Thames Nautical Training College

The Thames Nautical Training College, as it is now called, was, for over a hundred years, situated aboard ships named HMS "Worcester".

London shipowners, marine insurance underwriters and merchants subscribed to its founding as an institution which would provide trained officers for a sea-going career. The British Admiralty loaned the 50-gun 1500 ton frigate HMS "Worcester" for the scheme, and in 1862 the Thames Marine Officer Training School was opened. She was to find her eventual home off Greenhithe, in the Thames, in 1871, after temporary berths at Blackwall, Erith and Southend.

The college expanded and the Admiralty provided the college with HMS "Frederick William" (originally laid down as "Royal Sovereign"), a line-of-battle ship of 86 guns with screw propulsion. She was renamed "Worcester" and refitted in the Victoria Docks before being bought to Greenhithe in 1876. About this time the name of the school was changed to the Incorporated Thames Nautical Training College, HMS "Worcester" (ITNTC).

In 1938, the clipper "Cutty Sark" was acquired by the college and berthed alongside "Worcester" and during the Second World War some seamanship classes were held in the ship. In 1954 the "Cutty Sark" left Greenhithe to be docked permanently at Greenwich, where she is docked to this day.

With the onset of war in 1939, Worcester cadets moved to Foots Cray Place near Sidcup, and the ship was handed back to the Admiralty. The third Worcester (formerly HMS "Exmouth") arrived at Greenhithe in January 1946. She had previously been used as an accommodation ship at Scapa Flow. The ship, built in 1905, was the first specially commissioned training ship by the Royal Navy.

In 1968 the ITNTC became part of the Merchant Navy College at Greenhithe. The ship "Worcester" became redundant and was sold to be broken up in Belgium in 1978.

"Worcester" cadets, who automatically became Cadets of the Royal Naval Reserve during their time in the ship, entered the Royal Navy and British merchant navy on leaving "Worcester" and many rose to the highest ranks of their profession, including those who became commodores of leading merchant fleets. In the period up to 1946, two Victoria Crosses and one George Cross were awarded to former "Worcester" cadets. In 1876 Queen Victoria confirmed her interest in the ship by establishing the award of an annual Gold Medal to the cadet who, in the opinion of his shipmates, was most likely to make the best officer.

HMS "Worcester" was the London maritime interests' answer to HMS "Conway" which had been established in 1859 on the River Mersey as a training ship for Liverpool's burgeoning merchant fleet. Throughout their history "Worcester" and "Conway" were competitors, and the two met regularly on playing fields and in boats in keen sporting rivalry.

See also

* School ship
* HMS Worcester for other ships of the same name

External links

* [http://www.hms-worcester.co.uk/hstory1.html] -- "A history of HMS Worcester"
* [http://www.mscos.ac.uk] -- "The Marine Society College of the Sea"
* [http://www.hms-worcester.co.uk/] -- "The Association of Old Worcesters"
* [http://www.greenhithe.org.uk] -- "Merchant Navy College, Greenhithe"
* [http://www.portcities.org.uk/london/server/show/ConNarrative.149/chapterId/3083/Training-ships-on-the-River-Thames.html] -- "Training ships on the River Thames"