HMS Bristol: Last Falklands warship given send-off by veterans - 11 June 2025

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

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."

[bobm]

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.

[Chris from Nailsea]

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. 

[infoman]

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

[paul7575]

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

[Electric train]

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

[Chris from Nailsea]

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. 

[Kernow Otter]

Got flown out to Hong Kong to join her. Amazing three month trip back to Portsmouth. 1990.

[paul7575]

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

I wouldn’t count any of the use after 1991 as actually ‘in service’ though.  In the 1970s there were a number of harbour training ships in the Portsmouth area, eg Diamond at Priddys Hard, (for Sultan and Collingwood engineering trainees), and IIRC^▸ ('if I recall/remember/read correctly') Rame Head was used by the cadets at Excellent (followed by Kent, and I’m sure we didn’t considered any of them in service... 

[Electric train]

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

I wouldn’t count any of the use after 1991 as actually ‘in service’ though.  In the 1970s there were a number of harbour training ships in the Portsmouth area, eg Diamond at Priddys Hard, (for Sultan and Collingwood engineering trainees), and IIRC^▸ ('if I recall/remember/read correctly') Rame Head was used by the cadets at Excellent (followed by Kent, and I’m sure we didn’t considered any of them in service... 

They were all commissioned warships just as much HMS Victory is to this day