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HMS Powderham (M2720)
Minesweeper of the Royal Navy From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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HMS Powderham was one of 93 ships of the Ham class of inshore minesweepers named after villages ending in -ham, in this case Powderham in Devon. She was launched on 27 November 1958 by J. Samuel White & Company Ltd, Cowes and commissioned in 1959.[1] She was allocated pennant number M 2720.[2][3]
Commissioned as a minesweeper in 1959, she was allocated to the Special Trials Unit, Portsmouth Dockyard and the Forth Division Royal Naval Reserve, based at Rosyth.[2][3] In 1964 she was converted at Chatham Dockyard to an inshore survey vessel and renamed HMS Waterwitch.[2] Operating in the South Coast Survey Unit with civilian Port Auxiliary Service crew until 1974, she then had a refit before participation in the 1977 Silver Jubilee Fleet Review at Spithead.[2] Thereafter, Waterwitch was attached to the Liverpool University Royal Navy Unit until she was paid off at Portsmouth in March 1995.[2]
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Post-naval service
After decommissioning in 1995, Waterwitch was sold to Pounds Shipowners & Shipbreakers Ltd, Portchester and laid up in Portsmouth Harbour.[2] In 1997 she was acquired by "Project M2720", a voluntary non-profit-making group of ex-Royal Navy and Merchant Navy personnel and berthed in North Shields with a view to offering a shipboard training facility for disadvantaged young people.[4]
References
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