Proud Class
Printed From: BMPT Forum
Category: General Discussion
Forum Name: Coastal Forces
Forum Description: Discussion about Coastal Forces
URL: http://www.bmpt.co.uk/forum_posts.asp?TID=41
Printed Date: 26 March 2026 at 9:10pm
Topic: Proud Class
Posted By: aDAM
Subject: Proud Class
Date Posted: 22 March 2005 at 1:38pm
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I am really struggling to find any individual histories of these vessels.All official Royal Navy sites dont even mention them. Pictures seem hard to find as well, any leads??Cheers Adam ------------- Adam |
Replies:
Posted By: Pioneer
Date Posted: 22 March 2005 at 6:11pm
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Hello Adam What I do know about the Proud class is that they were refurbs of British Power Boat Co's craft. ex MTB's- 505 became 'Proud Fusilier', 506-'Proud Grenadier', 507-'Proud Guardsman', 508 'Proud Highlander', 509-'Proud Knight', 519-'Proud Lancer', 522-'Proud Legionary', 596-'Proud Patriot', 598-'Proud Patroller'. Those craft having a '1' added to their old numbers. Other BPCraft of similar series were converted to Radio Control boats, or 'Targets'. These were Ex MTB's- 457 became 8201.459*-8202,521 (ex1521)-8203, 488(ex1588)-8205. No 'Targets' were ever 'Proud' conversions. *(not quite sure of the last digit, could be a '5') As refurbished they had a displacement of 44 tons (52t full load) Dimensions-71ft9ins X 20ft8ins X 5ft9ins Draught. 2 x 18in T.Tubes.1 X 6 Pdr + 1Twin Oerlikon. 3 Packard Engines a complement of 17. All nine craft were laid up at Felixstow after the refurbishment. ------------- Pioneer - Forum Moderator |
Posted By: Pioneer
Date Posted: 17 October 2005 at 12:13pm
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This is an image of a beautiful 3/4 inch to the ft, scratch built model of HMS Proud Legionary constructed by Mr Edward Childs. Mr Childs, an ex RN ERA who served in British Coastal Forces during the mid '50s, is an Uncle of Mr Paul Childs the owner of ex-HMS Gay Archer, the ongoing story of its refurbishment which can seen elsewhere on this site. This image does not really capture the stunning lines of the BPB Hull, so faithfully captured on the model. It will be displayed at this years Model Engineering Exhibition.
------------- Pioneer - Forum Moderator |
Posted By: E.S.ChildsDrum1
Date Posted: 21 October 2005 at 1:49pm
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The model will be displayed next at the National Model Boat Exhibition at the Warwickshire Exhibition Centre on 11th-13th November 05. This model was started in 1976 and at a scale of 3/4" -1 foot It had to be entirely scratch built. There is now a model similar on the market at 1/2"-1foot. I have the only surviving photos of the original Boat P1522. It would appear that around 13 of these boats suvived the war and not sold off at that time. 9 were converted to Proud class boats and laid up at Felixtowe. 4 converted to RC. target boats, and the remainder sold off. I spent almost 2 years working on the RCBsFrom and others at HMS Hornet from 1954-1956 E.S. Childs ERA 4 (ICE) ------------- E.S.Childs |
Posted By: E.S.ChildsDrum1
Date Posted: 23 October 2005 at 7:55pm
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Is there anyboby reading who is not a member of the Coastal Forces Veterans Association wether General service or National Service up until 1957 if so your membership would be greatly apreciated as it is begining to get a bit thin on the ground. ------------- E.S.Childs |
Posted By: Pioneer
Date Posted: 24 November 2005 at 12:38pm
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This is an image of an ex-BPBoat hull still in use (Summer 2005) in Malta. Now named "Ambra", she has been identified as ex MTB 506-1506-HMS Proud Grenadier. She was originally bought by Wessex Power Units - later - Marine Turbo Craft who fitted 2 Gas Turbine units - sold on to Southern Television (UK) who renamed her "Southerner". Source: courtesy of Phillip Simons Photo: courtesy of Richard Hellyer
------------- Pioneer - Forum Moderator |
Posted By: E.S.ChildsDrum1
Date Posted: 09 March 2006 at 7:42pm
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To anybody concerned. I would like to contact anybody that served on MTB 522 during the war as I would like to get some of the boats history. Also anybody that served on P1048 Gay Charger During her shoot with the Danish navy towards the latter end of 1956, as I returned to Hornet as passenger on her when she called to Aarhus and Cooksharven on that rather precarious journey back. Hopefully Ted Childs. ------------- E.S.Childs |
Posted By: Christian
Date Posted: 09 March 2006 at 9:14pm
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P1048 and MTB 522 (post war) |
Posted By: Hunter
Date Posted: 22 September 2006 at 7:44pm
------------- rayw |
aDAM wrote:Posted By: Hunter
Date Posted: 22 September 2006 at 7:47pm
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Hi dam In 1949 a number of Proud Class were stored in an old RAF seaplane hanger at Felixstowe. I b elieve one of them as converted for Southern TV and used to film power boat races in the Channel ------------- rayw |
Posted By: CCFT
Date Posted: 18 February 2007 at 11:56pm
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Toronto 18 Feb 07 Hello Ray, That would have been MTB 506/Proud Grenadier, which was named Southerner by Southern TV. The Old Warboat Company have just rescued her from Captain Morgan of Malta who were about to break her up. She was named Ambra by them - see Pioneer's post from 24 Nov 05 further up this page for a scan of her in Captain Morgan "livery". Regards, Nicholas CCFT ------------- Lt(N) Nicholas CM Armstrong |
Posted By: Brian
Date Posted: 27 January 2016 at 4:54pm
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This maybe of interest. I can only hope so. One member wrote thast he thought one MTB was converted to Southern TV's Southerner. I can add a little to this. Around 1965 I was looking for an MTB, a Company owned 3 Proud class MTB's. They converted one to become Southerner using some parts from the second one. The third was left as was, engines removed but otherwise intact with no rot. Southerner was completed and shortly after that the Company went bust. The last one was still mored mid stream and was in the hands of the Official Receiver. I did a survey on this (went out in a rowing boat forgetting how strong the tide was and having to get a police launch to tow me back up river to the moring). On further enquiries I was infromed that it would be towed up river and be burnt and after the burning the scrap metal would be collected and sold. I spoke to one of the directors of a Company that were modifying Dark Class boats adding if I remember Fairy Gas Turbines and the boats were for export. I cannot remember the name of either Company (old age). He told me to offer the Official Receiver a little more than the value of the scrap and that nobody else was interested and I would get her. Unfortunatley I was in an accident about a week later which put me in hospital on and off for nearly two years so it all fell through. Would be nice to find out what happened to her. I had already sourced engines with low hours (not Packard but RR), which I could have had for free. I don't doubt that had I bought her she would still be around today in original condition and not converted to a house boat. Very sad from my point of view.
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