"Historic ships on the Thames" Topic

I had to go 'up the smoke' (i.e. to London) last week during the tube strike. With no underground trains to get to Westminster where my meeting was I got the train to Blackfriars and then had a very pleasant two-mile walk in the sunshine along the Victoria Embankment.

Along the way I passed a couple of historic gems, which just goes to show how much history is just lying about (or bobbing about in this case).

The first is HMS President, rare as it's the only surviving WW1 Q-ship:

link

Currently the President is painted in an artistic interpretation of 'dazzle' camouflage to mark the centenary of the Great War.

The second is HMS Wellington, a World War 2 vintage sloop with a U-boat kill to her name:

link

Nick

Crikey, never knew about them. Next time what a nice escape from shopping!

….. Then there are the historic ships that can slide right by without ever attracting a second glance.

I have visited the UK numerous times. Once in the late 80s, my wife and I were visiting at Kew Gardens. It was growing late, but it was a glorious summer afternoon and we decided to catch one of the small passenger/tourist excursion boats that ply the Thames. What we got was a non-descript, narrow-beamed craft of some obvious age – fifty people would have been a real crowd aboard her.

It being a warmish day, I went forward to get some refreshments. As I came up to the little service bar, I caught sight of a modest bronze plaque affixed to the after bulkhead of the helmsman's position: it proved to be a commemoration of this little excursion boat's participation in the Dunkirk evacuation of 1940.

Just wow.

B

There is at least one historic ship you travel on. Until recently the Torquay to Brixham ferry service was operated by ex-navy Fairmile B launches. One of these, RML 497, is now used for pleasure trips in Torbay and River Dart. From what I can see from from photographs she has been repainted grey and carries her orginal number.

HQS Wellington. She isn't a Royal Navy vessel.