Rugby bids a fond farewell to HMS Tireless
Rugby bids a fond farewell to HMS Tireless
THE Mayor of Rugby has paid tribute to HMS Tireless after the submarine's crew visited the town for the final time.
01 July 2014
The Royal Navy's oldest nuclear submarine was decommissioned last month, bringing to an end an association with the borough of Rugby which stretches back 70 years.
To mark the end of the submarine's service, the commanding officer and members of the crew visited the town on Wednesday 25 June to attend a reception hosted by the Mayor of Rugby, Cllr Ramesh Srivastava, at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum.
During the reception, Cllr Srivastava presented Commander Hywel Griffiths, commanding officer of HMS Tireless, with a replica of the William Webb Ellis statue, while Cdr Griffiths presented the Mayor with HMS Tireless' battle honours board and a framed photograph of the submarine.
The original HMS Tireless was launched in 1943 and remained in service until 1968.
On its launch, the submarine was adopted by the English Electric Willans Works in Rugby, which made the turbines for its engines.
When the new HMS Tireless was commissioned in 1985 - complete with turbines manufactured by Rugby-based GEC Turbine Generators Limited - an official link with the borough was forged, with the Rugby Sea Cadets (TS Tireless) forming an integral part of the relationship.
In 2002, HMS Tireless was conferred with the Freedom of the Borough.
During nearly 30 years of service, HMS Tireless was deployed around the world on a wide range of duties, from patrolling the Atlantic during the Cold War to supporting the Applied Physics Laboratory Ice Station at the North Pole.
One of the submarine's final duties was to join the search for the missing Malaysian Airline's flight MH370 in the Indian Ocean.
HMS Tireless returned to its base in Devonport, Plymouth, for the final time on June 1.
Speaking after the reception, Cllr Srivastava paid tribute to the submarine and its crew.
"Rugby's link to HMS Tireless stretches back to 1943 and celebrates the borough's rich industrial heritage," Cllr Srivastava said.
"The borough has taken great pride in its association with HMS Tireless over the years, and it was wonderful to meet Cdr Griffiths and his crew at the reception.
"It was a fitting way to mark the end of an era and give the crew the borough's best wishes for the future."
Photo caption: The Mayor of Rugby, Cllr Ramesh Srivastava, and Commander Hywel Griffiths exchanged gifts during a reception at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum for HMS Tireless and her crew.
To mark the end of the submarine's service, the commanding officer and members of the crew visited the town on Wednesday 25 June to attend a reception hosted by the Mayor of Rugby, Cllr Ramesh Srivastava, at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum.
During the reception, Cllr Srivastava presented Commander Hywel Griffiths, commanding officer of HMS Tireless, with a replica of the William Webb Ellis statue, while Cdr Griffiths presented the Mayor with HMS Tireless' battle honours board and a framed photograph of the submarine.
The original HMS Tireless was launched in 1943 and remained in service until 1968.
On its launch, the submarine was adopted by the English Electric Willans Works in Rugby, which made the turbines for its engines.
When the new HMS Tireless was commissioned in 1985 - complete with turbines manufactured by Rugby-based GEC Turbine Generators Limited - an official link with the borough was forged, with the Rugby Sea Cadets (TS Tireless) forming an integral part of the relationship.
In 2002, HMS Tireless was conferred with the Freedom of the Borough.
During nearly 30 years of service, HMS Tireless was deployed around the world on a wide range of duties, from patrolling the Atlantic during the Cold War to supporting the Applied Physics Laboratory Ice Station at the North Pole.
One of the submarine's final duties was to join the search for the missing Malaysian Airline's flight MH370 in the Indian Ocean.
HMS Tireless returned to its base in Devonport, Plymouth, for the final time on June 1.
Speaking after the reception, Cllr Srivastava paid tribute to the submarine and its crew.
"Rugby's link to HMS Tireless stretches back to 1943 and celebrates the borough's rich industrial heritage," Cllr Srivastava said.
"The borough has taken great pride in its association with HMS Tireless over the years, and it was wonderful to meet Cdr Griffiths and his crew at the reception.
"It was a fitting way to mark the end of an era and give the crew the borough's best wishes for the future."
Photo caption: The Mayor of Rugby, Cllr Ramesh Srivastava, and Commander Hywel Griffiths exchanged gifts during a reception at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum for HMS Tireless and her crew.