We recently asked for help with a nautical mystery after noticing that a vessel used for the Weymouth Town Bridge opening ceremony in 1930 had the same name as one of the famous Little Ships of Dunkirk that brought our troops home in the Second World War.

Looking Backer David Chalk of Weymouth has been in touch to give us more information about HMS Emperor of India.

It would appear as though the vessel that appeared in Weymouth for the bridge's opening ceremony was a paddle steamer - the same boat that provided salvation from the beaches of Dunkirk for British and French soldiers.

Mr Chalk tells us: "The Emperor of India was a paddle steamer of Cosens & Co. built in 1906 and withdrawn in 1956.

"She operated in both World Wars and for a short period she was renamed HMS Mahratta in the First World War and HMS Bunting in the Second World War.

She also had the name HMS Emperor OF India and was present at Dunkirk in 1940.

She would not have had the prefix 'HMS' in 1930 at the Town Bridge opening as she was then in civilian ownership."

Thank you so much to Mr Chalk for helping us solve the Emperor mystery.