Do you know that in 1968 alone, we put more ships/submarines on the official disposal list than there are ships in the whole of the 2010 Royal Navy ?

  I remember well when the carrier Eagle paid off for disposal. A great big 'Paying-off-Ball' was arranged in London, at THE London Hilton in Park Lane, on Saturday 29th April 1972. It was a pretty posh do with tickets costing £13.50 each which was a goodly amount of money back then. The big band sound of Jo Loss was the star attraction.

  This is a Snippet from the Houses of Parliament Records.

HANSARD 1803–2005 → 1970s → 1977 → March 1977 → 11 March 1977 → Written Answers (Commons) → DEFENCE
Warships HC Deb 11 March 1977 vol 927 cc679-82W
MR WALL - Mr Wall was the MP for HALTEMPRICE, in March 1977, in the East Riding of Yorkshire. asked the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the number of warships disposed of, and their names, in each of the past 10 years.
MR WELLBELOVED - Mr Wellbeloved was the MP for Bexley, Erith and Crayford in SE London, abolished in the 1977 general election and replaced by two constituencies, viz, Erith & Thamesmead and Bexleyheath & Crayford.
Those of Her Majesty's ships that have been formally placed on the disposal lists over the last 10 years are listed below:

1967 - HMS's Adamant Alderney Anchorite Badminton Bevington Caunton Dampier Dubford Flockton Gifford Ilmington Lanton Picton Rennington Santon Talent Tarlton (HAM) Thermopylae Token Victorious TOTAL 20	1968 - HMS's Aisne Alaric Alcide Ambush Amphion Appleton Artful Blackwood Brearly Bryansford Cambrian Carhampton Carlbeston Carysfort Chilcompton Citadel Crofton Dainty Daring Dark Adventurer Dark Hussar Dark Intruder Defender Delight Diamond Dufton Girdle Ness Grafton Kemerton Kildarton Letterston Loch Fada Loch Fyne Loch Killisport Lofoten Maidstone Maryton Moorpout Mull of Kintyre Murray Pellew Penston Plover Portcullis Protector Relentless Rodington Sullington Taciturn Tiptoe Trump Urania Zest TOTAL 53	1969 - HMS's Acheron Astute Boulston Brave Borderer Brave Swordsman Burnaston Coniston Crossbow Dark Gladiator Dark Hero Dartington Fiskerton Medway Verulam TOTAL 14	1970 - HMS's Amerton Anzio Auriga Centaur Dalswinton Decoy Derriton Diana Houghton Kingsford Ledsham Leverton Manxman Puncheston Quainton Stalker Striker Tracker TOTAL 18	1971 - HMS's Agincourt Alverton Artemis Barrosa Blaxton Bottisham Cavalier Chelsham Corunna Eagle Hartland Point Invermoriston Lion Oulston Tyne TOTAL 15	1972 - HMS's Albion Alliance Belton Dieppe Malcolm Rapid Ulster TOTAL 7	1973 - HMS's Aeneas Blackpool Caprice Maddiston Palliser Puma Russell Scarborough Tabard Tenby Undaunted Wilkieston TOTAL 12	1974 - HMS's Andrew Ashton Chawton TOTAL 3	1975 - HMS's Berryhead Grampus Grenville Highburton Rorqual Vidal Whitby TOTAL 7	1976 - HMS's Exmouth Fittleton Hampshire Keppel Leopard Llandaff Mermaid Narwhal Reward Woolaston TOTAL 10

  It should be noted and recognised that many of these vessels had been decommissioned and awaiting decisions of disposal long before they were actually disposed either to breakers-yards or to purchase by foreign navies.

  The vessels listed in the disposal list above are listed and registered in Callsign documents from the 50's onwards (Indicatifs D'Appel for example) but elsewhere also in ACP113 etc, but that long term plans in the Admiralty had sidelined these ships as being no longer required in the 'new' navy, i.e., that of the period 1970 onwards, even though, clearly from the Disposal List, some saw service in the first half of the 70's: but regrettably, they were not on the list post mid-1974 onwards! If you have a need to know any of the callsigns of ships listed in the disposal list, please get in touch. Thank you.