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RTTL 2757

Built by Vosper Ltd, Portsmouth to contract 6/MC/1342/CB21a, with two 1700hp Rolls Royce Sea Griffon 101 engines.

Delivered new to RAF Alness January 1958. To 238 MU 10 January 1958,

23 Jan 58

To No.1100 Marine Craft Unit (MCU), RAF Alness, Ross-shire.

Marine Craft Captain’s and Coxswain’s Log Book of Arthur W.W. Parkes (DoRIS collection) records a number of Target Towing trips around the Moray Firth MTT range and Cromarty range, compass swings, radar buoy inspections and navigation exercises (e.g Invergordon to Wick/Peterhead and return) on and from 18 April 1963 to 30 September 1964.

10 Aug 65

To RAF MountBaten, Plymouth for Cat. 4 Repairs

Jun 66

To 1105 MCU, Portrush, Ireland

4 Feb 71

To RAF Mountbatten MCS upon closure of 1105 MCU.

In 1974-5, the vessel was regularly commanded by F/Lt Colin Chandler, completing some 50 operational exercises/sorties, mainly involving RAF aircraft, though with some work with the Royal Navy and Army. (see RAFM 3/24/3 Pt 1 Enc.7). Latterly kept serviceable at RAF Mountbatten pending gifting to RAFM-it was the last 68ft H.S.L. in the UK. Last survey date March 1977; the boat was then taken out of the water and stored.

22 Nov 77

Allotted to RAF Museum Hendon; put back into water for overhaul at this time.

26 Nov 1977

Escorted by her successor vessel Halifax, made her last voyage (23 hrs 40 mins) from RAF Mount Batten up the English Channel to London’s Royal Victoria Docks (where it arrived on Monday 28 November for formal handover to the RAF Museum) for movement by road to Hendon on 4th December 1977. The RAF Museum, as was then its practice, issued a special signed postal cover for the event.

Under ongoing restoration and maintenance by volunteer Friends team and contractors, with partial repaint November 2003.

After 25 years in one position at the end of the Museum car park, moved across car park to present display position by crane and lorry 15 August 2002 to make way for new landmark ‘Milestones of Flight’ building.

Registered with National Register of Historic Vessels of the United Kingdom 7 April 2009.

Sea Griffon engines removed and restored; one in store, other on show in Sunderland Hall, part of the Battle of Britain building at Hendon.