The Esther Williams Trophy is one of two trophies that have circulated among ships of various navies, after originating in the

Royal Australian Navy The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...

(RAN). Initially, in 1943, the trophy was a joke between two friends, Lieutenants Lindsay Brand and David Stevenson (later the RAN's Chief of Naval Staff), serving in , an N-class destroyer attached to the

British Eastern Fleet The East Indies Station was a formation and command of the British Royal Navy. Created in 1744 by the Admiralty, it was under the command of the Commander-in-Chief, East Indies. Even in official documents, the term ''East Indies Station'' was ...

. Stevenson wrote on a photograph of Esther Williams, "To my own Georgie, with all my love and a passionate kiss, Esther"; Brand (aka "George") put the screen idol over his bed. The photo was taken to another ship by a fellow officer, and the "trophy" was then circulated by officers among some 200 other ships including in

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

, and

Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack submar ...

ships in Asian waters. The original photo became the "trophy copy" to be kept in a safe location. A "fighting copy" was displayed where officers from other ships could attempt to steal it or take it by force, often with a good deal of roughhousing between the officers of the ships involved; one of the more violent raids, by officers of attempting to retrieve the trophy from , resulted in three Americans and one Australian being hospitalised. After the "fighting copy" had been successfully removed from the custodial ship, the "trophy copy" would be presented to the new owners with appropriate ceremony.Karcher, Daniel M., CAPT USN "We've Come for Esther" ''United States Naval Institute Proceedings'' July 1986 pp. 115–16. At various times, the holders of the trophy have either flown an Esther flag or sent

naval signals A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It includ ...

(signed "Esther") to other nearby ships to indicate where the trophy resided. In 1946, an officer from started a tradition when he composed the "Esther Rescued" signal (indicating the trophy's changing of hands) in poetry. In 1957, "Esther" was retired by the

and sent to the RAN's Naval Historical Collection at Spectacle Island in Sydney. The trophy was brought into circulation again in 1997 by officers from , and has been given official standing by senior officers, for instance when an RAN admiral officiated when Brand was re-introduced to the trophy on 30 June 2004 for only the fourth time since 1943. A documentary''Esther Williams' Trophy''
, Digital Dimensions (2007), accessed 16 April 2008. about the trophy's history was produced in 2007. Following the death of Esther Williams in June 2013, the trophy was officially retired. The last unit to officially capture the trophy, RAN Clearance Diving Team Four, presented the trophy to for transportation to the Navy Heritage Centre at Spectacle Island.

References

{{Royal Australian Navy Royal Australian Navy