Accession NumberP385Title (extended title only)HMS ForthDescriptionUK Royal Navy plaque – HMS Forth (A187)
This plaque has a medium base with a painted clay piece depicting the badge used by the HMS Forth. It features a gold-coloured bridge in front of a cream-coloured background with a few blue stripes. It is enclosed in a diamond shape, outlined by a gold-coloured knot. Above is the word “FORTH” in gold-coloured writing and inside a blue rectangle. On top is the naval crown which features a ship with sails flanking it.
The back of the plaque has a sticker labelled “FORTH CAPTAIN D. WALTERS 2/11/70”. There are a number of scratches on the back of the plaque.Date2nd November 1970ProvenanceThe HMS Forth (A187) was a Maidstone-class submarine depot ship. The is named for the river of the same name in Scotland. It was laid down 30 June 1937 by John Brown & Company in Clydebank, Scotland. John Brown & Company was a shipbuilding originally founded in 1851. In 1968 the yard merged into Upper Clyde Shipbuilders but it collapsed in 1971 and was sold to Marathon Manufacturing Company in 1972. Union Industrielle d'Entreprise bought the yard in 1980 and the yard closed in 2001. The John Brown Engineering division of the company was commercially successful past the 1970s and traded independently until it was taken over by Trafalgar House in 1986. The HMS Forth was launched 11 August 1938 and commissioned 14 May 1939. It was originally designated the pennant number F04 but it was changed to A187. The ship was renamed HMS Defiance on 15 February 1972 and was decommissioned 1 January 1979 before being scrapped 25 July 1985. It was the fourth Royal Navy ship to be named HMS Forth and there has been one subsequent ship named HMS Forth. The first ship was a frigate launched 14 June 1813 and scrapped July 1819. The second HMS Forth was another frigate launched 1 August 1833 and scrapped 4 August 1883. Following these was a cruiser launched in 1886 and sold in 1921. The ship succeeding HMS Forth (A187) is an offshore patrol vessel laid down 10 October 2014 and commissioned 13 April 2018. It is in active service with the Royal Navy as of 2024.
The HMS Forth (A187) visited Fremantle to partake in a maritime exercise in Swan Lake off Western Australia. The date previously added on the back of the plaque seems to be erroneous as a 3 November 1970 press release by Minister for the Navy James Killen states the Royal Naval units will arrive on Thursday (5 November). The exercise ended 15 November 1970. The Commanding Officer was Captain D. Walters, the dates of his tenure as the Commanding Officer are unclear however. The mayor of the City of Fremantle at this time was Sir Frederick Samson, who held office from 1951-1972.
1970 press release.
Exercise Ships near Fremantle– Parliament of Australia Media – System Id – media/pressrel/HPR10020160– Source: Minister for the Navy –
https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/media/pressrel/HPR10020160/upload_binary/HPR10020160.pdf
RelevanceRelevance to the CityShows the long association Fremantle has with the Royal Navy
