HMS Blackpool F77

[Benbow]

I have attached 2 photos taken of HMS Blackpool whilst on loan to Royal New Zealand Navy.

I took these from HMS Diamond when we were carrying out joint exercises off of Malaya in either late 68 or early 69?

Maybe some of the Kiwi's might recall the exercise?

I found this info on Wiki:

HMS Blackpool.
Loaned to New Zealand 1966 - 1971,
paid off 1971, sold for scrapping 1980

[astraltrader]

Benbow - is there any chance that you could please rescan these at a decent size - say 300 dpi or larger?

Many thanks.

Here I include two of my postcards showing Blackpool.
.

[Robert McDougall]

November 1970 I joined the Wellington Sea Cadet Unit TS Amokura, about that time HMNZS Blackpool came to town and left our unit with a 27ft whaler. Later Blackpool was replaced by Canterbury. But during my time in the cadets that whaler spent a lot of time on the water sailing and pulling on the Wellington Harbour. Absolutely brilliant boats, as another aside one of the instructors was Howard Mallite who during the war commanded a flotilla of sweepers in the Med.

[tipahmh]

Benbow, thats a very nice and rare photo of BLACKPOOL. Thanks for sharing it with us . Warm regards. tipahmh

[Benbow]

Benbow, thats a very nice and rare photo of BLACKPOOL. Thanks for sharing it with us . Warm regards. tipahmh

Thanks , I have scanned again to see if I could improve the quality.

[Old Salt]

I have attached 2 photos taken of HMS Blackpool whilst on loan to Royal New Zealand Navy.

I took these from HMS Diamond when we were carrying out joint exercises off of Malaya in either late 68 or early 69?

Maybe some of the Kiwi's might recall the exercise?

I found this info on Wiki:

HMS Blackpool.
Loaned to New Zealand 1966 - 1971,
paid off 1971, sold for scrapping 1980

Hi Benbow

Small world ! I was there in Blackpool, it was early 1969. we were in Pearl Harbour until Boxing Day 1968.

I have attached three photos taken Johore Strait January 1969 and one on return to NZ.

Chee

[Benbow]

Hi Brian, Thanks for posting those photo's. Was the last one taken in the Hauraki Gulf and is that the Coromandel Peninsula in back ground ?

Thanks for confirming the date. The Diamond arrived in Singapore early November 68,(departed UK June/July) after visitng Simonstown, Bierra Patrol , Mombassa for RR .

[culverin]

Good day Benbow # 1 & subsequent
Intriguing thread & I am simply asking as this comes under HMS Blackpool F77. What work was being undertaken on her in Rosyth in 1977. She had some new bizarre mast arrangements added which were for some kind of research, obviously post her RNZN days.
I was on the HMS Walrus & we were there for a DED, late 77 early 78 & this peculiar set up has always baffled me especially as I recall she generally looked a bit, no very, shambolic

[Old Salt]

Hi Brian, Thanks for posting those photo's. Was the last one taken in the Hauraki Gulf and is that the Coromandel Peninsula in back ground ?

Thanks for confirming the date. The Diamond arrived in Singapore early November 68,(departed UK June/July) after visitng Simonstown, Bierra Patrol , Mombassa for RR .

I was OOW when all those photos were taken ! Quite correct, the last one was taken in Hauraki Gulf with Coromamdel in the background. The turns were to create a good PR photo for the helo !

[Old Salt]

Good day Benbow # 1 & subsequent
Intriguing thread & I am simply asking as this comes under HMS Blackpool F77. What work was being undertaken on her in Rosyth in 1977. She had some new bizarre mast arrangements added which were for some kind of research, obviously post her RNZN days.
I was on the HMS Walrus & we were there for a DED, late 77 early 78 & this peculiar set up has always baffled me especially as I recall she generally looked a bit, no very, shambolic

Hi

I am sorry I can't help you there, lost contact after she returned to UK in 1971. However, Wikipedia on 'Whitby class frigates' notes Blackpool was decommissioned for use as a target vessel in the Firth of Forth.

Cheers

[Geoff Brebner]

Congratulations on your great postings Brian,keep them coming! At the risk of being a "smarty",the backdrop behind Blackpool is actually Great Barrier Island,a few miles to the NW of the Coromandel Peninsula.Mt Hobson(Hakirimata),Gt Barrier's highest point,is visible above the aft end of the upper deck.
With best regards,Geoff.

[Vegaskip]

Hi Brian, hope you dont mind, I down loaded the pic of her turning, might be good ref for a painting. Hope the chefs weren't busy at the time.

Regards

[Old Salt]

Congratulations on your great postings Brian,keep them coming! At the risk of being a "smarty",the backdrop behind Blackpool is actually Great Barrier Island,a few miles to the NW of the Coromandel Peninsula.Mt Hobson(Hakirimata),Gt Barrier's highest point,is visible above the aft end of the upper deck.
With best regards,Geoff.

Ooops, looks like you are right ! I never looked at the background, just the ship !! She was a great ship to drive.

[Benbow]

Congratulations on your great postings Brian,keep them coming! At the risk of being a "smarty",the backdrop behind Blackpool is actually Great Barrier Island,a few miles to the NW of the Coromandel Peninsula.Mt Hobson(Hakirimata),Gt Barrier's highest point,is visible above the aft end of the upper deck.
With best regards,Geoff.

Thanks for that Geoff, its a super photo Brian,

Sorry Culverin.can't help you on the dockyard alerations.

[qprdave]

Loaned to the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) between 1966 and 1971 whilst HMNZS Canterbury was under construction.. Returned to the Royal Navy in 1971 and entered reserve. Later became a target ship, with her 4.5 inch gun removed and a mast added in its place. Fitted with monitoring equipment she undertook underwater explosive trials at Rosyth. Sold for breaking up to AJ White at St David’s-On-Forth.


Does this help at all?

Dave

[Old Salt]

Loaned to the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) between 1966 and 1971 whilst HMNZS Canterbury was under construction.. Returned to the Royal Navy in 1971 and entered reserve. Later became a target ship, with her 4.5 inch gun removed and a mast added in its place. Fitted with monitoring equipment she undertook underwater explosive trials at Rosyth. Sold for breaking up to AJ White at St David’s-On-Forth.


Does this help at all?

Dave

What a sad end to a fine ship.

[tipahmh]

Hi Benbow, thank you very much for your kind effort. The image is certainly better than the first one. With your kind permission I have downloaded the photo purely for my own keeping. Thank you again.
Hi Old salt, nice image of BLACKPOOL, with your kind permission too, I would like to download the photoes for my own keeping. Thank you. kind regards to all. tipahmh

[CYLLA]

Hi Old Salt,


The three photos taken Johore Strait January 1969 , i am having a stab in the dark .But were they taken during her work up .???
When we did a "proceed Alfa"during our work -up, i dont think on the Chichester we had a double rank ,in front of the 4.5 turret.
Brillant photos ..

cylla

[Old Salt]

Hi Old Salt,


The three photos taken Johore Strait January 1969 , i am having a stab in the dark .But were they taken during her work up .???
When we did a "proceed Alfa"during our work -up, i dont think on the Chichester we had a double rank ,in front of the 4.5 turret.
Brillant photos ..

cylla

Hi Cylla

No, we did our workup at Pearl Harbour. The photos were taken on our first arrival in Singapore to join the Far East Fleet. I have no idea about the double row, I was OOW on the bridge, never could stand the ceremonial !!

[Old Salt]

The USS Calliente Incident.

In 1969 on exercises in NZ, I was conning HMNZS Blackpool refuelling alongside the tanker USS Calliente. The order came to alter course to port 60 degrees in 10 degree steps. CO nodded to me to carry on. Calliente sounded her whistle as she commenced the first turn; I followed her turn and steadied up at 10 degrees right in position. But Calliente continued turning, and did the whole 60 degrees in one go!! ! I threw on lots of revs and helm to keep up with her before the hoses parted and did a great job. But the strain was too much for the filling flange on our deck just below the bridge.... it just collapsed. Immediately the end of the hose leapt about cascading our ship with black FFO. You can imagine the chaos!! And the cleanup!

After the RAS the CO thanked me for doing a good job, and said my humor had made the situation less tense!...??
Apparently, when the bridge windows turned black with oil I calmly said "Oh bother' (from a vicar TV programme), switched the wiper on at full speed and continued conning. When the Ops Room below complained that oil was dripping down their voicepipe, I had replied there was plenty more on deck if they wanted it! (Things we say when under stress!!)

(We got our own back on the way into Auckland Harbour as we passed USS Calliente..........she had run aground ...so a new drink was named ..'Calliente on the Rocks')

Some wit onboard put the incident to rhyme.. and it made the press !

[Old Salt]

The 'Gothic' Incident.

I was serving on HMNZS Blackpool in August 1968, home with the family and my wife was just dishing up dinner.
The phone rang & I was told to report onboard immediately. On arrival I was told to prepare for sea as we were ordered to sea to assist the ship ‘Gothic’ from whom a weak distress message had been received.

We sailed as soon as we had enough steam on one boiler using the magnetic compass as the gyro was not yet run up. There followed a race at full speed for about 500 miles from Auckland to where the RNZAF had located her approaching Cook Strait.

The weather was not good and at full speed we hit each wave with a thump. What a sad sight of a former Royal Yacht , but what seamanship they had displayed to get back to NZ.

(When I returned home some three days later, my wife simply said ' Your dinner is still in the oven !!)

[oldgreenie]

Blackpool worked up in Hawaii from Sept to Dec 68, sailed from Pearl on Boxing day and arrived in HK mid January 69. (via midway & guam).
Got into Singapore sometime in Feb. I have the '68/'69 commission book at home and will check out the FES deployment and give a heads up

[Old Salt]

Hi oldgreenie ... shipmate ! I was there !

Welcome to the Forum, a great place for news, history, interest and a good laugh sometimes as well.

Brian James (ex RP) is also a member here.

Cheers
Brian

[Old Salt]

I was looking at a book online and came across a picture of Blackpool just before she went to the breakers.
The 4.5 in turret was gone and in its place was a mast rather like the 'Leanders' !! Spooky to see a mast on the fo'csle !

The caption merely said she had been used as a target ship.
I guess they missed.

Sorry I was not able to steal a copy of the photo !

Brian

[tonclass]

I was looking at a book online and came across a picture of Blackpool just before she went to the breakers.
The 4.5 in turret was gone and in its place was a mast rather like the 'Leanders' !! Spooky to see a mast on the fo'csle !

The caption merely said she had been used as a target ship.
I guess they missed.

Sorry I was not able to steal a copy of the photo !

Brian

Could it be this one, Brian ?

[Old Salt]

Rik

It was not that one, but thanks for posting yours.

I have many memories of F77, she had a soft spot in my heart!
So sad to see her 'messed about'

Thanks again
Brian

[sheerlegs]

Benbow - is there any chance that you could please rescan these at a decent size - say 300 dpi or larger?

Many thanks.

Here I include two of my postcards showing Blackpool.
.

I note Blackpool has not her 4.5. Why..
Served in her 61-63.

[astraltrader]

Hi - if you read through to posts #24 - #25 on the previous page you will see the turret was removed before she was used as a target ship for ships based at Rosyth.