1949: HMS IMPLACABLE's Last Voyage | BBC Television Newsreel | Retro Transport | BBC Archive 

Where is that?

Because it was an ennemy ship : french ...

Stupidity

I was too expensive to turn into a museum ship. After her sinking there was more emphasis on keeping other ships such as HMS Belfast and HMS victory.

So sad, all that history gone. Unforgivable decision by short-sighted politicians who were as out of touch with their community then, as they are now. I wonder how long it was till it dawned on them that wood, has a very useful tendency to float!

If they felt they *had* to sink it, would have been more interesting to see how it would stand up to modern naval gunfire. At least get some target practice out of it.

They saved some parts for a museum, but to get the whole thing out in one piece and find somewhere that could display it- you'd surely have to build a large room specifically for it in practice- would be extremely expensive, and perhaps beyond the capabilities of the time. Besides, the whole country was poor, it would either have been a very expensive endeavour with no fees to help cover the expense or with fees that few people had spare cash for. It is impressive that the structure survived for so long though. I am surprised that it had been used in the twentieth century as a training vessel, perhaps it was simply to help sailors get their sea legs and get used to moving about and working in cramped spaces while feeling the deck roll under their feet, which would translate to any vessel they might go on to serve on.

@@danyoutube7491 I was imagining them dragging the old ship into a seaside village's port and leaving it there. Something to look at, as the tourists drove by. Photo opportunities. An adventure playground for the kids, perhaps? Health & Safety laws weren't that complicated, I would imagine. 🙂👍

@@jasonayres Ah right, that would be more feasible.

@@jasonayres Not much of a mass tourist industry in 1949. Would have been a few better offs, but rationing was stiil in force, only lifted in the 50s IIRC. People forget how desperate life was in GB post-war, any spare capacity was spend rebuilding the bombed out cities and building up the NHS. Only the Americans might have had the moolah to buy the hulk, but they had other priorities.

Post WW2 Britain private wealth was scarce, and public money's priority was reconstruction and debt-payment.

its wood...

Perhaps not very polluting, it would after all have been predominantly wooden and therefore biodegradeable. It probably provided a structure for marine life to grow on.

Oh yeah, you’re damn right.

cupio dissolvi is a perfect name for this mental trap.