#OnThisDay - 12 January 1922 On 12 January 1922, HMS Victory entered her final home at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. HMS Victory, the most famous ship in the history of the Royal Navy, is best known as Horatio Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805. In service for almost forty years, Victory served as the flagship to a series of distinguished Admirals becoming flagship of the Commander-in-Chief in 1889. After having her ballast removed on 16 December 1921, she moved into her permanent home at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard on 12 January 1922. 🖼️ HMS Victory Anchored off the Isle of Wight. Artist John Wilson Carmichael - 1847 National Museum of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth
My favourite W L Wyllie painting of Victory shows her in dry dock in 1928. Wyllie was instrumental in saving this great ship. I think the painting was later used by the Southern Railway to entice visitors to Portsmouth.
I was kindly given this by my colleagues at the UK Hydrographic Office chart maintenance unit prior to joining Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS), having spent time in the Royal Navy, the Victory was embedded in our way of life. It now takes pride of place in my home.
It certainly is we have a copy. The original is just awesome you see and feel so many stories
Stunning painting of an iconic ship.
Am not a naval man so be kind … ballast ? Is this to keep the ship stable in high seas ? And was it removed so it was not a dead weight whilst the ship was in storage ?
Great day out, well worth a visit 💙
Huzzah !
Former business owner, veteran, Chair, trustee, volunteer and fundraiser.
2wLovely painting but being a former Captain of this iconic ship, one that raises a couple of questions. The painting shows Victory in St Helen’s Roads (a recognised sea channel off St Helens on the Isle of Wight) in December 1805 shortly after her return from Gibraltar after the battle of Trafalgar and prior to her continuing round to Chatham to offload Nelson’s body. Carmichael was born in 1799, so unless he was only 6 when he painted it, we can assume artistic licence and interpretation was used. Victory was ‘trashed’ at Trafalgar and went to Gibraltar for jury-rig repairs to enable her to safely sail to Britain with Nelson’s body. The painting shows her in pretty good nick, far too good considering the state she would have been in. She is also flying a red ensign, whereas at Trafalgar, under Nelson, she was White Squadron and flew the white ensign. Of course, it may be that she may have been transferred to the Red Sqn at Gibraltar.