*British, 1983, HM Submarine Trafalgar – Two Original Photographs (One with HMS Illustrious), with Royal Navy Stamp*
Two Original Photographs of Submarine HMS Trafalgar. These photographs originally formed part of the Lou Britton British Submarine Collection, which was acquired by the Royal Navy Submarine Museum, Gosport in 2007.
Approximate Dimensions:
Photograph 1: 25.4cm x 20.3cm. Stamped on the reverse: “Royal Navy Public Relations, Flag Officer, Plymouth. Sep 1983. Neg No 318/6.” Typed note: “Leaving Plymouth after a hectic week end of Navy Days, HMS Illustrious passes close to HMS Trafalgar, the first of the Navy’s new class of nuclear powered hunter-killer submarines on her way into her home port for the first time. 31.8.83.”
Photograph 2: 25.4cm x 20.3cm. Stamped on the reverse: “Royal Navy Public Relations, Flag Officer, Plymouth. Sep 1983. Neg No 318/25.” Typed note: “HMS TRafalgar, first of the Navy’s new class of nuclear powered hunter-killer submarines arrives in Devonport for the first time. 31.8.83.”
HMS Trafalgar
HMS Trafalgar, the lead Trafalgar-class submarine, was the only one of her class not fitted with a pump-jet propulsion system, instead using a 7-bladed propeller. She was the fifth Royal Navy vessel named after the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar.
In 2002, Trafalgar became the first Royal Navy submarine to launch Tomahawk missiles against Afghanistan during Operation Veritas. She returned to Plymouth flying the Jolly Roger on 1 March. The submarine was involved in two grounding incidents near the Isle of Skye, in 1996 and again in 2002, the latter causing £5 million in damage and injuring three sailors. The 2002 incident led to court-martial reprimands for two officers. In 2012, a Royal Navy submariner was jailed for attempting to pass classified information, including details of a secret Trafalgar operation, to Russia.
Trafalgar was decommissioned on 4 December 2009 at Devonport.
HMS Illustrious
HMS Illustrious, a Royal Navy light aircraft carrier, was the second of three Invincible-class ships built in the late 1970s. Rushed into service for the Falklands War in 1982, she relieved HMS Invincible and was formally commissioned in 1983. Over her 32-year career, she participated in operations in Iraq, Bosnia, and Sierra Leone, aided British citizens during the 2006 Lebanon crisis, and served as a helicopter carrier after Harrier jets were retired in 2010. Following decommissioning on 28 August 2014, she was sold for scrap and towed to Turkey in 2016 despite initial preservation plans.
Built by Swan Hunter and launched in 1978, Illustrious was accelerated due to the Falklands conflict. She suffered a major gearbox failure in 1986 but was repaired and remained active in global exercises. In the 1990s, she enforced no-fly zones over Bosnia and Iraq, led Operation Palliser in Sierra Leone, and supported Afghanistan operations post-9/11. A 2003 refit improved her adaptability, allowing her to assist in humanitarian missions like Typhoon Haiyan relief in 2013. Her final years included NATO exercises before retiring alongside the introduction of HMS Queen Elizabeth.
*Condition*
Excellent used condition. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
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