One of the largest paddle steamers afloat in Britain is the H.M.S. Royal Eagle, former peacetime excursion boat which carried passengers on pleasure jaunts from Tower Bridge to Southend, Ramscate and Margate. Commissioned two years ago as a warship of the Royal Navy, the craft has been in action 52 times against enemy aircraft. The Eagle took part in the evacuation from Dunkirk where she was dive-bombed 48 times and brought home nearly 3,000 British troops. Members of the crew cleaning the paddle boxes of H.M.S. Royal Eagle in London on January 18, 1943. (Photo by AP Photo)

A great tit eats food from the top of a photographer's hat as the press wait for politicians on Downing Street on December 16, 2019 in London, England. The UK's Prime Minister is set to hold a mini Cabinet reshuffle to replace outgoing ministers following last week's general election victory. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Cosplayer Barbie Chula poses for a photo on the last day of the New York Comic Con 2021 at the Jacob Javits Center on October 10, 2021. The four-day event is the largest pop culture event on the East Coast. (Photo by Timothy A. Clary/AFP Photo)

A 40-tonne humpback launching out of the water in an incredible breach in New South Wales, Australia on October 2022 in front of a sunset. The humpback whale can grow up to 56 feet long and typically covers 9,900 miles a year as it travels through the oceans of the world. Humpback whales are a species of Baleen whale, meaning they don't have teeth. Instead, they have baleen which helps them to filter feed. Their main source of food is krill or tiny bait fish. (Photo by Jodie Lowe/Media Drum Images)

Fans of Argentina react while watching the live broadcast of the Qatar 2022 World Cup final football match between Argentina and France in Buenos Aires, on December 18, 2022. (Photo by Luis Robayo/AFP Photo)

A view of sunken tank which promotes scuba diving tourism with its location at an artificial reef of Guvercin Island region of Kas district of Antalya, Turkiye on December 04, 2022. The sunken tank, situated at a depth of around 15 meters, is visible to both seasoned divers and those undergoing basic diving training. (Photo by Mahmut Serdar Alakus/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) lands on fans sitting court side as he dives after a ball in the second half against the Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California on January 24, 2023. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA TODAY Sports)

A displaced Palestinian plays on a swing at the beach, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on January 31, 2024. (Photo by Mohammed Salem/Reuters)