▁used ▁as ▁fuel ; ▁it ▁was ▁only ▁for ▁the ▁last ▁mile ▁of ▁the ▁trip ▁to ▁the ▁brick fields ▁that ▁road ▁transport ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁used . ▁The ▁spr its ail ▁rig ▁has ▁many ▁advantages ▁on ▁rivers ▁and ▁in ▁conf ined ▁waters : ▁man eu ver ing ▁under ▁to ps ail ▁and ▁m iz zen ▁catch ing ▁the ▁stead ier ▁wind ▁clear ▁of ▁the ▁wh arf ▁side ▁buildings . ▁Their ▁flat - bottom ed ▁h ull s ▁allow ▁them ▁to ▁ride ▁over ▁the ▁shall ow ▁waters ▁of ▁the ▁est u ary ▁and ▁pen et rate ▁the ▁cre eks ▁and ▁higher ▁reaches ▁of ▁the ▁rivers ▁of ▁the ▁south ▁east . ▁They ▁could ▁be ▁ber th ed ▁on ▁a ▁flat ▁mud ▁bank , ▁against ▁a ▁camp - sh ed , ▁on ▁a ▁bar ge ▁bed ▁or ▁a ▁held ▁t ide ▁dock . ▁P ud ge ▁carried ▁general ▁cargo : gra in , ▁cattle ▁c ake , ▁fert il izer , ▁etc .. ▁ ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁The ▁first ▁major ▁civil ian ▁mar itime ▁event ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War ▁was ▁the ▁D unk irk ▁ev acu ation , ▁in ▁which ▁hundreds ▁of ▁small ▁ships ▁res cu ed ▁Al lied ▁soldiers ▁from ▁be aches ▁in ▁northern ▁France . ▁Like ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁sail ing ▁bar ge ▁fleet , ▁P ud ge ▁was ▁requ is ition ed ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁whilst ▁in ▁T il bury , ▁and ▁sa iled ▁down ▁to ▁the ▁assembly ▁point ▁at ▁D over . ▁Under ▁cover ▁of ▁darkness , ▁the