Weather: Hi 4°C / Lo 2°C
Battle of Jutland veteran HMS Caroline to stay in Belfast
Tuesday, 1 December 2009
enlarge
Print
Email
The Royal Navy wants HMS Caroline to stay in Belfast once she is decommissioned, her commanding officer has insisted.
The 95-year-old warship is likely to remain in commission until at least 2011 even though the Royal Naval Reserve Unit that has called her home since the 1920s is moving to Thiepval in Lisburn from today.
A glittering ceremony on the ship today marks the decommissioning of the Royal Naval Reserve Unit HMS Caroline, which will immediately reform as HMS Hibernia for its move to the city.
Among the 400 reservists and guests at today’s ceremony will be the Royal Navy’s most senior officer in Northern Ireland and Scotland, Rear Admiral Martin Alabaster, plus the Royal Marines Band Scotland and a guard of honour formed by unit members.
However, HMS Caroline herself, a light cruiser that fought in the Battle of Jutland, will stay in commission until the Royal Navy is satisfied her future has been secured, CO Martin Quinn told the Belfast Telegraph. It means she will be the Royal Navy’s second-oldest vessel in commission for some time to come.
CO Quinn said rumours that HMS Caroline will be taken to Portsmouth to form part of the Royal Navy’s museum collection are wide of the mark. “They have no desire to move the ship from Belfast — they never wanted to move her to Portsmouth, it is all speculation,” he said.
“I will remain in command of the ship until further notice — she will remain fully commissioned, cared for and maintained throughout the period of time it will take to broker a solution.
“The Royal Navy’s preference would be to leave her here in Belfast. What we see is the ship being part of a maritime heritage trail created with local government and local authorities.”
Final salute to a venerable old heroine
The clean lines and steel grey exterior look misleadingly modern — but under that facade is a grand old lady and World War One heroine.
Although the engineering on HMS Caroline is primitive by today’s standards, she was years ahead of her time when she was built in 1914 and could reach more than 30 knots — a fleet fox compared to modern warships that can only manage 26 or 27.
Today, the reservists of the Royal Naval Reserve Unit HMS Caroline set foot on her venerable decks for the final time before they decommission and reform as HMS Hibernia as part of their move to Thiepval Barracks in Lisburn.
They will be leaving one of the Royal Navy’s most historically important ships — the last floating survivor of the Battle of Jutland in 1916 and now a mainstay of the Historical Ships Register, the equivalent of being a listed building. She’s the second oldest commissioned vessel in Royal Naval service and the third oldest commissioned warship in the world.
Few members of the public have set foot on board as HMS Caroline has remained in commission for her entire 95-year history, since she was built at Cammell Laird in Birkenhead.
The elegant captain’s quarters, added in 1939, show the signs of a bygone era with the bell marked ‘Commodore’s Pantry’, as well as the adjoining dining room and bedroom.
In the dining room, which hosted a dinner party as recently as last weekend, there’s a drawing of the ship’s design signed by each of the commanding officers throughout her history, including the Marquess of Dufferin and Ava who served from 1924 to 1930 — an artefact that would form one of the most important documents if the ship became a museum.
The walls are dotted with drawings and poems harking back to the ship’s heyday, all now bearing an orange tag as they have been extensively catalogued and are due to go into temperature-controlled storage.
“She was the first of her class — the Caroline class light cruisers — and was just built before the outbreak of WWI,” Commanding Officer Martin Quinn said. “She was a very fast scouting ship, designed to stay ahead of the main fleet, attacking using torpedoes and then escaping as quickly as possible.”
Caroline later served on the East Indies Station before being placed in reserve and converted to a headquarters and training ship for the RNVR Ulster Division in 1924. In WWII she served as the Royal Navy’s HQ in Belfast Harbour which was used as a home base by many of the warships escorting Atlantic and Russian convoys.
Post a comment
Limit: 500 characters
View all comments that have been posted about this article
Offensive or abusive comments will be removed and your IP address logged and may be used to prevent further submissions. In submitting a comment to the site, you agree to be bound by BelfastTelegraph.co.uk's Terms of Use.
Posts submitted in UPPERCASE letters will be rejected.
Caroline must be preserved... She is unique in many ways, but the only problem, as ever, will be cash.
Only two places have a claim on her (both of which I would support) Birkenhead, where she was born, and Belfast where she has spent the vast majotity of her life.
Let's hope that it will be Belfast.
Posted by Billy | 23.01.10, 22:33 GMT
I served on HMS Caroline in the early seventies as a Permanent Staff Instructor and strongly feel that Caroline should remain in Belfast. I recently visited the ship and found her stil as clean and smart looking as ever.
Posted by Larry Nolan | 24.12.09, 14:17 GMT
H.M.S. Caroline should indeed be kept in the Titanic Quarter (also keeping her name)
My mother served in the W.R.N.S. during World War 2 and was attached to H.M.S. Caroline as was my father who was in the Royal Navy serving in the 21st escort Group on the Russian Convoys. I did go aboard her in 2006 when there was an open day (with my mum who was 84) and she loved every minute of it and it brought back so many memories for her, she died in December 2006 aged 85 but was at least able to fulfil her dream of going back on board.
Posted by caroline Simmonds | 16.12.09, 00:43 GMT
Some sad comments on here regarding the names given to ships and shore establishments. Both my father and myself, served in the RN. HMS Caroline served at Jutland along with various vessels, one of which was HMS Dublin. Ammunition for the small minded among us there!
I would like to see the ship preserved, in Belfast if possible but in another location if thats what it takes.
Defies reason in this day and age that the poison called religion still has a complaint or point to make on an issue like this.
Posted by Sandybottoms | 11.12.09, 21:52 GMT
With the exception of Sean Neeson there is a deafening silence regarding HMS Caroline's future.
Does no one with influence intend to do anything to preserve this historic ship for future generations?
Posted by Andrew | 09.12.09, 14:22 GMT
HMS Hibernia indeed.
A typically politically correct offering from the limp wristed officials at the MOD. The name should have remained Caroline in keeping with RN tradition. When an old ship was decommissioned its name transferred to the attached shore base e.g. Excellent, Vernon, Ganges, Eaglet etc
Hibernia indeed has a proud history as an RN Ships name but has no connection to the Ulster Division RNR - sorry Northern Irish Branch RNR. In case we offend some terrorist or pacifist.
Why not HMS Ulster, another proud ships name. We know why of course! or HMS Kilmorey, or HMS Blackwood.
I suppose we're lucky we didn't get HMS Roger Casement!
Posted by J W Graham | 09.12.09, 14:18 GMT
Given that the Scotish RNR units are HMS Scotia and HMS Dalriada, Hibernia is entirely in keeping with naming conventions. Perhaps Scotsmac (see below) would also like to suggest that the naming of the Royal IRISH Regiment and the IRISH Guards are equally 'non British and insulting'?
Well done at all members of HMS Caroline past and present. Good Luck HMS Hibernia.
Posted by Jutland's Last | 05.12.09, 16:48 GMT
i also very proud to be part of the ceremony just show you the breading of some stupid people in this country
Posted by andy | 04.12.09, 00:32 GMT
I had the pleasure of visiting this historic ship and met a lot of the outstanding ships company, glad she is being kept in commision, she has served well and deserves some real care in her retirement
BZ Caroline
Posted by Tony | 03.12.09, 22:07 GMT
matt, i indeed agree that you are certainly a very narrow minded man! if you have nothing nice to say, dont say anything at all! hms caroline was a brilliant ship and the ships company are made of the best men and women out there! it was an honor being a part of the ceremony yesterday, it certainly was a day that i shall never forget!
Posted by kathryn | 02.12.09, 16:11 GMT
In contrast with Scotsmac's comment, the 'new' RNR name 'HMS Hibernia' (the Latin name for Ireland) indeed has a rich history within the (British) Royal Navy dating back to 1765. I think it's a superb name choice on many levels and celebrates the heritage of its area and time. Fare thee well, HMS Caroline.
Posted by Ulster-Cantab | 02.12.09, 12:36 GMT
Matt - Get over it!
Posted by S | 02.12.09, 11:48 GMT
H M S Caroline is still afloat and in
good order due to years of care and
maintenance by Repair Department
of H&W. I recall David Wilton as one of her leading carers
Posted by S D Crozier | 02.12.09, 04:42 GMT
I think it should be used as the new assembly building . That way when the plug on the assembly they will go down too.
Posted by John Richmond | 02.12.09, 01:00 GMT
Some great comments and some typically narrow minded and bigoted ones too, as for HMS Caroline, well done and thank you for your service.
Posted by niall | 01.12.09, 23:38 GMT
What a silly comment by matt . On line 4 it staes hms caroline will be decommissioned .Its an important piece of history based in a city with a famous seafareing traddition. Leave petty tribal remarks where they belong.
Posted by guss | 01.12.09, 21:26 GMT
zzzzzzz
Posted by Blootered | 01.12.09, 18:25 GMT
Excellent plan,
just like HMS Belfast in London, could act as a major tourist attraction.
Being Northern Ireland I can see a few bitter folk commenting on British naval ships having no place in this part of the UK though.
If done properly I think this could be a winner, and add more meat to Belfast's tourism credentials
Posted by Stuart | 01.12.09, 17:15 GMT
a beautiful old Lady who has had her day.Should remain forever in her adapted City as part of the Titanic qtrs maritime history.Am disappointed at the use of the name 'Hibernia' for the new RNR base,totally non-British and insulting.
Posted by scotsmac | 01.12.09, 17:13 GMT
The IRA decommissioned why can't the British ?
Posted by matt | 01.12.09, 15:58 GMT