River Thames: HMS Exploit
HMS Exploit on its way up the River Thames yesterday: it moored at Tilbury landing stage just beyond this.
HMS Exploit is one of 14 "Archer" class patrol vessels and in based at Portsmouth. It has a crew of 5. It was commissioned in 1988 and built in the UK.
The recent commemorations of the Dunkirk evacuations were marked by a fleet of Dunkirk Little Ships sailing from Ramsgate to Dunkirk last week: they are returning this week. The were accompanied by a number of Navy patrol vessels (7, I believe) and I imagine HMS Exploit was one of these. Another was further down the river a I shot this (I left when it began to rain...). I'd been hoping to see any of the Little Ships which were returning but wasn't successful.
The Little Ships were private vessels that sailed from Ramsgate across the channel to help in the evacuation of over 300,000 Allied troops. There were over 800 Little Ships. One of the owners of a surviving vessel made the point that, with the passage of time, the Little Ships themselves are our last link with an extraordinary episode from a terrible time. I love to see them, whatever the reason.
(Just visible behind the greenery across the river: 3 tower blocks, masked by smoke from a fire a short distance up river).
[IMG_2227a]
River Thames: HMS Exploit
HMS Exploit on its way up the River Thames yesterday: it moored at Tilbury landing stage just beyond this.
HMS Exploit is one of 14 "Archer" class patrol vessels and in based at Portsmouth. It has a crew of 5. It was commissioned in 1988 and built in the UK.
The recent commemorations of the Dunkirk evacuations were marked by a fleet of Dunkirk Little Ships sailing from Ramsgate to Dunkirk last week: they are returning this week. The were accompanied by a number of Navy patrol vessels (7, I believe) and I imagine HMS Exploit was one of these. Another was further down the river a I shot this (I left when it began to rain...). I'd been hoping to see any of the Little Ships which were returning but wasn't successful.
The Little Ships were private vessels that sailed from Ramsgate across the channel to help in the evacuation of over 300,000 Allied troops. There were over 800 Little Ships. One of the owners of a surviving vessel made the point that, with the passage of time, the Little Ships themselves are our last link with an extraordinary episode from a terrible time. I love to see them, whatever the reason.
(Just visible behind the greenery across the river: 3 tower blocks, masked by smoke from a fire a short distance up river).
[IMG_2227a]