1944 and she was taken out of service for four weeks. On 18 October 1944 Prinses Astrid collided with a dredger, her Davits and whaler were damaged. On 28 November 1944 near Avonmouth, a fire broke out in the ship's kitchen and was quickly put out. Prinses Astrid collided with Seapool off Gravesend on 1 January 1945 and left her starboard side damaged. On 12 February 1945, the ship collided with the porthead of Calais which left a hole under the ship's waterline. Because of this accident, Prinses Astrid was taken out of service again to be repaired, because of that decision the ship could not participate in Operation Nestegg which was the liberation of the Channel Islands. Return to Belgian service On 10 April 1945, having survived many incidents, Prinses Astrid was returned to Belgium and sailed under a Belgian crew again. She was also renamed SS Prinses Astrid. From 15 February 1946 to 12 July 1946, Prinses Astrid sailed as a troop transport ship between Dover and Ostend under the Belgian flag. After a number of renovation works, the ship was returned to service on 7 October 1946 as a cross-Channel ferry sailing the Ostend-Dover line. Sinking Prinses Astrid left Ostend, Belgium at 14:30 pm on 21 June 1949 with 65 crew members and 218 passengers for Dover, United Kingdom. At 16:20 pm a violent explosion rocked through the ship, she had struck a World War II magnetic mine near the middle of the ship, off the coast of Dunkirk, France and began to take on water. Captain Timmermans sailed the ship into shallow waters in order to prevent it from sinking and ground the ship. Meanwhile, the radio operator sent out an SOS call which was picked up by all ships near Dunkirk. All of the ships rushed to the stricken ship's aid including the cargo ship , various tugs, the trailer Les trois Frères and a giant lifeboat named Amiral Ronarch. While Prinses Astrid was steaming to shallow waters, an evacuation was issued by the crew at the orders of the captain. Women and children were lowered first into the lifeboats and later the men and crew. The evacuation proceeded very calmly as there was enough room for the passengers in the ship's nine lifeboats and since the evacuation was very well coordinated. The captain was the last to leave the ship at 17:48 pm, shattering