Thames Nautical Training College
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The Thames Nautical Training College, as it is now called, is a school that trains officers for a seagoing career. It was, for over a hundred years, situated aboard ships named HMS ''Worcester''. London shipowners,
marine insurance Marine insurance covers the physical loss or damage of ships, cargo, terminals, and any transport by which the property is transferred, acquired, or held between the points of origin and the final destination. Cargo insurance a sub-branch of mari ...
underwriters and merchants subscribed to its founding. It was the London maritime interests' answer to HMS ''Conway'', which had been established in 1859 on the River Mersey as a training ship for Liverpool's burgeoning merchant fleet. Throughout their history, ''Worcester'' and ''Conway'' were competitors, and the two met regularly on playing fields and in boats in keen sporting rivalry. The
British Admiralty The Admiralty was a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, department of the Government of the United Kingdom that was responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. Historically, its titular head was the Lord High Admiral of the ...
loaned the 50-gun, 1,500-ton frigate HMS ''Worcester'' for the scheme, and in 1862 the Thames Marine Officer Training School was opened. She was to find her eventual home off Greenhithe, in the
Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after th ...
, in 1871, after temporary berths at Blackwall, Erith and Southend. The college expanded, and the Admiralty provided HMS ''Frederick William'' (originally laid down as ''Royal Frederick''), a ship-of-the-line of 86 guns with screw propulsion. She was renamed ''Worcester'' and refitted in the Victoria Docks before being brought to Greenhithe in 1876. About this time the name of the school was changed to the Incorporated Thames Nautical Training College, HMS ''Worcester'' (ITNTC). David Barker was Captain-Superintendent of the Nautical Training College from 1892 until 1919 and was knighted in 1920."Barker, Captain Sir David W. (1 Oct. 1858–15 June 1941)" in ''
Who Was Who ''Who's Who'' is a reference work. It has been published annually in the form of a hardback book since 1849, and has been published online since 1999. It has also been published on CD-ROM. It lists, and gives information on, people from around ...
'' online edition published 1 December 2007
By 1922 the college had purchased the house and grounds of Ingress Abbey in Greenhithe to provide shore facilities. In 1938, the clipper ''
Cutty Sark ''Cutty Sark'' is a British clipper ship. Built on the River Leven, Dumbarton, Scotland in 1869 for the Jock Willis Shipping Line, she was one of the last tea clippers to be built and one of the fastest, at the end of a long period of desig ...
'' was acquired by the college and berthed alongside ''Worcester'' and during the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, some seamanship classes were held in her. In 1954 ''Cutty Sark'' left Greenhithe to be docked permanently at
Greenwich Greenwich ( , , ) is an List of areas of London, area in south-east London, England, within the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London, east-south-east of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime hi ...
, where she is now a
museum ship A museum ship, also called a memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public for educational or memorial purposes. Some are also used for training and recruitment purposes, mostly for the small numb ...
. With the onset of war in 1939, Worcester cadets moved to Foots Cray Place near Sidcup, and the ship was handed back to the Admiralty. The third ''Worcester'' (formerly HMS ''Exmouth'') arrived at Greenhithe in January 1946. She had previously been used as an accommodation ship at
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. The ship, built in 1905, was the Royal Navy's first specially commissioned training ship. In 1968 the ITNTC became part of the Merchant Navy College at Greenhithe. ''Worcester'' became redundant and was sold to be broken up in Belgium in 1978. Many ''Worcester'' cadets, who automatically became cadets of the
Royal Naval Reserve The Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) is one of the two volunteer reserve forces of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. Together with the Royal Marines Reserve, they form the Maritime Reserve. The present RNR was formed by merging the original ...
during their time in the ship, entered the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
and
British merchant navy The British Merchant Navy is the collective name given to British civilian ships and their associated crews, including officers and ratings. In the UK, it is simply referred to as the Merchant Navy or MN. Merchant Navy vessels fly the Red Ensi ...
. On leaving ''Worcester'' a number rose to the highest ranks of their profession, including those who became commodores of leading merchant fleets. In the period up to 1946, two
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es and one
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were awarded to former ''Worcester'' cadets. Notable among the college graduates of 1874 was Admiral
Tōgō Heihachirō , served as a '' gensui'' or admiral of the fleet in the Imperial Japanese Navy and became one of Japan's greatest naval heroes. As Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905, he successfully confine ...
, renowned as the victorious commander-in-chief at the
Battle of Tsushima The Battle of Tsushima (, ''Tsusimskoye srazheniye''), also known in Japan as the , was the final naval battle of the Russo-Japanese War, fought on 27–28 May 1905 in the Tsushima Strait. A devastating defeat for the Imperial Russian Navy, the ...
in 1905 and later promoted to
Admiral of the Fleet An admiral of the fleet or shortened to fleet admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to field marshal and marshal of the air force. An admiral of the fleet is typically senior to an admiral. It is also a generic ter ...
of the
Imperial Japanese Navy The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, Potsdam Declaration, when it was dissolved followin ...
. Togo credited his victory to the education he received at Thames Marine Officer Training School, and donated his 1905 battle flag to HMS ''Worcester'' when he attended the coronation of George V in 1911. In 1876
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...
confirmed her interest in the ship by establishing the award of an annual Gold Medal to the cadet who, in the opinion of his shipmates, was most likely to make the best officer.


See also

*
School ship A training ship is a ship used to train students as sailors. The term is mostly used to describe ships employed by navies to train future officers. Essentially there are two types: those used for training at sea and old Hulk (ship type), hulks us ...
* HMS ''Worcester'' for other ships of the same name * The Marine Society College of the Sea


References

{{Reflist


External links


The Association of Old Worcesters

Merchant Navy College, Greenhithe


Training ships of the United Kingdom 1862 establishments in England