HMS Belfast: Imperial War Museum’s Battle Ship on the River Thames

HMS Belfast, the battle ship on the Thames, has always been an object of interest for me ever since I went with my parents on a trip to London in 1973. Although I never got a chance to visit then, I always wanted to. Last weekend I finally got the chance after 45 years! I was not disappointed. The ship is fabulous and a ‘must visit’ for any naval history buff. I have been to ship museums all over the world but this is by far the best one (even better than the USS Intrepid in New York).

HMS Belfast is a Town-Class light cruiser built for the Royal Navy and commissioned in 1939. She was decommissioned in 1965 after seeing service in WWII and Korea; with a string of battle honours she was permanently moored as a museum ship on the River Thames in 1971. The ship is now operated by the Imperial War Museum. Her Latin motto ‘Pro Tanto Quid Retribuamus‘ means ‘For so much, how shall we repay?

The Ship

Soon after walking over the gangway we were escorted by our host to the Morgan Giles room, where we enjoyed a much-appreciated coffee. Incidentally the ship has a number of rooms to hire, suitable for events and receptions including the Admiral’s Quarters, the Ward Room and the Ship’s Dining Room. We toured the ship with a guide who showed us all the main areas including the radio room, mail room …

Mail Room

… sick bay and surgery …

Operating Theatre

… bridge …

Bridge

… NAFFI …

‘Tuck Shop’

… kitchen …

Food Prep Area

… dining area …

Dining Area

…accommodation …

Sleeping Quarters

… carpentry shop …

Carpentry Room

… as well as laundry room, sailmakers workshop and ships magazine. You can also do a handheld self-guided audio tour if you want to, at your own speed. There are load of things to see to get a flavour of what it was like to be one of the 950 crew at sea for months on end. There were even two ship cells for miscreants sleeping on watch, fighting or being drunk.

The Gun Turret

HMS Belfast was armed with eight dual water-cooled Mark V BOFORS 40mm anti-aircraft guns during the final stages of her career, which came in very handy during her time in the Far East. However, her main armament came from the 12 × 6-inch Mk XXIII guns (4 turrets of three) and the 12 × 4-inch Mk XVI dual purpose guns (6 turrets of two).

There is a great audio-visual display in one of the forard gun turrets about the guns being operated during the sinking of the German battleship Scharnhorst in 1943 during the battle of the North Cape.

The Escape Room

During our fabulous visit to HMS Belfast we were asked to test the new escape room attraction, ‘Damage Control. I have never done one of these before so didn’t know what to expect. The theme was naval-based (of course) with us playing four new ratings onboard the ship for the first time when an emergency occurs. I can’t say too much about the puzzles as this would spoil the surprise. However, it was great fun and if it hadn’t been for my dear wife and the kids I am sure the ship would have sunk without trace.

Essentially you are walked down a corridor and into a locked compartment, where you are then left …

You are then faced with a series of puzzles to navigate that can save the ship. There are clues all around and it gets quite intense! Inquisitive kids that can ‘think outside the box’ are an essential attribute. It’s just great fun and you learn a lot more about the ship as you go through. I recommend it (followed by a sticky bun and a nice cup of tea in the café).

The Final Word

Honestly, you could spend all day onboard HMS Belfast. You can, if you want to. Don’t forget the café for refreshments (it only accepts cash). Make sure the kids get to sit in the Admiral’s Chair on the Admiral’s Bridge and the Captain’s Chair on the Main Bridge. Also the guided tour is really worth it if you get a chance. Because of all the climbing up and down ladders, it’s a lot of fun. However, it’s also incredibly educational and both children learned a lot.

For more information please visit the HMS Belfast museum here.