HSL 2625

Jimmy,

If they are Packards I know where I would like to put them! I think you might guess.

Hmm as far as I can remember there were no boats like that in the immediate vicinity.... most of them are covered with tarps or old Greek style fishing type boats....

When I'm back in Cyprus I will have to take a look and keep you posted but for now- I have part of the service history of 2625!

Very nice gentleman from the Air Historical Branch sent me a photocopy of AM Form 564 for HSDL 2625... which apparently is the movement card! I can't scan it at the moment as the scanner doesn't appear to be connecting to the PC!

Across the top 'H.S. Launch' is crossed through with 'Launch Towing Target' written underneath. And she's listed as being 68' ft long.
It also has 'Type 16F/92 MAT' crossed through with '16F/144' written under.

Columns read left to right Station; Date Taken on Charge; Voucher No.; Engine; Condition; Repairs

First pale line reads ' rud 5/43; 1106; Napier Buliders British Powerboat Co.Ltd.'
So I guess she was built in May 1943?!

238 M.U.; 1.7.43; 1884; P1240
Mombasa cancelled 1924B
219 A.S.R.U; 29.7.43; 1924; C. 892 (crossed through)
M.E. rud 5/44 1106 (faint)
210 A.S.R.U.; 1.2.44; 2065; S. 1241
207 A.S.R. M.E.; rad 5/44; 1106; TE 5357
MEDME Census 31.12.45; C. 890
Earmarked for target towing; P. 763
Launch MEDME. AK 1132; C. (P?) 764
'??' 23/7/46 A.784 200/45; S. 1374
No 137 M.U. Malta return 3/3/48 refers; C. 1868
see later dated 4.1.51 on A 73420 ; S. 1815
re conversion

So can we guess that she saw service in the Med at Malta and was converted to something else or decommissioned in 1951??
Does anyone know what the station codes mean??
It looks like she was scheduled to go to India... with???? why???

Too many unanswered questions there but a fascinating glimpse all the same!

Hello b.b the Greek marine police training base at Limassol was formally an r.a.f. marine craft base, it was shot up by the Turks during the invasion! 2625 is as she was in her r.a.f. days there has been no work done on her to convert her to a motor yacht. I have done a google on the area and it looks like it has been cleaned up since I was there, the higgins pt boat was fitted with Davy Paxman twin turbo V12 diesels as you seethe turbo intakes are in the engine room so she must have had some very large engine room inlet fans to keep them fed, I understood from the Captain of Micheal Leptos's boat (Hyperion ex r.a.f. 63ft g.s.p.) who drove me around that she had been used for smuggling.

Hello Jimmy p it is a shame about her I understand from jerry in the  States she is a early Higgins type as the gun tubs are alongside the bridge whereas the later one's had the tub's about 3ft further aft. It seem's to have been a very large and expensive conversion to have been done  privately, I have the feeling that it was done by as yet an unknown  Navy who owned her at one time post war.  I have a close up of the engine's if you want me to e-mail it to you, but as I took the photo's some years ago she may have now gone, although a lot of old boats had been lying around for a long time like 2625. my photo's are too large for the forum apparently. 

Scanned the work movement card....