HMS Cormorant P256 and Hart P257 in service at Gibraltar (ex HMAFV RTTL MK III 4001 Sunderland and 4002 Stirling),and post service view of Day Raider (ex HMS Hart ex HMAFV Stirling) at Gib 1996,after having served as Malta Patrol Boat.Pics Daniel Ferro,info Phil Simons.

In 2004 I purchased RSC Petard from the MOD ,Petard is now operated as a charter vessel from Maryport Cumbria, Petard is one of two vessels built at the same time as the Spitfire class by James and Stone, these two vessels (Petard and Falconet) are classed as the Honours class and were built for range safety (RSC) they are nearly identical as the eight RTTL'S . There is some information on the Richard Carrs Paxman history web page and I have quite a few photo's of both the RTTL'S and the RSC's , I also have the original drawings and manuals/handbooks for Petard if these are any interest to you .If you click on the www button there is a pdf file of the full specs of RSC Petard

Hi, I think that one of these carft is in the water at Eastbourne. I saw it a few weeks ago whilst visting the area.

Hi Percy, can you remember the name ? or what letter the name started with ?

Lancaster at Ostend November 2005 

Two boats at Portland Harbour late 2004 (Is the blue hull Petard?)

Hi , yes the blue hull is definately Petard , the other is one of the rttl's but I cant see which one , the tug in front of petard is RMAS Fiona and the fleet tender on the port side of Fiona is Ironbridge, all these were for sale through Babcock Disposals who have now moved to Southampton , Ironbridge was used as target practice by the mod and blown up and sunk

Another shot of Cormorant at Gibraltar for Rob,Matt-which is the black and grey boat you've inserted next to Petard above? 

Hi christian, I'm not sure (it could be the vessel at eastbourne), it was taken somewhere on the south coast , a mate of mine found the pic on a web site ,I think I know which ones its not , its not Wellington , Lancaster ,  or Spitfire , these were all in Southampton when I bought Petard , its not Falconet as she went abroad and Hampden was in Scotland , it could be Hurricane

Could you email me the pic at Portland please

mailto:matt_izax@hotmail.com - matt_izax@hotmail.com

it could be the Halifax... she was still operating for the RAF well after alll the other Mk3's had been removed from service.

Hi Malcolm , it could be Halifax , I'm not sure what happened to Halifax , she was for sale at the same tim as Petard as we looked at quite a few at the same time at Southampton but I don't know where Halifax ended up

Its not Hurricane, Hurricane was kept up at Invergordon and operated by the civilian contactors that took over the task of the RAF Marine Branch. i did make guest appearances on Hurricane as both Senior and second fitter whilst it was still operated by he RAF Marine Branch, that was in between running the unit workshop, and going as a watchkeeping engineer on Seal & Seagull.

Regarding the earlier posting by Barry, regarding Spitfire, (the MK 111 RTTL was classified as 'Spitfire Class', not Stirling), If its the Barry I think it is, were you on Spitfire when it was on delivery from Brightlingsea to Mount Batten, with a stop-over at Newhaven. I was fitter on the Newhaven pinnace at the time 1373 if I remember correctly.

Colin

for 1373 read 1389, small brainstorm

Hi Cofrada

To confirm your suspicion Hurricane (together with Wellington) was sold to Ghana in 2004 for Customs service, see http://www.nelmes.fsnet.co.uk/paxman/paxmanRN.htm - http://www.nelmes.fsnet.co.uk/paxman/paxmanRN.htm

Also, I found a couple more interesting pictures on the net;

[IMG]uploads/Christian/2006-09-29_085213_Alfred_Herring.jpg">

Petard as Alfred Herring

[IMG]uploads/Christian/2006-09-29_085258_Halifax.jpg"> 

Stirling

Regards,Christian.

I've got some photo's of Spitfire on her delivery run to Mount Batten, taken in Newhaven. When I've got my scanner working again I'll post them. At the time Spitfire had not been extended, the reason why she did not match her predicted performance.

Colin

Hi Christian , I've just returned from a few weeks at sea with RSC Petard and spotted the picture of Petard as Alfred Herring , what a fantastic picture ! If I may I will print a copy and put it on board .

Spitfire is for sale , she is advertised in this months boats and yachts for sale magazine , I think she is located on the south coast

Spitfire (RTTL MkIII) is for sale through BABCOCK DISPOSAL SERVICES at Southampton for £125,000.

WEB LINK

http://www.babcockdisposals.co.uk/Store.sf/?ObjectPath=/Shops/BabcockSupportServices/Products/SPITFIRE - http://www.babcockdisposals.co.uk/Store.sf/?ObjectPath=/Shop s/BabcockSupportServices/Products/SPITFIRE

Wellington in her new role.

Hi tonclass

Lax uniform requirements in Ghana apparently! What is she (and Hurricane) called now?

Rgds,Christian.

The full-sized photo shows her nameplate still as WELLINGTON.

No idea about HURRICANE

Rik

HMAFV Spitfire, on delivery to RAF Mountbatten. Photographed at Newhaven by me, I was, at the time, the Marine tech on Pinnace 1389.

Note the length of Spitfires bow compared to previous pictures on this thread. She had to go back to Brightlingsea to have a few feet added.

Spitfire now priced at for £105,000

We were returning to Invergordon, after dampening some aircrew at Burghead, as we came through the Cromarty Firth one of the crew noticed a small boat, about 18ft, the occupant frantically waving. He was adrift having lost his engine, we offered a tow, he accepted; we had travelled about 100yds, the occupant of the boat was leaping up and down again. At one engine slow ahead we had pulled the propshaft couplings and reduction gear off the back of his gearbox.

I believe this was the last "rescue" performed by Lancaster whilst flying the RAF Ensign