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Title: HMS Bristol: Last Falklands warship given send-off by veterans - 11 June 2025 Post by: Chris from Nailsea on June 11, 2025, 20:59:09 From the BBC (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyg0l5nj20o):
Quote (https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/976/cpsprodpb/e40f/live/0c927980-46bb-11f0-98c9-f388968ae068.jpg.webp) Veterans and members of the public have turned out to give a final farewell to a former Royal Navy flagship that played a "vital role" in the Falklands conflict. HMS Bristol was towed out of Portsmouth Harbour on Wednesday, almost five years after it was decommissioned. The warship, which was the last ship serving from the Falklands War, is being taken to a Turkish scrapyard. Chris Howe, from the South Atlantic Medal Association 1982, said the vessel had a "remarkable and unique legacy". The Type 82 destroyer was commissioned in March 1973 but having been designed to defend a class of aircraft carriers which was never built, it was the only warship of its class to enter service. The vessel led a group of two destroyers, five frigates and an RFA supply ship providing reinforcements in the Falklands, and later joined the carrier battle task group as an air defence destroyer. In 1987 it became a training ship before an explosion in its boiler led to it being used as a harbour training vessel - until it was decommissioned in October 2020, after almost 48 years of service. Members of the public and veterans congregated on Old Portsmouth's Round Tower to wave off HMS Bristol, which was visually rust-stained, as it left the Hampshire naval base. "As HMS Bristol embarks on its final voyage to the scrapyard in Turkey, we pause to reflect on its remarkable and unique legacy," Mr Howe said. "For many veterans, Bristol was more than a vessel - it was a home, a place of camaraderie, and a symbol of resilience. Its departure marks the end of an era, but its contributions to our history and the memories of those who served aboard will endure. We honour all who sailed in her and bid HMS Bristol a respectful farewell." Title: Re: HMS Bristol: Last Falklands warship given send-off by veterans - 11 June 2025 Post by: bobm on June 11, 2025, 21:38:52 Falklands seems so long ago but provided some of the most vivid memories of my journalistic career.
Seeing the Canberra sailing home up Southampton Water one Sunday morning surrounded by fire tugs. Interviewing, at her invitation, the widow of Colonel H Jones Working late into the night the evening the Sheffield went down. Of course for others the memories are still painful now, both physically and emotionally. My thoughts also go to the family of a friend of mine who died hours before the ceasefire. None of them should be forgotten. Title: Re: HMS Bristol: Last Falklands warship given send-off by veterans - 11 June 2025 Post by: Chris from Nailsea on June 11, 2025, 21:54:22 Thanks for those thoughts, Bob.
My now wife was a Merchant Navy officer on the QE2 when it was requisitioned as a troopship for the Falkland Islands dispute. The vicar who officiated at our subsequent wedding in Salcombe was the Army Chaplain who buried Colonel H Jones VC, OBE. Chris. :-X Title: Re: HMS Bristol: Last Falklands warship given send-off by veterans - 11 June 2025 Post by: infoman on June 12, 2025, 01:49:49 My memory was the Atlantic conveyor being sunk,
a few years I was talking to a sailor who was heading to the Falklands when the conflict happened. He then said HMS Bristol was escorting Atlantic conveyor to the Falklands, the Argentineans fired off a rocket towards HMS Bristol Chaff was launched which saved HMS Bristol,but the rockets find Atlantic conveyor as its next target Title: Re: HMS Bristol: Last Falklands warship given send-off by veterans - 11 June 2025 Post by: paul7575 on June 12, 2025, 16:48:07 Basically she was overtaken by events while in build, steam turbine main propulsion was about to be ruled out in surface ships in favour of all gas turbine.
The weapon and radar systems were effectively that of a Type 42 in a different hull, but in the details she had a unique Seadart missile handling system, she had no helicopter hangar, and retained the obsolescent Mortar Mk 10 for a long while until it was removed. There was also an Ikara anti submarine system that was mothballed quite early in the ship’s life. I was quite surprised it lasted in service as long as it did, I suspect it would have had a much earlier retirement without the Falklands losses. Paul Title: Re: HMS Bristol: Last Falklands warship given send-off by veterans - 11 June 2025 Post by: Electric train on June 12, 2025, 18:57:00 I was quite surprised it lasted in service as long as it did, I suspect it would have had a much earlier retirement without the Falklands losses. She was used as the RN Cadet and Schools acquaint and accommodation as well as being used by the RN for training until recently, she sat on permanent mooring off of HMS Excellent (Whale Island) As a Sea Cadet adult volunteer I have spent many weekends and week living onboard HMS Bristol, sad to see her go Title: Re: HMS Bristol: Last Falklands warship given send-off by veterans - 11 June 2025 Post by: Chris from Nailsea on June 12, 2025, 20:12:02 Thank you all for your replies to my original post: I did wonder whether it would be of any interest here, on a predominantly railway forum, but it has shown to be so.
CfN. :) Title: Re: HMS Bristol: Last Falklands warship given send-off by veterans - 11 June 2025 Post by: Kernow Otter on June 12, 2025, 21:49:40 Got flown out to Hong Kong to join her. Amazing three month trip back to Portsmouth. 1990.
Title: Re: HMS Bristol: Last Falklands warship given send-off by veterans - 11 June 2025 Post by: paul7575 on June 13, 2025, 11:45:25 I was quite surprised it lasted in service as long as it did, I suspect it would have had a much earlier retirement without the Falklands losses. She was used as the RN Cadet and Schools acquaint and accommodation as well as being used by the RN for training until recently, she sat on permanent mooring off of HMS Excellent (Whale Island) As a Sea Cadet adult volunteer I have spent many weekends and week living onboard HMS Bristol, sad to see her go Title: Re: HMS Bristol: Last Falklands warship given send-off by veterans - 11 June 2025 Post by: Electric train on June 13, 2025, 17:14:25 I was quite surprised it lasted in service as long as it did, I suspect it would have had a much earlier retirement without the Falklands losses. She was used as the RN Cadet and Schools acquaint and accommodation as well as being used by the RN for training until recently, she sat on permanent mooring off of HMS Excellent (Whale Island) As a Sea Cadet adult volunteer I have spent many weekends and week living onboard HMS Bristol, sad to see her go They were all commissioned warships just as much HMS Victory is to this day This page is printed from the "Coffee Shop" forum at http://gwr.passenger.chat which is provided by a customer of Great Western Railway. Views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that content provided contravenes our posting rules ( see http://railcustomer.info/1761 ). The forum is hosted by Well House Consultants - http://www.wellho.net |