Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past History Information Request Did anyone go to any Lairds launches?

Perhaps i should have included (formally performed a launching ceremony) It was the OAKWORTH 1972.
Even Brian Young probably wasn't the first in 1957,full launching ceremonies ceased during war time and returned in 1946 for the launching of the KING ORRY, the first passenger ship launched in Britain after the war.

I remember going to the launch of a sub (boat) about 1990 with my junior school, does anyone know the name of the boat? Or wether there is film of it floating around?

There were 3 subs around that time,
Unseen 1989, Ursula 1991, Unicorn 1992.

I left junior school in July 1991, and unseen does sound familiar. Cheers Bert time for a Google search

It appears unseen was renamed hmcs Victoria

Sold to the Canadians, at least she's not likely to turn her guns against us.

No sign of launch footage, thought there would be something out there. Google has failed me.

There was a time when all launch tickets had upon them, NO CAMERAS ALLOWED, especially for Naval vessels.

Here's one for you Bert. My Dad worked at Lairds till he enlisted in the RAF during WW11. I have a vague memory of being shown around inside a sub. My question is this - surely this would have been post war? Where and when? Any ideas?

Confused? Post or pre war? Pre it could have been the Thetis, post war virtually any sub?

I saw HMS Devonshire launched, god knows when? I also saw a tanker (I think) being launched called the British Captain.

Ruth, being a gentleman and not wanting to ask your age but roughly guessing what might be your era, Altcric 1946 or Grampus 1957, perhaps you were taken aboard during the fitting out or near completion, it wouldn't have been when they were on the slipway, far to dangerous for children.

HMS Devonshire was launched by HRH Princess Alexandra on 10th June 1960. The BP tanker British Captain went down the ways on 30th June 1965.

Thanks Bert. Don't tell anyone (shhh) but I think it must have been the Altcric in 1946.

The sub was actually called HMS Alaric, and was launched in February 1946. Two other A Class subs would have been around at that time: HMS Aeneas, launched in October 1945, and the ill-fated HMS Affray, launched in April 1945. If you were shown around a sub in the Wet Basin it could have been one of these, as they were both still being fitted out in 1946.

Thanks Marty. My first post was rather stupid when I think about it (the pre-war and post-war bit) because I wasn't even thought of pre-war. I was very young tho' so my memory is very vague.