World's oldest aircraft carrier discovered rusting by the River Thames

The restoration of Naval History is important....It's a shame what was done to many of the historical ships that made history - scrapped, neglected and left to the decay of time....

Well in Britain, it looks like they were able to save one of the more significant crafts of UK Naval History...Brilliant.

World's oldest aircraft carrier discovered rusting by the River Thames
By Daily Mail Reporter
1st March 2011

The worlds' oldest aircraft carrier which was a precursor to today's giant Navy vessels has been discovered - rusting by a river bank.

Looking like another just another rusting hull poking out of the water, for years the large dirt covered rusting wreck in the Thames was ignored.

But a maritime journalist spotted the vessel was a 1918 Thorneycroft Seaplane Lighter.

Although at just 58 feet long it looks nothing like the modern HMS Ark Royal - which is more than ten times as long - the damaged vessel was the first of the kind.

The tiny craft, discarded in the river like a shopping trolley or piece of litter, would have seen action during the First World War as aircraft carriers were introduced for the first time.

Now it is being restored by experts at the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Somerset after being recovered from the water.

Originally it would have carried one plane that was launched by being towed into the wind - and then recovered after it was ditched into the sea on landing.

Jon Jefferies, from the museum, said the small vessel was a significant find.
'It's only tiny but it's this ship that led to the development of the massive modern aircraft carriers,' he said.

'It's the world's first aircraft carrier and at the time the Ark Royal is decommissioned it's fitting it's being restored to its original state.'

Museum director Graham Mottram said he had given up hope of ever finding one of the early 20th century boats intact.

'I was well aware of the story of these seaplane lighters, but was astonished to find that one had survived intact,' he said.

'My short walk along the deck was some of the most exciting steps I have ever taken!'
After seeing the aircraft carrier for himself, he arranged for it to be lifted from the water and transported to the museum's restoration hanger.

Several of the craft's original features have been discovered by experts as they work restore it.

The 1918 Thorneycroft Seaplane Lighter - which looked similar to this - was discovered in the River Thames by a maritime journalist who saw a rusting hull sticking out the water

The original boat number H21 has been unmasked along with the spot where the Ministry of Defence recorded the craft length - LVIII or 58feet - and the War Department's broad-arrow symbol.
The crew quarters in the bow have also been re-discovered.

These would have been used by the deck crew to shelter from the weather and sea conditions whilst under tow, and to store ropes, oil, tools and other small items required to service the lighter and its transported aircraft.

The 1918 Thorneycroft Seaplane Lighter was built so that aircraft could extend their range prior to take off and be covertly moved.

Restoration: Vessel will eventually go on display at the Fleet Air Arm Museum
Four prototypes were made and it proved so successful that a further 46 lighters were then made.

There is only one other example of these early aircraft carriers.
It is largely submerged and has corroded to almost nothing.

The remains are entombed in thick black mud on the banks of the River Hamble in Hampshire however at low tide it is proving to be an invaluable source of reference and donor parts.

The Fleet Air Arm Museum hopes to display a WWI Sopwith Camel on board once the dirty weathered vessel is fully restored next year.

Ultimately the Fleet Air Arm Museum hope to complete the restoration and display the world's oldest aircraft carrier with a World War I Sopwith Camel on board as if ready for take off.

Last Flight of the Harriers

The Last flight of the UK Harrier....sad to see as they won the day in the Falklands. Not sure what to think as the Brits have had to cut back on thier Navy and for an Island nation, that can't be a good thing.....Good Luck Brits....I feel that the vestiges that made Britain a force to be reckoned with are slowly being surrendered to progress....or regress....or worse.

Last hurrah for the Harrier: Jump jets take to the skies for their final farewell

By Ian Drury - UK Daily Mail
Last updated at 12:52 PM on 16th December 2010

Flying in a spectacular diamond formation so tight it ­appears they are ­almost ­touching, 16 of Britain’s legendary jump jets soar through the wintry skies.

The occasion was billed as a celebration but, for many, the mood was as sombre as the gloomy weather.

On a freezing day heavy with ­emotion, the ­Harrier — the ­revolutionary aircraft that helped Britain defeat Argentina in the Falklands War in 1982 — took to the air for the last time.

The sense of loss — of both the iconic fighter planes, and of a cherished piece of British military and aviation history — was symbolised in a moving tradition called the ‘walk of honour’.

After landing the jets following their last flight, the pilots walked away from their craft without a single backward glance.

The Harrier jets have been axed after falling victim to a savage round of defence cuts. Their next stop, after being decommissioned next year, will be the scrapyard.

To mark their retirement after 41 years’ ­service, 16 Harriers were scheduled to take off from their base at RAF Cottesmore, Rutland, and perform a spectacular flypast of seven other RAF bases, the nearby towns of Stamford and Oakham, as well as Lincoln Cathedral.
Unfortunately, the weather spoiled the occasion. Conditions were so poor that the pilots, after forming a ­diamond formation, could not safely fly below the cloud cover.
Nevertheless, more than 2,000 people turned out at the airfield to bid farewell, while the Red Arrows performed a flypast in tribute.

Air Vice-Marshal Greg Bagwell, the Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group, said: ‘The Harrier is a true icon and stands testament to the innovation and excellence of British design and engineering and the skill and courage of our airmen.

‘It has had a truly distinguished service with the RAF and the Royal Navy, from the South Atlantic to the skies over Afghanistan. It takes its place in history as one of ­aviation’s greats.’

Group Captain Gary Waterfall, the Joint ­Harrier Force commander, said: ‘This is an emotional day for all those who have been fortunate to be involved with one of the true icons of aviation, alongside Concorde and Spitfire.’

Considered one of the country’s greatest technological achievements, the British-built military jets were the first in the world to be able to take off and land vertically.

Introduced by the RAF in 1969, they were famed for their ability to hover above the ground, a distinctive ­feature which enabled them to fly in and out of areas close to a battlefield that conventional aircraft could not reach.

An RAF Harrier puts on a display at RAF Cottesmore, after a flypast passing over seven military bases, the town centres of Stamford and Oakham and Lincoln Cathedral before landing back at RAF Cottesmore

The 700mph Harriers played a crucial role in defending the nation’s interests, seeing action in every conflict from the Falklands — where they were known as the ‘Black Death’ by Argentine pilots, after shooting down 25 enemy aircraft without a single combat loss — to the two Gulf Wars and five years in Afghanistan.

The aircraft also flew combat ­missions in Bosnia, Kosovo and Sierra Leone, providing close air support to troops on the ground.

But the 79-strong Harrier fleet was axed in the coalition Government’s strategic defence and security review, saving less than £1 billion. The decision sparked controversy, because scrapping the 130 RAF Tornados — which were retained — would have saved £7.4billion.

Commander Nigel ‘Sharkey’ Ward — dubbed Mr Sea Harrier after being decorated for ­flying the jets in the Falklands — said: ‘The ­connived withdrawal of the Harrier from ­service is an appalling miscarriage of justice, and of ­operational wisdom.

'The reprehensible actions of those who contrived this as “a logical ­operational decision” must be condemned as disloyal and against the direct interests of our national defence capability.’

Meanwhile, the Government announced yesterday that it is to scrap HMS Illustrious, its final aircraft carrier. She will be decommissioned in 2014 — joining her sister ship, HMS Ark Royal, which will be scrapped next year.

The helicopter and troop carrier HMS Ocean will be retained following a review, revealed Defence Secretary Liam Fox.