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COLLISION, M.V. "AQUIETY" AND S.V. “CUTTY SARK." From the Dog Watch.

About 6 p.m. on 30th January 1952, all hands rushed on to the upper deck on feeling a crash on the starboard bow. There, in the darkness, could be seen a fully laden tanker of some 800 tons, belonging to Messrs. F. T. Everard and Sons. Greenhithe, that had run foul of the bow of the Cutty Sark, and powerless to manoeuvre, was interlocked with the clipper and crashing her down in the strong ebb tide alongside the Worcester. The 40 foot jib boom of the Cutty Sark immediately caught the fo'c'sle rails and carried them away, the jib boom itself snapping at the inboard end, carrying away all fittings, including the arm of the " Naughty Witch," the figurehead. The bow of the Cutty Sark then scraped down the Worcester's starboard side, damaging plates, platform and fittings, and carrying away her own stout port cat-davit. Fortunately, the Cutty Sark’s yards were braced round and did not foul those of the Worcester which might have led to serious consequences. Cutty Sark and Aquiety finally drifted astern clear of the Worcester; the former dropped her anchor, which eventually brought her up, whilst one of the four moorings of the Cutty Sark still held, and with the help of this, two launches and a tug, she was held and then slowly towed up river alongside Everard's floating crane. Here the remaining mooring cable was cut in order to free her, and at 2 a.m. she was towed and secured to the Rainham Tier buoys off Erith, where she remained for some days until taken in hand for repair by Messrs. Green and Silley Weir, Ltd., at Shadwell Basin. The missing arm of the "Naughty Witch" was recovered days later at Ward's Wharf, Thurrock, and sent to London for replacing on the damaged figurehead

Info Supplied by Graham Smith AOW

The Cutty Sark

The Cutty Sark arrived alongside the Worcester on Friday, 18 June 1938, having left Falmouth, after a short refit, on Wednesday, 15 June.  

Her ownership was transferred to the President of the Cutty Sark Trust, H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh, on 28 May 1953 and she finally

left her moorings on 18 February 1954 for passage to the East India Dock to await her permanent docking at Greenwich.   During her time

alongside the Worcester she was absent from her moorings on two occasions :-

Between 28 February and 08 October 1951, for refit (Survey, minor renovations ad new rigging) at Millwall Docks and attendance at

"The Festival of Britain" at Deptford; and 30 January and 11 March 1952, following a collision between m.v. "Aquiety" and "Cutty Sark" when

she was taken for repair to Messrs. Green & Silley Weir's yard at Shadwell Basin.

Info Supplied by Graham Smith AOW

Worcester III

The third Worcester, ex t.s. EXMOUTH/H.M.S. EXMOUTH, arrived off Greenhithe on 06 July 1945 and was secured to the Swanscombe buoys.

Being longer, by some 95 feet, the old Worcester moorings had to be adjusted to accommodate the larger ship, so the opportunity was taken

to renew the ground tackle.  After a refit the third Worcester finally came to her moorings on 15 January 1946 and cadets embarked on 31

January 1946.  The College closed at the end of the Summer term 1968 and the ship continued in use by the Merchant Navy College, at some

time as t.s. Worcester under the Red Ensign, until they finally moved ashore in 1974? and the ship was sold for scrapping in 1978, finally

departing her mooring on Saturday, 08 July 1978 bound for Belgium.

Info Supplied by Graham Smith AOW

Worcester II

The second Worcester, on loan from the Admiralty, arrived at Greenhithe from Portsmouth, in December 1876 and cadets embarked for

the first time in February 1877.  She remained at her moorings until 1945 when she was returned to the Admiralty and shifted to moorings off

Grays, Essex awaiting disposal.  She capsized at her moorings in 1948 and was broken up, in situ, over a number of years.  Some locals claim

that her keel timbers can still be seen off the Grays Yacht Club at lowest Spring Low waters.

Info Supplied by Graham Smith AOW

Worcester I

The first Worcester arrived, from Sheerness, at her moorings in Blackwall Reach and opposite Steward's Steam Factory on Thursday, 29

May 1862.  The first cadets embarked 04 August 1862.  The ship was moved to Erith on 08 September 1863, and to Southend in June 1869.

She was moved once again, to the Worcesters' permanent moorings, to Greenhithe in December 1871.  She remained at her moorings until

handed back to the Admiralty in 1876.

Info Supplied by Graham Smith AOW

Brief History

From the Dog Watch Christmas 1948

Training Ship Locations

Training Ship Locations

16

For more info on maps medals etc Click here

Some time ago Tony Maskell OW wrote four articles. 1.Boer War. 2. Wandering Worcesters. 3. World War I. 4. World War II. They are presented in PDF form on the right

History