Holyhead Marine and Sydney Pilot Boats.

Sharp the second Sydney Pilot Boat - © Vessels at Holyhead. 

Here's a good quiz question - what is the connection between Holyhead and Sydney?

The answer, hat tip to the blog Vessels at Holyhead, is pilot boats as explained in the Sydney Ports Newsletter April 2012:

New Pilot Boat on Track for September
It has yet to be launched and is yet to be named but, if all goes to plan, Sydney Ports will have its first new pilot boat in 23 years in September this year.

The first of two new boats on order, construction of the 16 metre vessel is well underway and is expected to begin sea trials in late June. [2012]

It is being built by North Wales based Holyhead Marine which has more than 40 years experience designing and building work boats, tugs and pilot boats for clients around the world.

Our second boat is also being built there and will be ready for trials towards the end of the year.

Harbour Master Philip Holliday says our old boats have earned their pending retirement having served us well for up to 31 years.

“Our crews have developed strong bonds with our old boats and it won’t be easy for them to say goodbye but our new vessels have a proven track record in numerous ports around the world and I’m confident they’ll become respected work horses on the Sydney Ports fleet.

“They have double chine hulls that handle big seas very well and each will have two 600-horsepower Scania engines capable of driving these 24-tonne boats at better than 25 knots.

Philip said the first boat is expected to be shipped to Australia in September and ready for use later that month.

See also: Sydney Ports October 2012 Newsletter - The First of Three New Pilot Vessels Arrives.

It's good to see that not only do we import ships from down under, we also export some there too, and is further confirmation of the growing success story that is Holyhead Marine

For more pictures of  'Sharp' the second pilot boat see the blog Vessels at Holyhead.

No. 456 Squadron RAAF

HAMPSHIRE, ENGLAND. 1943-09-23. AIRCREW MEMBERS OF A MOSQUITO NO. 456 SQUADRON RAAF OF FIGHTER COMMAND BASED AT RAF STATION MIDDLE WALLOP. LEFT TO RIGHT: 409368 FLYING OFFICER (FO) M. N. AUSTIN, MELBOURNE, VIC; 411157 WARRANT OFFICER A. S. MCEVOY, SYDNEY, NSW; 411411 FO R. S. WILLIAMS, PATONGA BEACH, NSW; 404891 FLIGHT LIEUTENANT G. PANITZ, SOUTHPORT, QLD; 403330 PILOT OFFICER (PO) G. F. GATENBY, BATEMANS BAY, NSW; 404897 PO J. M. FRASER, BRISBANE, QLD; 404543 FO J. W. NEWELL, MAREEBA, QLD; 403128 PO A. M. ABBEY, COFFS HARBOUR, NSW; 414280 FO S. D. P. SMITH, BRISBANE, QLD; 403654 FLIGHT SERGEANT A. J. KEATING, SYDNEY, NSW (IN FRONT).

"No. 456 squadron was formed on 30 June 1941 with Defiant aircraft, as a night fighter unit. This was at RAF Valley with only a few RAAF personnel to begin with.

Operations began on 5 September 1941 with the squadron already converting to Beaufighters. The Defiants left in December. On January 1942 the squadron’s first success took place with the shooting down of a Do 217. Until March 1943 the squadron flew defensive night patrols over the Irish Sea but during 1942 the Beaufighters also supplemented day fighters on convoy patrols. 1942 was also spent developing techniques of co-operation with searchlights.

The first few months of 1943 saw the squadron converting from Beaufighters to Mosquito II aircraft. With the new aircraft, the squadron began intruder patrols over France and undertook daylight sweeps over the Biscay coast with the objective of catching enemy fighters trying to engage Coastal Command’s anti-submarine aircraft. In March 1943 the squadron moved to RAF Middle Wallop and in October it was concentrated at RAF Colerne.

In February 1944 the squadron moved from Wales to RAF Ford and flew night defensive patrols over southern England using Mosquito VI and XVII aircraft. The squadron was also involved in countering the flying bomb attacks.In December 1944, the squadron was moved to RAF Church Fenton and converted to Mosquito 30 aircraft. It worked to protect Bomber Command bases against fighter attack.

In March 1945 it transferred to RAF Bradwell Bay in East Anglia to fly bomber support missions over Germany. These operations lasted until the end of the war.

The squadron was disbanded on 15 June 1945."

Sources:

Wikipedia
National Cold War Exhibition