H.M.S. Opossum. ‘Oberon-Class’ Submarine Pennant Number: S19 Badge: An Opossum suspended by his tail from a tree trunk all proper. Crest: Field:White. Built By: Cammell Laird and Co Ltd, Birkenhead. Laid Down: 21 December 1961. Launched: 23 May 1963. Commissioned: 29 February 1964. Decommissioned: June 1993. Displacement: 2030 Tons Surfaced, 2400 Tons submerged Dimensions: Length: 295 ft. 3 in. Beam: 26 ft. 6 in. Mean Draught: 18 ft. Crew: 6 Officers, 62 Ratings. Propulsion: 2 x Sets Admiralty Standard Range Diesel Engines developing 3680 BHP Armament: Eight 21-inch Six Bow and Two stern torpedo tubes (for Homing Torpedoes). 2 x Sets Electric Motors developing 6000 S.H.P. Twin Screws. Range: 9000 Nautical miles at 12 Knots. Max Speed: 15 Knots Surfaced, 17 Knots Submerged. Commanding Officers Lt.Cmdr. W. L Owen (29 Feb 1964); Lt.Cmdr. B. R Trussler (16 Aug 1965); Lt.Cmdr. M. J Osborne (16 Apr 1968); Lt.Cmdr. R. C Meyrick (12 Nov 1969 - 3 Feb 1971); Lt.Cmdr. J. J. S Daniel (4 Feb 1971); Lt.Cmdr. M. C Boyce (14 Jan 974); Lt.Cmdr. J. McLees (26 Jul 1975); Lt.Cmdr. C. L Wreford-Brown (10 Sept 1976); Lt. A. M Poulter (11 Aug 1977); Lt. T. J Austin (20 Jan 1979):. Lt.Cmdr. E. R Ruscombe-King (28 Apr 1980); Lt.Cmdr. D. R Charlton ( ); Joined the 1st Submarine Squadron, HMS DOLPHIN 1964. 11 April 1964: Sea trials began at Rothesay. 12 June 1964: Accepted into the Royal Navy. 18 June 1964: Sailed for Clyde - work-up. Estimated time of departure from Clyde, 12 August 1964: Estimated time of arrival in Portsmouth, 14 August 1964: Estimated time of departure from Portsmouth, 10 September : For Cape Wrath and 'EXERCISE TEAMWORK' with HMS/m's FINWHALE, DREADNOUGHT, OSIRIS, GRAMPUS, TOTEM, OTUS, RORQUAL, ALARIC and ONSLAUGHT,8 Minesweepers, 11 Coastal Minesweepers, 7 Escorts and 7 Frigates. Estimated time of departure from Cape Wrath 2 October 1964. Estimated time of arrival in Portsmouth 5 October 1964 for repairs. Estimated time of departure from Portsmouth 13 October 1964. 14 - 15 October 1964: Portland. 17 - 22 October 1964: Visited Emden, Germany. 23 October 1964 : Portsmouth. 26 October - 27 November 1964 : Maintenance. thence Londonderry for exercises. 7 December 1964 : Departed Londonderry for Portsmouth. 11 January 1965 : Special equipment fitted at Portsmouth. 25 January - 16 February 1965 : Docking. Departed from Portsmouth. 17 February 1965 : For exercises returned Portsmouth 20 February 1965 - 22 February 1965 : Departed from Portsmouth with HMS/m FINWHALE for exercises in the Clyde area. 8 March 1965 : Returned to Portsmouth. Exercises with HMS/m FINWHALE (Date unknown). Estimated time of arrival in Portsmouth 26 March 1965. 17 April 1965: Departed from Portsmouth. 19 April 1965: Arrived in the Clyde area. 28 April - 20 May 1965: Commenced 'EXERCISE RED KNIGHT' with HMS/m's OTUS, OLYMPUS, DREADNOUGHT, CACHALOT and 1 Escort. 22 May 1965: Portsmouth, repairs. 15 June 1965: Repairs completed. 16 June - 4 August 1965 : In home waters visiting Birkenhead, Londonderry, Clyde and Portsmouth. 6 - 11 August 1965 : Visited Heligoland, Germany. 13 August 1965 Portsmouth. 1 September 1965 : Departed from Portsmouth. 3 - 6 September 1965 : Gibraltar. 6- 10 September 1965: Commenced 'EXERCISE EMERALD GREEN' with HMS/m's FINWHALE, CACHALOT and 3 Escorts. 10 - 19 September 1965 : Gibraltar. 22 September 1965 : Portsmouth. 28 September - 8 October 1965 : Portland. 8 October 1965 Portsmouth. 11 - 26 October 1965 : Maintenance. 27 October - 20 November 1965 : In home waters visiting Portland and Portsmouth. 20 November 1965 : Departed Portsmouth for NW Approaches. 2- 10 December 1965: Commenced 'EXERCISE CALPURNIA' with HMS/m's ALARIC, OTUS, OPPORTUNE, OCELOT, OSIRIS, with 5 Frigates, 4 Escorts and 1 Cruiser. 9 December 1965 : Departed Londonderry. 11 December 1965 : Portsmouth. 30 December 1965 - 10 January 1966 : Docking. 24 January 1966: Departed from Portsmouth. 29 January 1966: Blyth. 5 February 1966: Portsmouth. 9 February 1966: Birkenhead (Cammel Laird) for repairs. 9 May 1966 : Repairs completed. 9 May 1966: Left Birkenhead. 21 May 1966 : Arrived in Portsmouth for maintenance. 29 May 1966: Maintenance completed. 30 May - 27 July 1966 : In home waters visiting Plymouth, Portland and Portsmouth. 27 July 1966 : Commenced Emergency Docking at Portsmouth. 11 August 1966 : Docking completed. Estimated time of departure from Portsmouth 13 August. 18 - 19 August 1966 : Visited Rota, Spain. 19 August 1966: Gibraltar. 22 August 1966: Departed from Gibraltar. 26 August 1966: Malta. 16 - 19 September 1966: Visited Taranto, Italy. 20 - 23 September 1966: Malta practice area. 24 - 30 September 1966: Commenced 'MEDTACEX 6' with 3 Frigates. 2 - 17 October 1966 : Malta for maintenance. 17 - 18 October 1966: Commenced 'CANEX' with 2 Frigates. 19 October 1966 : Malta. 25 - 30 October 1966: Visited La Spezia, Italy. 1 - 8 November 1966: Toulon, France. 11 November 1966 : Malta. 17 - 21 November 1966 : Visited Corfu. 22 - 26 November 1966: Commenced 'MEDSUBEX'. 29 November - 2 December 1966 : Visited Izmir, Turkey. 3 - 6 December 1966: Commenced 'MEDTACEX 7' with 2 Frigates. 11 - 12 December 1966 Gibraltar. Estimated time of departure from Gibraltar 14 December 1966. 18 December 1966 : Portsmouth. 9 January 1967 : Departed from Portsmouth. 11 - 21 January 1967: Lorient Exercise areas. 22 - 25 January 1967: Lorient, France. 26 January - 13 March 1967 : In home waters visiting Dartmouth, Portland and Portsmouth. 14 - 20 March 1967: Visited HMS GANGES the Juniors Training Establishment, Shortly Gate, Ipswich. 27 - 31 March 1967: Portland. 1 April 1967 Portsmouth. 1 May 1967 : Departed Portsmouth for trials in SW Approaches. 16 May 1967 : Returned to Portsmouth. 17 - 19 May 1967 : Visited Lorient, France. 20 May 1967: Portsmouth. 24 - 29 May 1967 Visited Fredrickshavn, Denmark. 31 May 1967 Returned to Portsmouth. 9 - 14 June 1967 Barrow. 16 June 1967 Portsmouth. 20 June 1967: To Devonport to prepare for refit (3 July). 13 September 1968 : Refit completed. 5 October 1968 HMS/m OPOSSUM became re-operational and rejoined the 1st Submarine Squadron, HMS DOLPHIN. 7 October 1968 Faslane. 3 December 1968 Departed from Faslane. 6 December 1968: Portsmouth. 9 - 31 December 1968 : Due maintenance. 14 January - 20 February 1969 In home waters visiting Plymouth exercise area, Portland, Portsmouth, Londonderry and SW Approaches. 20 February 1969 : HMS/m's OPOSSUM and ALCIDE arrived at Newport's North Dock to begin a 5 day visit to the town. 24 February - 6 May 1969 In home waters visiting Plymouth exercise area, Portsmouth for maintenance, Moray Firth, Dundee and Portland exercise area. 6 - 8 May 1969: Commenced BRITEX with 3 Training ships. 9 - 11 May 1969 : Visited Brest, France. 3 May - 2 September 1969 In home waters visiting Portland, SW Approaches, Portland exercise area, Portsmouth (for docking 23 May - 16 June 1969),Devonport, Londonderry, Loch Ewe, Faslane, NW Approaches, Portsmouth (docks 4 - 13 August 1969) and Gosport. 2 September 1969 : Departed from Gosport. 11 September 1969 : Arrived in Malta for exercise. 16 September 1969: LRO C Wood serving on board HMS/m OPOSSUM, was drowned while swimming at Comino Island in the Mediterranean. 17 - 22 October 1969 : Visited Civitavecchia, Italy. 25 October 1969: Gibraltar. 31 October 1969 Portsmouth. 20 November 1969 - 13 January 1970 In home waters visiting Dartmouth, Portland, SW Approaches and Portsmouth. 13 January 1970 : Due repairs. 23 March 1970 : Repairs completed. Estimated time of departure from Portsmouth 4 April 1970 for 'EXERCISE STEEL RING' with HMS/m ARTEMIS, 4 Escorts from the Royal Canadian Navy, Atlantic Maritime Command, HMCS/m's 'Ojibwa' and 'Okanagan' and the operational support ship HMCS 'Protecteur'. 10 - 12 May 1970: At Halifax, Canada. 14 - 19 May 1970 Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 20 - 25 May 1970: Providence (Rhode Island), Massachusetts, USA. 5 June 1970 : Portsmouth. 1 July - 2 October 1970 : In home waters visiting Dartmouth, Swansea, Devonport, Portland exercise area, Portsmouth (docking and essential repairs 24 August - 14 September), Portland exercise area (again) and Portsmouth. 2 - 7 October 1970: Visited Halsingborg, Sweden with HMS/m OCELOT. 10 - 30 October 1970 : Portsmouth. 31 October - 4 November 1970 : Plymouth/Portland areas. 4 November 1970 : Portsmouth. 12 November 1970: HMS/m's OPOSSUM, ORACLE, ARTEMIS and ACHERON entered Latchford Lock, Warrington on their way up the Manchester Ship Canal to pay a courtesy visit to Manchester. They were opened to the public at Trafford Wharf. 18 November 4 December 1970 : In home waters visiting Plymouth exercise area, Plymouth and Portsmouth. 2 January 1971: Departed from Portsmouth. 4- 13 January 1971: Commenced 'EXERCISE VENDETTA' with HMS/m's ORACLE, CACHALOT, OCELOT, WARSPITE, NARWHAL, ONYX and AURIGA. 16 January 1971: Portsmouth. 20 - 25 January 1971 : Visited Oostende. 26 January 1971: Portland. 29 January 1971: Portsmouth. 1 - 5 February 1971: Plymouth exercise area. 3 February 1971 : Lt.Cmdr. RC Meyrick collapsed while his submarine HMS/m OPOSSUM was submerging during exercises. The submarine surfaced immediately and the assault ship HMS 'Fearless' which was also taking part in the exercises was diverted and a helicopter took its medical officer to OPOSSUM. A heart specialist from the Stonehouse Naval Hospital boarded the submarine at the breakwater. He gave Commander Meyrick heart massage but on arrival at hospital the Commander was dead. 5 February 1971: Portsmouth. 22 March 1971 - 7 January 1972 : In home waters visiting Clyde exercise area, Portland, Manchester, Dartmouth, Portland exercise area, Plymouth exercise area and Portsmouth. 7- 17 January 1972: Commenced 'EXERCISE VENDETTA' with HMS/m's OSIRIS, AENEAS, OCELOT and DREADNOUGHT. 18 January 1972: Campbeltown. 20 January 1972: Portsmouth. 14 - 17 February 1972: Portland. 18 - 22 February 1972: Le Havre, France. 23 February 1972: Plymouth exercise area. 24 February 1972: Portsmouth. 6 March 1972 : Biscay area. 8 - 17 March 1972 : In home waters visiting Portland exercise areas, Dartmouth and Portsmouth. 19 April 1972: Departed from Portsmouth. 24 April 1972: Arrived in Gibraltar. 30 June - 4 July 1972 : Visited Agadir, Morocco.