TopmastsMay 2012 No. 2 The Quarterly Newsletter of The Society for Nautical Research Chairman’s Column organizations, and will reside in a more Members will be aware from the press and from favourable tax regime. Clearly we can expect material on the Society’s website that at the end to see more commercial fund-raising activities of March ownership of HMS Victory passed in the ship when she is not being used by the from the MoD to the National Museum of the Royal Navy. Royal Navy (NMRN) together with a grant The new ownership arrangements and the of £25 million from the MoD and a further consequent shift in responsibility for the main- £25 million endowment from the Gosling tenance and upkeep of Victory are clearly the Foundation. The agreement between the MoD most significant change in status of the ship and the NMRN states that ship will continue to since the 1920s. That was also a time of financial be used by the Royal Navy and will continue stringency within government and even then to be a ship in commission with a commanding the Admiralty were reluctant to spend more officer and be the flagship of the Second Sea than the very minimum to preserve and Lord for the present, and flagship of the First maintain the ship in No. 2 Dock in Portsmouth Sea Lord from September this year. The future where she has resided ever since. Consequently support of HMS Victory has been the subject it fell to the Society to lead the fund-raising of debate within the MoD for some years and, efforts to restore the ship and the Society following a presentation by the MoD study continues to be responsible for administering team to Council in October 2008, the Society the Save the Victory Fund (STVF) monies wrote to the MoD re-emphasising the Society’s remaining from the original fundraising efforts. historic involvement and giving views on the The current arrangements for the way ahead. With the increasing pressure on maintenance of HMS Victory rest in a five- government finances last year the decision was year contract with BAE Systems with project made within MoD to transfer the ship to the control being conducted by a MoD team at NMRN. The trustees of the NMRN conducted Abbey Wood, Bristol. MoD will continue due diligence over the transfer at the beginning to provide project management of the main- of this year, and although the Society was not tenance contract for a further two years, by party to the transfer discussions or decisions, which time the NMRN will itself establish a given the Society’s historic involvement I was project management capability. kept informed of developments by the director In the 1920s the Admiralty established of the NMRN. the Victory Advisory Technical Committee As part of the new arrangements, a separate (VATC), under a chairman provided by the charitable trust has been established for HMS Society, to give independent advice on the Victory. Clearly the new trust will need to restoration and maintenance of the ship. Since generate monies for the future upkeep of the the founding of the VATC, the Society has ship both from income from the endowments played a major role in providing members with and from future fundraising. The ship will specialist knowledge and experience to serve be able to seek Heritage Lottery Fund grants on this committee. The future of the VATC and raise money from other grant-giving is currently under debate and the Society will Title image: ‘Sixty Degrees South’ by John Everett (BHC2451) © National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, UK ISSN 2049-6796 Topmasts no. 2, May 2012 continue to press for it, or any successor body, Editorial to retain the independence enjoyed by the VATC over the years and which has proved to I hope that the new digital format of the SNR be so valuable since the 1920s. newsletter has been to your liking. I have had The Society has a long-standing historic only positive feed back which I hope signifies involve ment and therefore a close interest in the that people are generally satisfied with the future of HMS Victory, as has been recognized change. It certainly offers significant cost in the MoD News Release of 6 March 2012 savings, especially now that UK postal rates are about the new arrangements. The procedures due to increase considerably during the next few whereby the STVF, administered by the Society, weeks. My thanks to Dr Paula Turner and Paul has provided significant annual commitments to Hughes, who set and post the text contributions further the restoration and educational aspects of from SRN members and others that go into the the ship will remain, and appropriate members newsletter. who are ably equipped to assist the curator I am pleased to have had some positive will continue to provide the best historical responses from overseas contributors for this perspective on the presentation of the ship. issue, including some very interesting features Members will be aware that in 1992/93 the from The Netherlands, the USA and Australia. Society gave to HMS Victory a working cutter I am very grateful to Commodore Gerard Acda, built from 1805 plans held in the National our correspondent in The Netherlands for the Maritime Museum. Each year the Society introduction to Mrs Kathrin Orth. She has been provides a volunteer crew and over the years the a member of the SNR since 1998 and a member cutter has appeared at regattas and other water- of the board of the German Society for Maritime borne events representing the Royal Navy, and Naval History (Deutsche Gesellschaft für HMS Victory and the Society. The NMRN Schiffahrts- und Marinegeschichte e. V.). She intends that the cutter should be on the water also is a naval historian, living in Hamburg. She this year as usual. The planned programme has kindly offered to be our correspondent in includes two high-profile events: attendance at Germany. Her e-mail address is kath_orth@ the Diamond Jubilee event on the Thames and a hotmail.com role in connection with the Olympics. Please note that Topmasts is issued quarterly Although, as a result of this historic change, in February, May, August and September. Any the MOD is no longer owner of the ship, and contributions, copy or notices should be sent no longer responsible for her upkeep and main- to me at [email protected] by the first tenance, HMS Victory will continue to be at week of the previous month to ensure being the heart of the fighting ethos and values of the published. Royal Navy, and the Society will continue to Barry Coombs have a part to play in her future. Admiral Sir Kenneth Eaton News Annual General Meeting of The Society The Annual General Meeting of the Society will be held on Saturday 16 June 2012. The agenda and papers will be included, as usual, with the May issue of The Mariner’s Mirror. After the AGM it will be possible for members and their guests to tour HMS Victory until about 6.45 p.m. and then for a limited number to dine on board. 2 Topmasts no. 2, May 2012. The Future of HMS Victory Captain Matthews Flinders Bicentenary 2014 Our Chairman has reported that HMS Victory’s Update from Peter Ashley long-term future has been assured by an agreement between MoD and the National The disappointing dearth of strong support Museum of the Royal Navy. A Portsmouth for this proposed venture leaves me with little newspaper report of 29 February can be seen option but to abandon it. The Flinders family here: http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/local/ descendants are less than enthusiastic which I modtogivehmsvictorytomuseum13572322 find surprising? I had hoped that the Britain In 2008 MoD started a review of the future Australia Society would have been prepared to management of HMS Victory to which the take a stronger lead. I have already done most of Society contributed fully. In September 2009 the preliminary legwork and would be prepared the First Sea Lord and the Minister for Defence to continue to do so – but as a private individual Equipment and Support announced that I will not always have sufficient clout to achieve while MoD should continue to assume full what is required to meet the target. Aside from responsibility for the operation, maintenance any fund-raising, I would have liked to have and repair of the ship, the National Museum of seen Britain Australia Society convene a small the Royal Navy would assume responsibility committee. which they would chair, inviting for the delivery of heritage and visitor services someone from the High Commission and myself onboard Victory with effect from 1 April 2010. and John Flinders. This way I wouldn’t be a When commenting to MoD at the time one-man band but would be able to call upon of the 2008 review The Society suggested the experience and advice (and guidance) of the that consideration should be given to the committee. This small committee could discuss National Museum of the Royal Navy taking and explore ways of fund-raising without responsibility for HMS Victory provided that committing anyone group. If then the venture the museum was properly funded to look after became too difficult, for any reason, it would be her. halted by agreement within the committee. In recent weeks there have been a number of My aim has always been to raise the profile confidential discussions in which the Society’s of Captain Matthew Flinders within the UK: Chairman has been kept aware of developments he is a national hero in Australia, which he concerning the possible transfer of HMS Victory named, but he was an Englishman who should to the Museum on terms that would ensure that now be allowed to take his place in the maritime she remained in commission and a flag ship Pantheon alongside Drake, Cook, Bligh, but that she also would benefit from access Dampier, Franklin, et al.