RML 497 - A Unique Second World War Survivor

Hartlepool will be welcoming a unique Second World War survivor, Rescue Motor Launch (RML) 497, after planning permission was granted for her to be located at The National Museum of the Royal Navy Hartlepool.
RML 497 will undertake her most important journey to date, as she is barged approximately 400 nautical miles by sea from her current resting place on Southampton Water, arriving at Hartlepool marina.
The 70-tonnes ship will be cradled onto a submersible barge, transported up the east coast and then carefully craned into place alongside the National Museum and placed into a temporary building.
Her relocation is in anticipation of a conservation programme to get her on permanent display telling the rich naval story of the coastal forces in the North Sea.

[@Horizon344]

Very good presentation

[@KrillLiberator]

It's so good to see these small boats from that time being preserved, along with the memory of those who built them and served in them.

[@fangipan]

Really interesting project

[@karenhenningsen4671]

My Dad was recused by a boat like this. Shot down into the North Sea west of Holland. Crew member was Patrick Throughton a famous Actor
Dr. Who. British Air-Rescue boat 514.
Henningsen Crew ditched
42-107229 / Rowdy Rebel B-17G
AUG 25 1944.
Bomb Group:
447th Bomb Group
Bomb Squadron:
710th Bomb Squadron

[@stevebeal73]

Fascinating to me because my father served on ML194 during WW2. After convoy escort duties, support for the Dieppe raid, support for the practice and actual D-Day landings, the vessel then sailed for the Far East via Suez, and eventually arrived in Singapore in time to observe the surrender of the Japanese navy. My dad believed that ML194 was abandoned somewhere in the Far East.

[@stevebeal73]

@@anthonywright774 Hi Anthony. My father wrote up a lot of his war memoirs before he died in 1999. From what I remember, he said that ML194 was abandoned and probably ended its days as a decaying hulk in a creek somewhere in the Far East. With wooden hulls, the Fairmile B needed proper painting or would rot. I will check my dad's papers again and see if there are any more details,

[@harbourdogNL]

Absolutely gorgeous lines...beautiful looking vessels.