Medusa's 60th birthday
Monday 20 October 2003 marked the 60th birthday of Harbour Defence Motor Launch 1387 — latterly HMS Medusa. Medusa is a Second World War gunboat, and is in the Core Collection.
The original intention for her birthday was that she would be taken back to her builder's yard at Poole, now occupied by Sunseeker Yachts, where the Mayor and Mayoress of Poole would have joined the ship. Unfortunately, a gale warning was issued on Sunday night, and it was considered imprudent to subject the 60-year-old vessel to a sea passage in a force eight gale, so the birthday commemoration was transferred to her base in Southampton.
In a short speech, the vessel's Skipper, Mike Boyce, welcomed on board Medusa's last Naval Captain, Rear Admiral Roger Morris, CB, now retired, and also her last Naval Chief Engineer, Derek Sheraton, both of whom had paid the vessel off, out of Naval service, in 1963. Mike also paid tribute to the hard work of the volunteers, which had ensured the vessel's survival to her 60th year.
After proposing a toast to the vessel, guest of honour Admiral Morris cut a 60th birthday cake, which had been baked and iced by the wife of one of the vessel's supporters. Admiral Morris's 60th birthday present to Medusa was her original bell, which he purchased from the Admiralty when he paid the vessel off. Although she was built in 1943, the bell has the date 1961 inscribed upon it. This is because, originally, she had no name, just a number, but was named HMS Medusa in 1961, and the bell was then inscribed with her name and the date when the name was bestowed.
Medusa has recently been awarded a 'Project Grant' from the Heritage Lottery Fund to enable a full survey of the vessel to be carried out. Once this has been done, the information gleaned will be used in an application for a full lottery grant and, if this is successful, she will receive a major refit which will enable her, perhaps, to continue at sea for another 60 years.
Mike Boyce
Published 10 November 2003