Went to Pounds Shipyard in Portsmouth, moored up was HMS Stalker.
Some history compiled from various sources...
This vessel was built by Canadian Yarrow at Esquimalt, Canada in 1944 and was not completed until 1945. Stalker did not arrive in the UK until sometime in 1946. Therefore she and her Canadian built sisters, along with their British counterparts, were all built too late for WW2. After 1947 LST (Landing Ship - Tank) 3515 was commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS Stalker, and was employed as a submarine support vessel and sent to Londonderry, Northern Ireland. She was at some point transferred to the then Royal Naval Base at Rosyth, Scotland where she carried on her role as a submarine support ship even after being transferred to Babcock Marine when the dockyard changed hands. According to official sources Stalker was placed on the Royal Navy’s scrap list in May 1970. Stalker became redundant from her position as a submarine support ship in 2002, when the repair of Nuclear Submarines stopped, and once again she was up for sale as scrap. Stalker finished up being transferred to Pounds Marine Shipping, Tipner, Portsmouth where she is still berthed today awaiting either scrapping or buying being restored.
Reasonably easy access and an interesting find. Asbestos removal is in progress, you will need a P3 mask to explore safely.
Some history compiled from various sources...
This vessel was built by Canadian Yarrow at Esquimalt, Canada in 1944 and was not completed until 1945. Stalker did not arrive in the UK until sometime in 1946. Therefore she and her Canadian built sisters, along with their British counterparts, were all built too late for WW2. After 1947 LST (Landing Ship - Tank) 3515 was commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS Stalker, and was employed as a submarine support vessel and sent to Londonderry, Northern Ireland. She was at some point transferred to the then Royal Naval Base at Rosyth, Scotland where she carried on her role as a submarine support ship even after being transferred to Babcock Marine when the dockyard changed hands. According to official sources Stalker was placed on the Royal Navy’s scrap list in May 1970. Stalker became redundant from her position as a submarine support ship in 2002, when the repair of Nuclear Submarines stopped, and once again she was up for sale as scrap. Stalker finished up being transferred to Pounds Marine Shipping, Tipner, Portsmouth where she is still berthed today awaiting either scrapping or buying being restored.
Reasonably easy access and an interesting find. Asbestos removal is in progress, you will need a P3 mask to explore safely.
