National Museum of the Royal Navy

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HMS Bronington: Historic Royal Navy ship once captained by King Charles might now be homed on River Thames

An historic warship once captained by King Charles could now be homed on the River Thames if efforts to save her are successful.

In a major development amid efforts to save the “last of the wooden walls” minehunter HMS Bronington, it has now emerged the warship captained by the then Prince Charles in 1976 might not be destined for a romantic return to Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard.

The Bronington Trust, which is spearheading efforts to save the beleaguered ship currently submerged in Merseyside Docks, has maintained its preference to return her home to Portsmouth but has revealed talks have been held over the possibility of birthing Bronington on the River Thames.

Mike McBride, of the trust, said they have held discussions with the HMS Wellington Trust (HMSWT) at Temple Stairs on the River Thames. The possibility of a restored Bronington joining HMS Wellington and HMS Belfast on the River Thames was discussed. The meeting was attended by members of the HMSWT, Dominic Tweddle (former director general of the National Museum Royal Navy) and Commodore Menzies (Royal Navy) and Ben Wilson (King's Waterman).

“The King's Waterman suggested three or four berths on the River Thames that would be suitable for Bronington, and the HMSWT chairman suggested that their maintenance engineer could be shared between the vessels,” Mr McBride said.

From - https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/defen ... th-4561393 - LFT

[greendragon]

I was to Portsmouth summer last year again.
I accompanied by my two American buddies and being not very young indeed (in not diplomatic words we are old farts) and served them as a guide .
HMS Victory lost of her beauty under restoration rigs and mattes , the only visible parts were her bow and stern sticking out.

Mary Rose part of the museum is absolutely outstanding .
It gives 100% knowledge about the ships of the age as well as about people who manned them.
While common spread knowledge about guns is that breach type was invented late XIX it is clearly seen that this rear loaded , breach type guns were in use on this XVI cent. ship.
Amazing amount of stuff was discovered - seems like no smallest pin was missed by outstanding underwater archeological teams.
we were three days, enjoying slow walks, trip across the sea to see the sub and starting the day in a bar with delicious breakfast.
So all together visiting HMN museum was very interesting , actually my second one first for my Yanks.

gd

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"A British blacksmith removing the leg irons off a slave, 1907.

This photograph shows a sailor removing the manacle from a newly freed slave. The picture is part of a small collection donated by Samuel Chidwick to the Royal Naval Museum in Portsmouth. His father Able Seaman Joseph Chidwick, born in 1881, was serving aboard HMS Sphinx.
The Africans featured in the photos escaped in a canoe from a slave-trading village on the coast on hearing that the Royal Navy ship was in the area.
In his report dated 15th October 1907, Commander Litchfield wrote that the ship received ‘six fugitives’ on a cruise off the Batineh Coast, Oman between 10th and 14th October. One of the fugitives had been manacled for three years and had escaped with his leg irons still on.
Samuel Chidwick said: “The pictures were taken by my father who was serving aboard HMS Sphinx while on armed patrol off the Zanzibar and Mozambique coast in about 1907. They caught quite a few slavers and those particular slaves that are in the pictures happened while he was on watch. That night a dhow (sailing vessel) sailed by and the slaves were all chained together.
He raised the alarm and they got them onto the ship and got the chains knocked off them. They then questioned them and sent a party of marines ashore to try to track the slave traders down.
They caught two of them and I believe they were of Arabic origin. My father thought the slave trade was a despicable thing that was going on, the slaves were treated very badly so when they got the slavers they didn’t give them a very nice time”."

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LCT 7074 On Southsea front.