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H.M.S. CAPRICE 1959-1960 Scarce publication on the newly refitted Royal Navy C-Class Destroyer HMS Caprice and documenting her first voyage after the modernisation refit

Published circa 1960, this is a scarce 52 page publication about the newly refitted Royal Navy C-Class Destroyer HMS Caprice and her first voyage after the modernisation refit HMS Caprice was a C-class destroyer of the Royal Navy, ordered on 16 February 1942 from Yarrow, Scotstoun. She was originally to be named HMS Swallow but this was changed to Caprice before launch to fit her revised class name. She is the only British warship to have had this name. She was adopted by the Civil Community of Bexley and Welling, as part of the Warship Week programme. Following the war Caprice paid off into reserve. Along with other Ca group destroyers she was selected for modernisation by Yarrow in 1959. Work included a new enclosed bridge and Mark 6M gunnery fire control system, as well as the addition of two triple Squid anti-submarine mortars. Following the refit, Caprice was sent to the Far East, joining the 8th Destroyer Flotilla at Singapore. She remained in the Far East for four years before returning to Britain. On 1 January 1961, she was on passage from Hong Kong to Singapore when she responded to a distress signal from the Panamanian freighter SS Galatea, which had run aground on Pearson Reef in the Spratly Islands. Caprice saved 20 of the 21-man crew of Galatea, but Galatea's captain fell into the sea during the rescue attempts and died. Two of Caprice's crew were awarded the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct for their part in the rescue. The book is 11 inches tall, soft cover format. Some marking to covers, internally noticeable page corner creasing, with other edge creasing wear else in good acceptable condition.