersey. This was 567 feet high and was the tallest structure in the country when it opened in 1900. It was closed to the public at the outbreak of war in 1914 , after which lack of maintenance coupled with a substantial rust problem led to its dismantling 1919-21, although the ballroom over which it stood lasted until it was destroyed by fire in 1969. Date: 1918. Dimensions: 160 mm x 354 mm. Collection: Fine art.