A new statue marking the 150th anniversary of Naval training on the River Dart has been formally unveiled at Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC) by Sir Donald Gosling KCVO.
The statue, known as the The Watchkeeper, was erected last November, and stands in the College grounds looking out over the River Dart. Sir Donald, an honorary Rear Admiral in the Royal Naval Rerserve (RNR), the Vice Admiral of the United Kingdom and a keen supporter of the Royal Navy, performed the formal unveiling in front of an assembled group which included the current Commanding Officer of BRNC, Captain Jerry Kyd, two former Commanding Officers and the Mayor of Dartmouth, Councillor Paul Allen. During the ceremony commissioning prayers were said by Royal Navy Chaplain the Reverend James Tabor, who is based at BRNC.
The statue is based on an existing design from Peter Hicks Ltd of Devizes. It is a classic representation of a World War 2 bridge watchkeeper, and also recognises last year’s 70th anniversary of the Battle of Atlantic. The plinth, funded by the Britannia Association, is engraved with a quote taken from a letter written by Sir Francis Drake to Sir Thomas Wolsingham in 1587. It reads: “There must be a beginning of any great matter, but the continuing unto the end until it be thoroughly finished yields the true glory.’
Capt Kyd said: “We are enormously grateful to Sir Donald and the Britannia Association for their support and we are honoured that Sir Donald himself was able to come to the College to carry out the formal unveiling. The words on the plinth seem particularly apt given BRNC’s role in providing training to young Officers at the start of their careers, many of whom have gone on to serve our country with distinction and courage.”
Sir Donald served in the Royal Navy during World War 2, on board the cruiser HMS Leander. He was first appointed to the RNR by Her Majesty The Queen in 1993, initially in the rank of Captain. He is a generous benefactor to Naval charities and a trustee of the Fleet Air Arm museum, and is the Vice President of Seafarers UK. Sir Donald also has a long association with the White Ensign Association. In April 2012, he became Vice Admiral of the United Kingdom, an honorary position subordinate to the Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom, His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh.
Dartmouth’s connection with Royal Navy training began in 1863 when HMS Britannia, the former Flagship of the Crimean War, sailed to take up new moorings in the River Dart. The ship was by then acting as a cadet training ship and was later joined in the river by HMS Hindostan. Training moved ashore with the opening of the College building of today in 1905.
