No 102 saw service during World War II operating on the north east coast of England. During a 2 month period in 1941 she rescued 38 airmen from the cold waters of the North Sea including two German bomber crews. As a result of those successful missions in July of the same year she was inspected by King George VI and the Princess Elizabeth, now Queen Elizabeth II.
No 102 was bought by an enthusiastic owner in the early 1990's and underwent an extensive restoration, today she is operated by Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust and receives funding from the National Heritage Memorial Fund. She is available for charter.
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it's beautiful! is it the age that makes these boats so lovely? did old boat builders have a better sense of design? or is it nostalgia (not for war, but for days when things were built well)? Will our few service launches puttering about today be as beautiful to people in 75 years? (will they last?)
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