Gallipoli display at Naval dockyard, Portsmouth

[Guest Pete Wood]

I was at Portsmouth Naval Docks last week, celebrating the 199th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalger onboard HMS Victory.

Anyway, one of the exhibits is, I believe, one of the boats used to row men ashore at Gallipoli. I haven't been to the docks in some time (two years) but I'm sure that there was a small notice giving the information about this. But there is nothing there, now.

If this is the same boat, and I'm fairly sure it is, then a piece of history is literally being allowed to rot away.

There is six inches of water in the bottom of this boat, which is permanently moored next to the Mary Rose shop.

It doesn't look too bad here......

[Guest Pete Wood]

But when you look closely, the wood is so soft and rotten that when seagulls land on it, bits just crumble away as you can (hopefully) see.

Someone has fixed some old CD-Roms on a line of string, to try and keep the birds away. But this boat needs to be pulled out of the water and saved.

[Guest bonza]

Nearby is a Monitor also 'from Gallipoli' .

The brass plaque shows her 'bombarding the coast' in late 1916.

Pat

[Guest Pete Wood]

Nearby is a Monitor also 'from Gallipoli' .

The brass plaque shows her 'bombarding the coast' in late 1916.

Pat

That's the M33 which is in dry dock, next to the Victory. The M33 is, I believe, owned by Hampshire County Council.

It looks in fair condition, unlike the rowing boat......

[Guest bonza]

The comment is bound to get deleted, Pete, but something seeing action at Gallipoli in 1915 is bound to be worse off than someting that didn't get there until after everyone had moved on.

Pat

Seriuosly though, the boat looks a bit small to have taken place in the Landing.

Would you know if it is a Naval Cutter?

[Guest Pete Wood]

None of these boats had any notices, so I'm going by memory.

If I'm wrong, about its association with Gallipoli, I'll be more than happy.

[Guest bonza]

I hope you are not wrong, and that another link with Gallipoli might be saved.

Many of the 'landing' boats would have been Transports' Life boats & holding about 40 men. It appears all sorts of odd craft were pressed into service during the Campaign, and this boat may well have been used.

[Andrew P]

Is it the same sort of boat on display in the AWM's orientation gallery?

http://www.awm.gov.au/virtualtour/orientation.htm

[RNCVR]

Interesting thread - this sure looks like a Naval CUTTER to me - we used to (try to) sail these monsters back in the '50-'60's in the RCN. Anyone who has any Naval sailing experience at all will know what a job it is to sail a Naval cutter - but once they were sailing "close hauled" they sure could move along!

However I dont know if this one is of Gallipoli orrigin or not - the ones we sailed in the RCN were wartime vintage, & some were probably pre war, & looked just like this one.

Bryan