She was the smallest vessel to ever serve as a flagship for the Royal Navy.[1]
Construction
Designed by Commander Peter Du Cane, the Managing Director of Vosper Ltd, in 1936. She was launched and completed at Portsmouth in 1937, bought by the Admiralty and taken into service with the Royal Navy as MTB 102, the 100 series denoting a prototype vessel. She had an all-wood hull, described as "double diagonal Honduras mahogany on Canadian rock elm".
MTB 102 was sold off after the war, and converted to a private motor cruiser on the North Sea.
In April 1966, in an unseaworthy condition and partially converted into a houseboat, she was bought from Robinson's boatyard Oulton Broad by Derek Brown. Brown single-handedly completed extensive work and eventually relaunched MTB 102.
In 1973 she was acquired by the 1st Blofield and Brundall Sea Scouts, of Norfolk, in whose care she remained until 1995 when ownership passed to the MTB102 Trust. The vessel came with the purchase of the plot of land used as the group's water-base at Brundall Marina, on Hobros Dyke.
The MTB 102 Trust was established in 1996 to fund the operation and maintenance of MTB 102; it is a registered charity under English law.[5]
Several changes of engines have occurred over her life. The original Italian Isotta Fraschini engines became difficult to maintain during the early part of the war as Italy was allied to Germany, though they lasted until replaced after the war when MTB 102 was converted to civilian use. In 1985 Perkins Ltd donated two turbocharged diesel engines, and in 1996 and 2002 Cummins Marine provided new engines.[4]
102 appeared as herself in the 2017 war film Dunkirk.[6]
Hudson, Geoffery (1989). "MTB-102: First of the Many". In Gardiner, Robert (ed.). Warship 1989. London: Conway Maritime Press. pp. 126–144. ISBN0-85177-530-6.
Lambert, John; Ross, Al (1993). Allied Coastal Forces of World War II: Volume II: Vosper MTBs and US Elcos. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN0-85177-602-7.