Any Thames spotters remember...

[Robert J Smith]

A vessel that has always been a bit of a mystery to me to which I can find no information.
In the 1960's, passing Tilbury, I saw what I assume was a training vessel, also assumed to be British. She was called HOWARD DEIGHTON and had a (pennant) number 295. The only reference that I can find to this name was a London Port Health Authority launch dating from a lot earlier in the century.

Any Thames spotters ever see this vessel and knows her history & fate?

Regards

Bob

[Jim H]

Bob,
 This may be of help 2 photographs of Howard Deighton c1960 are held by the Corporation of London records office. Try this link and scroll to Col/AC/19/055
 http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=075-col_06&cid=1-11-85#1-11-85
Regards  Jim

[ChasB46]

Further.. taken from http://library.wellcome.ac.uk/assets/wtl039750.pdf  ..see approx middle .. "..Photographs: Buyers and goods in new drug show room, Cutler St. Warehouse, c.1913, and Ministry of Information photographs of inspection and sampling of Turkish opium, Cutler St. Warehouse, n.d. (Photographs / Commodities III / Storage (Warehouse) / h) drugs);lantern slides, chiefly unlabelled and undated (some images from 1930s), subjects including
the Port Health launch Howard Deighton, Port Medical Officer on board merchant ship,examples of Port of London Sanitary Authority forms and medical certificate, watchman on lookout, hulk Hygeia used as isolation hospital, Denton Hospital causeway, exterior and enteric ward, rat-proofing vessels (Box 1); the Howard Deighton and the Hygeia, Denton Hospital disinfecting station, rat-catcher

[ChasB46]

Another mention under item The Medical Ship Hygeia of http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2461801/pdf/brmedj07598-0036.pdf

[Robert J Smith]

Thanks for your input guys, its about all that I had found on her so quite possibly it is the same vessel.
This is one of those occassions that you wish you had taken a photograph  :-(

Regards

Bob

[A. McGann]

The Howard Deighton was a Sea Cadet Corps training vessel on which I sailed from 1970-74. It was owned by the St.Marylebone Unit based at Harrow Road, Paddington. We regularly sailed off to Tilbury, Chatham Docks, etc at weekends from our mooring at Chelsea Reach. The vessel was ideal for teaching cadets like me how to con the ship, navigate, etc. Happy days!
The Deighton was sold off in August 1974 and the Unit folded (amalgamated with Willesden Unit) in 1979.
Unfortunately, I have no photos of it, but if anyone else does, please post them.
Putney Unit also had a similar size ship in those years moored further up the river than ours  - but I can't recall its name.

[Robert J Smith]

Thanks for the additional information plodder.

Cheers

Bob