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Britannia heading from Southampton to Cowes for a bit of yacht racing. Her Maj and Phil the Greek on board indicated by the Royal standard on mid-mast. Originally designed to cover as a hospital ship, but of course Uganda was used instead when it came to the crunch.
Now of course a museum ship at Leith - they say worth a visit if you can afford it.
photo : Calshot : 05:08:1988
photo : © Dr. Allan Ryszka-Onions 1988/2016
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Ship Interior - 8 photos
Ship's engine rooms - 3 photos
Wheelhouse - 3 photos
Ship's Deck - 6 photos
Ships' Lifeboats and Tenders - 11 photos
Auxiliaries - 90 photos
_ Ship Crests - 1 photos
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COMMENT THIS PHOTO(32)
The Dale tankers you mention would indeed come under the Auxiliaries section as they were operated by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary as replenishment vessels.
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Allan
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Britannia - I can't remember the program but there was one on the BBC a while ago (Google mentions Andrew Marr) that stated the hospital ship story was a cover. Rather it was planned that the Royal Yacht would have been a refuge in time of a nuclear war, separate from the seat of government so that some members of the Royal Family could possibly survive and maintain the the head of states function in the UK's constitutional monarchy.
This would also explain why it wasn't sent South for the Falklands - although nothing bigger was likely it had a more important role.
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But then Museums in the UK have so much MORE HISTORY to offer than museums in the USA!
Only jesting!....
When are we having that beer? Come on, shape yourself! Step Lively! (Old RN phrase.)
Cheers. S.
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I have to agree...It was a PR exercise...granted that officially she IS A00...No argument. She was always crewed by RN personnel...Not MN people.
I guess that made her "available" to the military, should the need have arisen....Never did "of course".
As to the entry fee 'to have a look around'...(I've not lived in the UK for over 15 years): Is that excessive?
For such a high profile attraction...I rather think not, not for a family of up to five.....
So, whilst I dsagree with you that she was paid for...long ago...she now needs a lot of TLC....& that costs serious money: But remember, This ship is no longer the domain of the Queen...completely out of her hands.
It has been returned to the Nation. If no-one turns up to view: It will go to scrap. Market forces dictate.
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The fact remains she was a commissioned Royal Naval auxillary with the pennant number A00. She appears in all of Ian Allan's British Warships series as such.
In service she was crewed by RN personnel and when QE was on board she carried a platoon of Royal Marines.
Allan
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Back on topic, did the tour of the Britannia earlier this year - was quite interesting to pass a rainy day in Leith.
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Back to the ship, for me it is a yacht, converted to hospitalship as a more appropriate function during the war, (in the current modern times we would call that also a PR activity) and back to a yacht again when the war was over. So unless we have a wartime shot on the site of her, all shots should be under the category yachts.
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Allan
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Yes, a preserved Vulcan would have been nice too.....and HMS Invicible and what about.....etc etc
Just as when Britannia was launched, we find ourselves still in austerity.(Dire staits, really.)
(Oh! The irony indeed, Malim.)
Seems the major growth industry of Britain these days is Nostalgia & Museums of every conceivable article or subject that ever once graced our lives.And they don't come cheap.
Question is: Can the public afford to upkeep so many projects? Where do you draw the line?
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Allan
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Allan
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what means below ?
Now of course a museum ship at Leith - they say worth a visit if you can afford it.
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BRITANNIA was designed as such, as well as for conversion, but spent her whole working life as a yacht. End of. Beginning of. and all the of. in between.
That she was also a commissioned naval vessel with an "A" pennant is just another fact. These are not mutually exclusive.
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Allan
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I was always under the impression that the notion of her being converted to a hospital ship during hostilities was merely a ruse to make her acquisition palatable to the Treasury and the public at a time of austerity (oh the irony) and with rationing still in force.
I think the only time she was used in a non Royal role was during the evacuation of Aden.
She would never have been risked as a hospital ship during a proper war as even with protection from the Geneva Convention she'd be at great risk of being targeted due to her high profile.
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Allan
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