A Converted Coastal Motor Boat for the Egyptian Coast Guard
On 10 January 1925, the Admiralty wrote to the Foreign Office advising them that Thornycroft were converting the hull of an ex-RN coastal motor boat that had been sold in 1922 into a hydroplane for employment in the Egyptian Coastguard Service, and asked if article XVIII of the WNT applied to the proposed transaction.
The Foreign Office replied that it did not appear that the proposed conversion could be regarded as involving the vessel becoming “a vessel of war in the navy” of Egypt. In these circumstances a violation of the WNT could only arise if there was any possibility of the hydroplane being reconverted into a coastal motor boat, and that this possibility might reasonably be disregarded. In any case, it would be necessary to inform the other signatories of the proposed transfer in view of the arrangement made between the signatories for the exchange of information regarding all transfers of vessels of war which might be regarded as falling within article XVIII.
Thornycroft subsequently reported that the order had ‘fallen through’.