UPDATE APRIL 2020 - From Francis Plowman
Francis very kindly contacted me about the ongoing state of RSL1654. Not good news as you can see from the two photographs he has sent.
RSL1654 continues to deteriorate and wooden parts crumbling with dry rot.
A little information about Francis;
I'm ex RAF (admin), served 70-94 including some time at Brawdy in the late 70s when Master Coxon Wilf Hardy (if I recall correctly) ran the MCU at Tenby. But that was my only connection with the watery RAF before finding the attached photographs.
Francis very kindly contacted me about the ongoing state of RSL1654. Not good news as you can see from the two photographs he has sent.
RSL1654 continues to deteriorate and wooden parts crumbling with dry rot.
A little information about Francis;
I'm ex RAF (admin), served 70-94 including some time at Brawdy in the late 70s when Master Coxon Wilf Hardy (if I recall correctly) ran the MCU at Tenby. But that was my only connection with the watery RAF before finding the attached photographs.
BOB CROTON - March 2011 photographs
I had totally forgotten that the plight of RSL1654 had been brought to my attention by Bob Croton, in March 2011, during one of his frequent visits to Malta.
I didn't think too much of it until 18 months later I visited myself and found RSL1654.
So I can't take all the credit for this, failed, campaign as it was Bob that first raised the problem.
Thank you Bob and apologies for not giving you this credit years ago.
Best wishes
Dave
The photographs below, from Bob, can be compared to the latest ones from Francis above. the deterioration is obvious but not as tangible as feeling the crumbling wooden structure.
I had totally forgotten that the plight of RSL1654 had been brought to my attention by Bob Croton, in March 2011, during one of his frequent visits to Malta.
I didn't think too much of it until 18 months later I visited myself and found RSL1654.
So I can't take all the credit for this, failed, campaign as it was Bob that first raised the problem.
Thank you Bob and apologies for not giving you this credit years ago.
Best wishes
Dave
The photographs below, from Bob, can be compared to the latest ones from Francis above. the deterioration is obvious but not as tangible as feeling the crumbling wooden structure.
Update December 2017
Click on the thumbnails to enlarge. |
Latest report from David Wilson from his visit in March 2017.
He describes her condition as the wood being 'Like Balsa wood, crumbling in your hand'. The sheer waste of this is quite upsetting when she could have been saved but that's what greed does, now she's beyond being saved. Photographs are from September 2016 as below. |
Marsaxlokk - Final resting place for RSL 1654?
I hope it is not her 'final resting place' but these photographs were taken by me, David Rose, at the end of September 2012. I took the photos from all angles around the fencing that I could. It had a locked gate so I could not get into the fenced area.
More photographs at the bottom of this page.
I asked a couple of people around the area but no-one knows who owns the launch.
It is imperative that we found out who owns it so that we can discuss our plans to have it mounted as a monument to 1151 Marine Craft Unit. Hopefully in the village of Marsaxlokk.
The location of these photographs is Marsaxlokk opposite what was the hangar and workshop for RAF Marine Craft Unit 1151 (see photograph directly below this text box) and behind what was the RAF Malta sailing club.
See at the bottom of this page for a Google Earth image of the location. RSL 1654 is right in the middle of the picture. Click on any of these pictures for a bigger image.
More photographs at the bottom of this page.
I asked a couple of people around the area but no-one knows who owns the launch.
It is imperative that we found out who owns it so that we can discuss our plans to have it mounted as a monument to 1151 Marine Craft Unit. Hopefully in the village of Marsaxlokk.
The location of these photographs is Marsaxlokk opposite what was the hangar and workshop for RAF Marine Craft Unit 1151 (see photograph directly below this text box) and behind what was the RAF Malta sailing club.
See at the bottom of this page for a Google Earth image of the location. RSL 1654 is right in the middle of the picture. Click on any of these pictures for a bigger image.