HSL 142

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aukepalmhof
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Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 1:28 am

HSL 142

Post by aukepalmhof » Fri Feb 12, 2016 7:38 pm

A new stamp issue commemorating the 75th anniversary of the RAF Search and Rescue Force is released by Jersey Post on 6 February 2016. The six stamps and Souvenir Sheet feature dramatic search and rescue scenes created by illustrator, Sharif Tarabay.
“In 1940, during The Battle of Britain, the British found that they were unprepared for a battle over the sea,” explains Chris Elligott, Philatelic Production Coordinator at Jersey Post. “It was clear that a better equipped and dedicated service was needed to recover airmen who had ditched or parachuted into the water and return them to their squadrons. As a result, the Air Ministry formed the Directorate of Air Sea Rescue to coordinate rescue efforts.”
The Air Sea Rescue Service was officially founded in February 1941 and adopted the motto, ‘The sea shall not have them.’ The six stamps in this issue depict specialised search and rescue vessels: a Lockheed Hudson aircraft responding to a distress flare, an air sea rescue high speed launch, a Supermarine Walrus seaplane rescuing two pilots in a dinghy, a Westland Whirlwind helicopter carrying out a winch rescue from a sinking boat, a Westland Wessex helicopter flying above a stormy sea and a Westland Sea King helicopter about to carry out a cliff rescue.
“Over the years, RAF Search and Rescue has provided a vital service, both in a military context and for civilians who have found themselves in emergency situations,” continues Mr Elligott. “We’re very happy to be able to commemorate such a significant anniversary with this set of stamps.”
http://www.jerseystamps.com/en/News/Detail/65
The set of stamps and the MS depict rescue from sea and coast, only one stamp the 57p I have more detail on, she depict the HSL 142.
Built under yard No 1631 as a High Speed Launch (HSL) by the Power Boat Company at Hythe, Southampton.
Ordered by the South African Air Force but taken over by RAF during building.
Displacement 21.5 ton, dim. 19.20 x 5.33 x 1.14m.
Hull mahogany.
Powered by 3 Napier Sea Lion diesel engines, each 500 bhp, speed 36 knots.
Armament: 2 - 0.303mm Vickers MG, 2 – 0.303mm Lewis MG.
Crew 9
1940 Completed as the HSL 142.
On completion and after trials, she was taken on charge by the RAF at Calshot on 15th November 1940 and within a month allocated to serve with No. 22 ASR unit from Grimsby in December the same year. Two months later in February 1941 she was transferred to operate with several of her sisters with No. 27 ASRU from Dover. The HSLs were kept very busy and some suffered damage.
HSL 142 was back at Calshot for repairs in August 1941 before being re-allocated for further service with 71 ASRU which was based at Gibraltar.
She was received at Gibraltar in November 1941 and joined sister HSL 181 in the area. HSL 142 saw out most of the war at Gibraltar but was returned to 43 Group for more repairs on the 31st May 1944, and then taken to 85 Maintenance Unit at Felixstowe in August the same year.
HSL 142 was officially written off charge by the RAF on the 17th April 1945, and kept in reserve until she was offered for disposal through the Admiralty Small Craft Sales on the 25th November 1946 at Felixstowe.

Her post-war career is very sketchy, but she ended up as a houseboat on the River Thames. The current owner took up the offer of bringing the HSL to the Marchwood facility in order that the safe site and the local expertise could be used for continued restoration of the craft. HSL 142 arrived in April 2000 and is currently owned by Mick Dent. He needs assistance to ensure the project is completed, however of late, unfortunately very little progress has been made.

2004 Was she broken up at Marchwood, only her transom survived and is now in the Merston Aircraft Museum Hal.

Jersey 2016 57p sg?, scott? MSsg ?, scott?

Source: http://www.tangmere-museum.org.uk/artef ... launch-142
http://www.bmpt.org.uk/other_boats_hist ... /index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_Two_63_ft_HSL
Attachments
2016 Jersey Raf 1.png
25153.jpg

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