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Re: RML 526

Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 1:46 am
by johnk
Hi Sandy,

No problem, noted on BMPT your home page now picture of RML 529....! looking good, yes quite understand re site, sorry to hear of your restrictions there....but yes, will look out for the dates you mention and will cut along, all the best for now,

Johnk

Re: RML 526

Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 10:59 pm
by tony
great pics of RML 526 on new web site BUT a little amazed to see all her deck ripped up and replaced with ply! 85% of her original mahogany deck was in perfect condition plus all the original universal bronze deck mount fittings were in good serviceable order ???? can only surmise that because her calico layer had perished and her deck was not 100% watertight that must have been the reason for such a waste of good original timber also her wheel house ?? Yes when she is completed she will look stunning! One would hope that she undergoes new roll and stability tests before she is put to sea. Speaking as the last skipper to be at sea in a force 8 it is imperative that she is ballasted correctly. Now you say to your self (but we have no intention of steaming in anything greater than a small swell ) correct balance matters on this boat. Ballast forward for close quarter manouver and aft for steaming (in a nut shell you will have reduced her upper deck weight, correct interpretation of her load line is imperative also remember it is no longer correct!!). The load line was calculated for a passenger ferry sorry for the rant but she is in my blood and to have seen her wonderful deck discarded in such a way concerns me! something that I can not understand, is why wasn't the deck timbers reused to replace her aft bulk head in the correct double diagonal formation as opposed to ply.

Re: RML 526

Posted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 8:48 am
by sandybc
Dear Tony,
A quick response to your post. Just to remind you she is W.I.P (work in progress) - Finishings are FAR from complete. I do not think it would be appropriate to enter into a dialogue on a open forum about the condition of 526 to a Ex owner who clearly has great affections for her (particularly concerning the force 8 gale!) and sorry to be blunt but my reason for joining this forum is to try and make contact with veterans or their families who will be able to shed some light on her war service and or anybody who has information that will be of interest to her heritage.
May I redirect you to your previous post where you mention you have such documents. I have a team of people working on the archiving for 526, should you wish to contribute to adding to this we would certainly be grateful. I'm sure you will agree that the history belongs to this vessel and we intend to make it available to the public as do many followers/supporters of other vessels. They can be contacted via the site by email and will discuss with you how this can be safely carried out. We have had some very interesting material and stories given to us which will be available shortly on the website.
Thank you again for your continued interest and please keep looking at the website for further updates.
Kind regards
Sandy
p.s Our naval architects who are working with the MCA were appointed to do the stability tests/ LLE for HMS Caroline on behalf of the NMRN

Re: RML 526

Posted: Sat May 24, 2014 1:03 am
by dinger149
John thank you for your post. my father was on RML 523 must have been a sister ship? I hold little info on what flotilla or what boats were in his group or there history I would love to find out more. I think it was when serving on RML 523 he got a MID. but being the chap he was never gave much away! only would talk about his funny times in the CF once or twice the really grim ones.

Re: RML 526

Posted: Sun May 25, 2014 9:16 am
by johnk
Hi there,

No problem, many thanks,

Johnk

Re: RML 526

Posted: Sun May 25, 2014 8:50 pm
by Brian Holmes
ML_523 H J Percival, Horning, Norfolk 2/7/42

Wind up of the war in Europe (Gazette Date - 11/12/45)
MID PO John Cole C/J48211
MID AB Leslie Bell D/JX256333
MID AB Frank Harold Webb P/JX326806

Known Crew
TSLt C N Rands RNVR TSLt 13/11/41 HMS Minos II 6th ML Flotilla 23/3/42 HMS St Christopher for MLs 20/4/42 60th RML Flotilla HMS Beaver II 1/7/42 Commanding Officer ML 523 7/6/43 TLt 1/2/44
TSLt J B Baber RNVR TASLt 8/1/43 HMS Aggressive (Newhaven) HMS Attack (Portland) for small craft ML 523 17/5/43 TSLt 8/7/43
PO John Cole C/J48211 ML 523 Wind up of the war in Europe MID
AB Leslie Bell D/JX256333 ML 523 Wind up of the war in Europe MID
AB Frank Harold Webb P/JX326806

Wartime Activities
Rescue Motor Launch

Post War Fate
12/45 For disposal

Re: RML 526

Posted: Mon May 26, 2014 8:29 pm
by dinger149
Thank you Brian.

Re: RML 526

Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2015 11:47 am
by sandybc
Just to let anybody interested in RML 526 know I now have a face book page.
I am tying to find time to do more work on it but please visit and send any information of interest and of course send it on to your contacts.
If you think it is worthy of a 'like' - this would certainly boost my confidence and energy !

There is some very exciting news in the pipe line for 526, so watch this space.

Sandy BC

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fairmile ... ef=tn_tnmn

http://www.fairmileb-rml526.com/

Re: RML 526

Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2015 6:25 pm
by johnk
Hi Sandy,

Bit of a ....but posted under ML 296 for some reason but also on your facebook page....just really saying great to see plans for RML 526 and her future, great to see such a great patron! we at Paddle Steamer Medway Queen have Lord West, Admiral of course, who has already done sterling work for the ship, enabling us to get to Ramsgate for the 75th anniversary of the evacuation of Dunkirk, await news of the funding campaign in due course.

Johnk

Re: RML 526

Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2015 10:04 am
by Bensidney
Looking forward to seeing her, she belonged to my great grandfather when she was known as Anbrijo. Can't wait to see her in her former glory!
Ben Sidney

Re: RML 526

Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2015 11:33 am
by sandybc
Ben, How great to hear from you - I am in contact with Phillip Sydney one of the son's of your great grandfather - How does the family link together?
I have some nice photos of ANBRIJO in the Med. post war.
How can I get in touch with you ?
We are holding a Gala Dinner on HMS Victory in celebration of RML 526 hosted by the First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir George Zambellas - our senior Patron. Would be great if you could attend - We have some very interesting guests !
Look forward to hearing - we have a lot to talk about
Sandy

Re: RML 526

Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2015 12:52 pm
by Bensidney
Sandy that sounds very exciting, Phillip is from the side of the family that I have been desperate to get in touch with!
My email address is Ben-Sidney@hotmail.com
Look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards,
Ben

Re: RML 526

Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2015 6:06 pm
by johnk
Hello there,

Just browsing the BMPT site and check in on RNCVF of course and see latest news, great to hear re the dinner and contact with Ben, posted on the FB page, trust all is well, await more news as and when, all the best.

Johnk

Re: RML 526

Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2019 5:01 pm
by Pioneer

Re: RML 526

Posted: Sun Jul 21, 2019 9:50 pm
by Fairmileb
Would love to hear how she was allowed to get into such a state that she had to be destroyed, the images of her being broken up after surviving through the war & over 60 years of passenger service is truly heart breaking!!

Re: RML 526

Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2019 4:07 pm
by Admin
I can’t claim any more knowledge about this than can be gleaned from references made to these boats over the years on the internet, but as I recall it, Western Lady Ferries operated four Fairmile Bs for many years, which as public service boats, would have received regular maintenance, with more money spent on them than any other Fairmile motor launches still existing were likely to enjoy. Having presumably reached the stage where they had to be retired, Western Ferry commissioned new purpose-built boats, at which point they dispensed with their Fairmiles, but kept Western Lady III, RML 497.

As I recall from the owner’s web site at the time, it was taken out of the water to undergo an overhaul, and painted grey, before being put back into service for a ‘third’ life, as an historic boat/excursion ferry, running from Torquay to the Dartmouth River. This is the boat passed to the Royal Navy Museum, who despite their funding capacity, have found the ship’s hull to be at life’s end, and have had to commit it to a static exhibit at Hartlepool. So it strikes me that if RML 497, having had so much care & attention, and money lavished on it over the years can go no further, then any of these boats still in private hands stand no chance, unless their owners are extremely wealthy.

I also get the sense, that not withstanding general ‘austerity’, award bodies such as the Heritage Lottery Fund with money for MGB 81, HSL 102, and others in recent years, consider that the lot now for these boats. A sad end to one of the last of its kind, but I can’t see any fault due to its owners, who have presumably tried their best and possibly incurred debt through it.

Re: RML 526

Posted: Thu Jul 25, 2019 12:41 am
by Admin
I have found the materials I originally saved that detailed the recent history of RML 497. She was released from her service as a ferry in 2007, and then acquired by the Greenway Ferry Company who undertook a £160,000 refit of her, mostly above deck, but also including "two brand new watertight double sheaved bulkheads", before returning to Torbay as an excursion craft in 2009. She was subsequently put up for sale and acquired by the National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN) with a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund of £90,600, plus an additional £5,000 from of each of the NMRN and the Coastal Forces Heritage Trust. So all in all that's an input of some £260,000 in just over a decade, yet 497 was still judged unseaworthy in the long run, which illustrates the enormous difficulties now facing these boats. They have all done tremendously well to have lasted this long, but sadly it is now end of life for them.

Re: RML 526

Posted: Thu Jul 25, 2019 12:01 pm
by David Carter
It is a sad end, but it kept going for nearly 70 years. The owners offered heavily discounted trips to CF Veterans, so we are grateful for that. I attach some pictures taken in Dartmouth 2011.

6284E191-219F-4AD3-A19B-5B6674F86ED4.jpeg
Dartmouth 2011
6284E191-219F-4AD3-A19B-5B6674F86ED4.jpeg (137.21 KiB) Viewed 16540 times
50383401-CB96-43B0-A502-6DADAF67E943.jpeg
Dartmouth 2011
50383401-CB96-43B0-A502-6DADAF67E943.jpeg (125.27 KiB) Viewed 16540 times