Tuesday 22nd September 2009 - Coach trip to Chatham Historic Dockyard
On a beautiful sunny day the planned 26 were reduces because of illness to a mere 19 who with kind permission from Sainsbury who allowed us to leave our cars at Kiln lane all day and the coach will an excellent driver left promptly at 9.30 am and returning around precisely as promised at 5.30pm.
This year the Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust celebrates its 25th anniversary, the site of course, celebrates over 400 years of maritime history as a Royal Dockyard with the Royal Navy.
Under the controlling baton of Pat Hunt we arrived for coffee, tea or biscuits prior to our tour of the Ropery. This by our guide who left us in no doubt who was in charge, the FOREMAN in his bowler hat, call me MISTER Steve, or else, in his droll way reminded many of those pleasant drill sergeants of our conscription days!
This was an entertaining historical account of rope production from the basic hemp through the chain of production to the anchor cables of a quarter of a mile length, we were delighted when our Past President John Mills "volunteered" to turn the contraption for producing a rope or was it a cable? needless to say it appeared to be a "lot of old rope" of course Doug Clarke with his I only design aircraft carriers had the difficult task of just holding the bobbin, whilst John showed his physical condition by glowing red and puffing like a whale, but we must not let the "cat out of the Bag"
The Probus crew then dispersed to their individual choices and only appeared in time for the 4.00 departure, the dockyards provided a wealth of choice from ships, submarines, museums and various exhibitions.
Royal Dockyards provided the Royal Navy with the shore support facilities it required to build, repair and maintain the fleet. Central to any Royal Dockyard were, as the name suggests, their dry docks and it was the provision of these expensive structures that set the Royal Yards apart from their civilian counterparts until well into the 19th century.
By the mid-18th Century the Royal Yards had developed into the largest industrial organisations in the world with complex facilities supporting thousands of skilled workers in a wide number of trades. Indeed it was the level of the facilities and skills provided in the Royal Dockyard's, particularly at Chatham that underpinned the Royal Navy's success at sea - from victory in battle; through the epic voyages of discovery made by Cook, Darwin and others; to the ceaseless anti-slavery patrols of the 19th century and the imposition of Rule Britannica.
The three principal ships visit by the Probus Club of Ewell members were HMS Gannet (above) a sloop of the Victorian Royal Navy. She was built on the River Medway at Sheerness in 1878 and designed to patrol the world's oceans flying the flag and protecting British interests and trade. Powered by both sail and steam and with a hull constructed from stout teak planking on a strong iron frame she is historically highly significant and is listed as part of the United Kingdom's core national collection of historic ships.
HMS Cavalier (1944 above) was the Royal Navy's last operational Second World War destroyer and is now preserved at Chatham as a memorial to the 143 British destroyers and over 11,000 men lost at sea during the war. Built in 1944 at Samuel White's Isle of Wight yard, HMS Cavalier served during the war in the Arctic and the Western Approaches before joining the British Pacific Fleet as the war came to a close. Refitted and modernized in 1957 she continued to play an active role as part of the Royal Navy's Far East and Home fleets until she paid off at Chatham in 1972.
HM Submarine Ocelot (1962 below) one of the most popular exhibits at The Historic Dockyard Chatham, a guided tour through the submarine Ocelot’s cramped interior is a must for all that dare enter the secret world of the submariner. Many of our Probus crew discovered what life on board a submarine is really like, how the emergency escape system works; take a look through the periscopes Les Robinson was impressed, some doubted if you could feed the crew of 69 from the vessel's small galley.
HMS Ocelot was the last warship built for the Royal Navy at Chatham Dockyard. An 'O' Class diesel electric submarine, she was launched in 1962 and saw service with Royal Navy throughout the height of the Cold War until she paid off in 1991. A normal sized crew would consist of 69 submariners, although she could carry a maximum of 80.
This trip proved to be popular as members had requested to include it in the programme, the cost including coach and the entrance fee of only £25.00 proved to be value for money, so thanks to Pat Hunt for the arrangements.
