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HERITAGE OF THE SEA.
H/B 1974.(ISBN 0 85944 010 9)
For the first time all the historic ships, both naval and mercantile, preserved around the coast of Great Britain, were listed and described and special coloured photographs were taken of each and every one to preserve them for posterity. Some of this vessels no longer exist and this book remains a unique record of lost treasures of Britain's maritime greatness.
Among the vessels that the author visited, inspected, illustrated and described were the former Royal Navy vessels CAVALIER, CAROLINE, WARRIOR, FOUDROYANT, WELLINGTON, CHRYSANTHEMUM, PRESIDENT, VICTORY and BELFAST, and the mercantile CUTTY SARK, DISCOVERY, GYPSY MOTH IV, OLD CALEDONIA, UNICORN, LYDIA EVA, ALBION, KATHLEEN & MAY, MEDWAY QUEEN, ARETHUSA and GANNET.
LAST VOYAGE OF HMS CAVALIER.
H.M.S. CAVALIER has now become part of Chatham Historic Dockyard, and recently a Committee decided on how a tribute to World War II destroyers should be incorporated. This Authors idea, for a glass screen with the silhouettes of each of the British destroyers sunk in World War II with each destroyer's name inscribed below, to placed alongside her berth, similar to the USAAF Memorial at Duxford IWM, was given short shrift, even though popular with many of the actual destroyer men themselves. However, at least CAVALIER herself should now survive, after many years of being shunted around the country from port to port, homeless and neglected. Chatham was her home port so it is appropriate she should end her days there.
I was the only accredited historian among the journalist to be invited aboard the CAVALIER back on 5th July, 1972, when she made her final voyage up the Medway to Pay Off from her final commission. Representing "Navy International" magazine, and at the kind invitation of of skipper, Commander Peter Goddard, RN, I joined her, with pressmen and radio reporters off Sheerness. Our tug fussed her way out to the Thames and turned about and chugged back toward Chatham dockyard and, as we did so, a remote speck, slim and expectant on the horizon, developed a white bow wave and soon we could make out CAVALIER overhauling us with contemptuous ease. She glided by our starboard side looking magnificent and nothing like a twenty-eight year-old as she was then.
She turned across our bow and slid to a halt. We closed her and were welcomed aboard. I was given a bow to stern conducted tour by Midshipman R W W Wilkey from Keynsham, Bristol. From bridge to wardroom, gun mounting to boiler room were visited as she made her way slowly up the Medway with her paying-off pendant settling in the still early-morning summer air. We were met by the Admiral Superintendant of the Dockyard and, as we glided into the Bull's Nose entrance a Royal Marine band struck up and was answered by three rattling roars from the ship's siren. It was an impressive finale. Long may she remain as the sole representative of a real British destroyer.
All HMS Cavalier Photos (c) World Rights Reserved, Peter C Smith 1972, 2004.
Publishers enquiries welcomed.