HMS ''Beckford'' (P3104) was one of 20
Ford-class patrol boats built for the
Royal Navy in the 1950s.
Their names were all chosen from villages ending in ''
-ford''. This boat was named after
Beckford, Worcestershire.
''Beckford'' was launched on 27 April 55. She was later renamed HMS ''Dee'' whilst serving as the training tender to the Mersey Division of the Royal Naval Reserve.
In 1968 the vessel was chartered by the
Plessey Group and renamed ''Robert Clive'', then returned as HMS ''Dee'' to the RNR in January 1969. She was the tender to Liverpool University Royal Naval Unit from 1970 undertaking weekend training trips to Anglesey, the Isle of Man and surrounding areas during term time and longer voyages during the Easter and Summer vacations when destinations included Norway, Paris, Western Isles etc. including at least two transits of Loch Ness. She was placed on the disposals list in 1982 and sold to Pounds Marine Shipping in 1984.
Beckford
' page on shipspotting.com website, viewed 2012-12-09 She was fitted with
schooner
A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoon ...
rig and was anchored off
Shotley, Suffolk in
Harwich
Harwich is a town in Essex, England, and one of the Haven ports on the North Sea coast. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the north-east, Ipswich to the north-west, Colchester to the south-west and Clacton-on- ...
harbour for many years.
In 2017, after being beached at Harwich, she was removed and broken up at
Lowestoft
Lowestoft ( ) is a coastal town and civil parish in the East Suffolk district of Suffolk, England.OS Explorer Map OL40: The Broads: (1:25 000) : . As the most easterly UK settlement, it is north-east of London, north-east of Ipswich and sou ...
by East Point Metal Trading Ltd.
In popular culture
HMS ''Beckfoot''
''Beckford'' was an inspiration for the fictional vessel HMS ''Beckfoot'' (also called
''Hispaniola'' and ''Pride of Macau'') in the
Strong Winds trilogy of children's books by
Julia Jones.
[Author's endnote, Julia Jones, ''Ghosting Home'' (Strong Winds Trilogy 3) 2 July 2012]
References
Ford-class seaward defence boats
Royal Navy ship names
1955 ships
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