HMS GOOSANDER

HMS GOOSANDER

Ship No 513

GOOSANDER was the second ship on the stocks from the order from the Ministry of Defence this time for a Boom Defence Vessel of 923 grt. She was one of the Wild Duck Class vessels for the Royal Navy.

A very welcome order at a time when the British shipbuilding industry was almost on it's knees. At a time when there was the real threat of the yard having to close down.

She had a length between perpendiculars of 48.8 metres (The ministry had now gone over to the new metric system) and she had a breadth across the beam of 12.2 metres moulded, with a design draught of 5.5 metres.

This much specialised vessel built for purpose was launched from the Leith Shipyards of Robb Caledon on 10th of September 1973.

GOOSANDER was also to take part in the Falklands war as a salvage rescue ship; she was capable of lifting 200 tons over her bows.

Ready For Anything Set up in August 1905, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary - unofficial motto: Ready for Anything - was originally a logistic support organisation, Admiralty-owned but run on civilian lines, comprising a miscellaneous and very unglamorous collection of colliers, store ships and harbour craft. This book charts its rise in fleet strength, capability and importance, through two world wars and a technical revolution, until the time when naval operations became simply impossible without it. Its earliest tasks were mainly freighting - supplying the Royal Navy’s worldwide network of bases - but in wartime fleets were required to spend much longer at sea and the RFA had to develop techniques of underway replenishment. This did not come to full fruition until the British Pacific Fleet operated alongside the Americans in 1944-45, but by then the RFA had already pioneered many of the procedures involved.This book combines a history of the service, including many little-known wartime operations, with data on the ships, and a portrait of life in the service gleaned from personal accounts and recollections. Half way between a civilian and a military service, the RFA has never received the attention it deserves, but this book throws a long-overdue spotlight on its achievements.

She now spends her time at work in the West Coast of Africa for new private owners.

Look out for the new website which will be online soon and you can read a lot more about the fine ships built at Leith.

Ready For Anything
Set up in August 1905, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary - unofficial motto: Ready for Anything - was originally a logistic support organisation, Admiralty-owned but run on civilian lines, comprising a miscellaneous and very unglamorous collection of colliers, store ships and harbour craft. This book charts its rise in fleet strength, capability and importance, through two world wars and a technical revolution, until the time when naval operations became simply impossible without it. Its earliest tasks were mainly freighting - supplying the Royal Navy’s worldwide network of bases - but in wartime fleets were required to spend much longer at sea and the RFA had to develop techniques of underway replenishment. This did not come to full fruition until the British Pacific Fleet operated alongside the Americans in 1944-45, but by then the RFA had already pioneered many of the procedures involved.This book combines a history of the service, including many little-known wartime operations, with data on the ships, and a portrait of life in the service gleaned from personal accounts and recollections. Half way between a civilian and a military service, the RFA has never received the attention it deserves, but this book throws a long-overdue spotlight on its achievements.

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