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RFA Regent

24K views 38 replies 28 participants last post by  GINGEREGENT 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi all,

Does anyone have any pic's or info on the Regent, The last I seen of her she was in the middle of the forth outside Crombie for a long while, I assume she's scrap now.

My Father served on her for 5 or 6 years during the 60's and just trying to add some more pics/info to his collection.

Thanks,
 
#3 ·
The "Regent" and "Resource" were nicknamed "Regret" and "Remorse". The Regent was launched in 1968 after being built in Belfast by Harland & Wolf.
The two ships were the first RFAs to have their own helicopters, manned by the RN. Apart RN and RFA personnel the ships carried civilians from RNAD who actually worked the cargo, which in those days included Sea Cat and Sea Slug missiles,4.5" shells as well as dry stores.
 
#13 ·
The "Regent" and "Resource" were nicknamed "Regret" and "Remorse". The Regent was launched in 1968 after being built in Belfast by Harland & Wolf.
The two ships were the first RFAs to have their own helicopters, manned by the RN. Apart RN and RFA personnel the ships carried civilians from RNAD who actually worked the cargo, which in those days included Sea Cat and Sea Slug missiles,4.5" shells as well as dry stores.
We had Resource in Birkenhead for two refits during the seventies, and recall that I was told that as well as conventional ordnance, she carried nuclear missiles and depth charges.
Anyone know if this is correct?
Pat
 
#4 · (Edited)
Thanks for the plug Rab.

Ordered: 24 January 1963
Laid down: 04 September 1964
Launched: 09 March 1966
Commissioned: 16 May 1967
Decommissioned: October 1992
Fate: Sailed Devonport on 21 January 1993 renamed SHAHZADELAL for delivery run to Indian breakers and arrived Alang for demolition on 19 February 1993

There are also several pics in the RFA Gallery on this site. Try a search.
 
#24 ·
hi al
i was on "regent" from sept 91 till feb 92, we had a great trip to the east coast of U.S.A. which was proberbly her last atlantic crossing. I have some good memories from that old ship.
:)
Hi Ron.
I was on Regent from May91 till Dec 92 I was an officer in the stonnery. I assisted in De Storing her. I stood on the dock in Devonport and watched her steam away to India. Regent went back across the Atlantic from Sept to end of Oct. That tour was better than the one you was on
 
#7 ·
The REGENT was my first RFA back in February 1990. Had a great trip and rejoined it after my leave. I find the older the ship the happier they are. And the REGENT was very happy on the two occasions Feb 90 to Aug 90 and Nov 90 to Apr 91. Captain was Paddy Roache a good man and pure seafarer!

Mick S
 
#16 ·
hello mick



how are you doing my old mate regent was a very special ship with a very special crew and as it was my first ship it is the one i think about the most when i joined in naples as a 17 year old kid you always looked after me and ive never ever forgot it. great times great carachters mad deano adam valentine , lee hadden, dutchy,tony mcguiness, tony caroll,davey dick and the edge i wish i could turn back time michael
 
#8 ·
I saw a do***entary on TV a few years back about the ship giong to the Indian breakers. The captain ordered full speed ahead on to the beach. After she was beached the crew climbed down on to the sand. The breakers started their work immediately. The captain said he was not sad about it, and it was the best fun he'd ever had.
 
#9 ·
Hello
I referred to this thread while researching REGENT and her sistership RESOURCE, and you might be interested to learn that on the Internet there are varying dates for completion for these two vessels. There does also appear to be a lot of confusion on some websites as to completion date and commissioning date. It looks like Wikipedia might be the culprit for the widely quoted wrong date, which shows commissioning (? completion) date for REGENT as 16 May 1967, whereas only one online source that I can find appears to have the correct date, which was 6 June 1967. I have copy of a Harland & Wolff do***ent that also confirms this.
Widely quoted also on the 'net is the completion date for RESOURCE as 6 June 1967, whereas Miramar shows this as 16 May 1967 -- delivery date from Scotts', Greenock.
It is clearly a transposition of dates on the part of the compiler.
I have a copy of Lloyd's Shipping Index for 8 June 1967, which shows both vessels with latest reports as in the course of trials and pre-delivery, so that is not helpful (Lloyd's publications never very good on up-to-date information on RFA vessels).
Would be grateful for any further information.
Regards
Roger Jordan
 
#10 ·
Roger -In 1966 I was appointed to Resource for the sea trials, then coursed for aviation and security, NBCD etc and appointed to Regent. Never joined Regent until years later as Resource was lead ship and the captain (Jo Dines) wanted a qualified officer in post to start things moving. So I was present when the ship completed at Scotts and sailed summer 1967. I do not remember any sort of final date, formal handover or commissioning as they have today - more a sort of rolling event (Lancastrian might say staggering !) I suppose there must be a final date somewhere where the ships were signed for an paid for - in Janes it gives 16 May 1967 for Resource and 6th June for Regent. Century of Service on the other hand reverses these dates to 16th May and 5th June, and this may be the source in the web. The RFA Museum at Bellingham holds the Ship's Captain's Book for Resource, containing all the original certificates and do***ents - I will ask the Curator (Pat Thompson) to check or let me check any date evidence next time I am there.
Regards Hillshepherd
 
#11 ·
Lenton`s Warships of the British and Commonwealth Navies 1969 edition gives 6/6 for Regent and 5/6 for Resource as the completion dates - this would have been based on contemporary Shipbuilding and Shipping Record material. It will be interesting to see what the Ship`s Book says.
 
#21 ·
Hi all

Found some photo's my late dad took on the Regent I'm guessing he was there in 1968 as the album that has a few photo's in has the Xmas menu in it!!

If anyone knew him would be ace to know more about him from those days. His name was Barry Roberts and was born down in Portsmouth area. The photo's I have are of him from 67-69. There's not many but a few group photo's....

thanks
 
#38 ·
Hi Claire,

I realise it's been a while since you're post, and you might not come back on to see this; however, I just read this thread with my father who was on Regent around 1970-1972 and he instantly remembered your father.

Seemingly your father was the first man to greet my dad and his first question was "Do you like a drink?" undoubtedly my dad answered yes and from that day they got on like a house on fire.

He recalls Barry getting sped from the ship when a relative (his dad?) had to go in for an emergency procedure, possibly a tracheostomy?

Small world.
 
#25 · (Edited)
regent

Hi guys this is my first post , i came across this forum after trying to find info on RFA REGENT i have a flag that was brought back from the falklands by a sailor from this ship, with the flag came a lot of paperwork etc of this man who was called Philip kirby , the flag has 848 on it and an added piece of cloth with a skull and crossbones and a few names, does anybody know if this flag was from the ship? ,rgds Dave
 

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#26 · (Edited)
Well, its a 4 breadth RFA Ensign, defaced by 848 Naval Air Squadron.

"When the Falkland Islands were invaded by Argentina in April 1982, 848 NAS was quickly reformed and embarked in four Flights on three Royal Fleet Auxiliaries (RFAs) and the MV Atlantic Conveyor. The Atlantic Conveyor was hit by an Argentinean Exocet missile and the ensuing fire destroyed the ship and its 848 Flight, though no men were lost. After the Falklands Campaign the Squadron was once again disbanded."
"Westland Wessex HU.5, XS486 embarked on RFA Regent on 19th April 1982 and sailed to the South Atlantic, arriving on 21st May. With many other HU.5s, XS486 was engaged in moving men and supplies from ship to ship and ship to shore, in the war zone."
 
#28 ·
I was a Deck Cadet on the Regent for the duration of the Falklands campaign. We left Plymouth in the April and were one of the last to return (to Rosyth) 150 days later. I hope you all find the attached pictures interesting. They are from a portfolio that was put together on board at the time by one of the pursers - Tony Lock as we had a photographic dark room on board. We all chipped in a fiver each for the South Atlantic fund and he made us all copies. The guy next to the crashed Landrover is Lt Tom Mason who was piloting "WM" in the other picture.
 

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#32 · (Edited)
There was a HMS Cape Howe during WW2 that was renamed RFA Prunella but suspect she may be a little before your friends time.
I expect he is thinking of MV Cape Howe a 27,500 ton ore carrier owned by Scottish Ship Management.
Launched 1962. Broken up in China 1984.

Can't find a model of Blue Rover but Mercator Ship Models have one of Green Rover which is almost identical
for £45 + p & p
 
#35 ·
Did my bit for Resource. When in the turbine builders, AEI Trafford Park Manchester drawing office, I drew the manuf. drawing of the LP turbine casing, and later in Scotts' D.O did some of the piping drawings. Hope all went well, I am sure I posted some shots of her being launched.
 
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