The Worshipful Company of Upholders

The first 'HMS Upholder'

The Upholders' Company established a link with the first HMS 'Upholder' (1940-1942) during the second World War when the Worshipful Company adopted the submarine and sent the Ship's Company books, food parcels and many other comforts which, we believe, helped to relieve the austere conditions aboard a wartime submarine at that time.

The first submarine 'Upholder' had a short but illustrious career. She was ordered in 1939 on the morning after Britain went to war with Germany. She was launched on 8th July 1940 from the Barrow Shipyard by Mrs. Doris Thompson, wife of Hubert Thompson, a director of the builders, Vickers Armstrong Ltd., and completed on 31st October of that year. After a short work-up in the Clyde Areas she sailed for the Mediterranean under the command of Lieutenant Commander M. D. Wanklyn, RN., arriving in Malta on 12th January, 1941. Her officers and crew saw 16 months of virtually unceasing action, completing 24 patrols before being lost with all hands in April 1942.

During her 16 months' service with the 10th Submarine Flotilla, HMS Upholder sank or damaged 22 enemy ships! This tally included three U-boats (sunk), two destroyers (one sunk one damaged), one cruiser (damaged) and she had damaged or sunk some 119,000 tons of enemy supply ships. As a result of this valiant record the Board of Admiralty was prompted to make the following Communiqué:-

OFFICIAL ADMIRALTY COMMUNIQUÉ

The Board of Admiralty regrets to announce that H.M. Submarine UPHOLDER (Lieutenant Commander M. D. Wanklyn, V.C., D.S.O., R.N.) has been lost.
Next of kin have been informed.
It is seldom proper for Their Lordships to draw distinction between different services rendered in the course of naval duty, but they take this opportunity of singling out those of H.M.S. UPHOLDER, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Wanklyn, for special mention. She was long employed against enemy communications in the Central Mediterranean, and she became noted for the uniformly high quality of her services in that arduous and dangerous duty. Such was the standard of skill and cool intrepidity set by Lieutenant Commander Wanklyn and the officers and men under him that they and their ship became an inspiration not only to their own Flotilla, but to the fleet of which it was part and Malta, where for so long it was based. The ship and her company are gone, but the example and the inspiration remain.

Lt. Cdr. M. D. Wanklyn, V.C., D.S.O., R.N. was also able to cause a few problems to the College or Arms, the Ship Naming Committee and the Ministry of Defence (as well as the enemy) as the following captions may illustrate - click on the centre one if you would like to read the short story - it takes a few seconds to load (but it's worth it!) the 'wingers' are just enlargements of the two crests.

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We only have two images of the first HMS Upholder - they can be viewed if you wish - black and white, naturally!

The second 'HMS Upholder'

The second submarine named 'Upholder' was built by VSEL for the Royal Navy and launched by Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent on 2nd December 1986. Her first Captain was Lieutenant Commander G.A.R. McCready, M.B.E., R.N., who was appointed in Command of HMS Upholder in November 1987. After much deliberation she was also allowed to sail under Wanklyn's crest, not the official one.

She was Commissioned on 9th June, 1990. The Commissioning ceremony marks the climax of all the varied aspects of completion - the fitting out, the drafting and training of the crew and the appointment of the Officers. The Commissioning Warrant is the authority for the Captain to commission the ship and command her and the Ship's Company on Her Majesty's Service. These photographs were taken to celebrate her Commissioning:-

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HMS Upholder - 'nearly home' A copy of The First day cover

HMS Upholder - surfaced at sea

The Worshipful Company immediately adopted the new HMS Upholder as soon as she was Commissioned and presented Lt. Cdr. McCready and the Ship's Company with a silver model of the first HMS Upholder which was displayed in the submarine's Trophy Cabinet throughout her Commission.

Members of the Court and Liverymen of the Worshipful Company enjoyed some memorable visits to the ship when she was in London and we were taken on guided tours and shown some of the truly amazing technology that seemed to fill every available 'nook and cranny'. A few members of the Company were privileged to go to sea in her.  One regular visitor in  the ship's early days was the Duchess of Kent who was affectionately known as 'Auntie Kate' by the crew.

Similarly, the Worshipful Company entertained the Captain, Officers and crew at many of the Company's Court Dinners when the ship was docked in, or near, London. We like to think that the Ship's Company regarded this as 'a bit of a treat'. They certainly seemed to enjoy themselves! The photograph below shows Past Master A. V. Kinsey speaking at his Installation Dinner at Goldsmiths' Hall on 18th April, 1991 when a number of the Ship's Company were present.

This new HMS Upholder was a 'First-of-Class' and the first new diesel electric submarine to enter service with the Royal Navy for some twenty years. The new 'Upholder Class' was, unfortunately, not to stay in service for many years and HMS Upholder was de-Commissioned at the end of April 1994. The rest of the fleet of Upholder Class submarines were all de-Commissioned over the next few months. The photos' below show the Upholder diving at sea and the last RN crew of the boat  assembled on deck (at a different time!).

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All articles and images © 1998 The Worshipful Company of Upholders