Royal Navy: Ex-Portsmouth ship HMS Scimitar transformed by Gosport workers into hospital ship MV Lady Jean

HMS Scimitar has been converted into the hospital ship MV Lady Jean following a construction project in Gosport. The former Scimitar-class patrol boat will now be operating in Africa as a medical vessel. Her heritage and new role was hailed at a naming ceremony in Portsmouth.

Engineers and specialists at UK Docks have been carrying out the conversion after the ship was purchased from the Royal Navy by the The Vine Trust charity, which runs medical and building expeditions in Tanzania. Charles Barley, UK Docks director at Endeavor Quay said: “It was an unusual and interesting project for us to work on and it brought several challenges we had to rise to as we worked through the conversion but it was really satisfying for the team.”

HMS Scimitar served alongside her sister ship HMS Sabre as part of the Gibraltar Squadron. They were tasked with protecting the British Oversea Territory’s waters from incursions. The patrol vessel has intercepted Spanish ships when they have entered Gibraltar’s waters. Notable incidents include ordering the Serviola-class patrol boat Atalaya to leave on May 3, 2011, and challenging the Descubierta-class corvette Infanta Cristina on April 4, 2017.

She also caused a diplomatic incident in 2009 where the Spanish claimed personnel were using a Spanish flag as target practice. As reported in the BBC, a bouy was used which had a red and yellow marker on it. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) clarified at the time the colours were those of a maritime signal flag used by Nato.

HMS Scimitar and HMS Sabre were brought back to the UK, where they operated in nearby waters for a short while before being decommissioned and sold. A ceremony was held at HMNB Portsmouth to honour their service on March 30, 2022. After the conversion work was completed, HMS Scimitar made a poignant final pass by HMS Sabre.

Mr Barley added: “It was quite touching at the end, seeing her alongside HMS Sabre for the last time and it’s great that she’s got new duties ahead of her. As HMS Scimitar, she did Royal Naval work which kept people safe, now, as the MV Lady Jean, she’s doing medical work which will protect people’s health.” HMS Scimitar was brought to Southampton where she was loaded onto a vessel and transport to Mombasa, Kenya.

She’s now due to be lifted onto specialist transport and moved to Lake Victoria in Tanzania. MV Lady Jean will be operating as a mobile medical boat and serving the numerous islands on the water. International defence company Babcock funded the year-long conversion and contracted the work out to UK Docks. MV Lady Jean was equipped with a new generator, galley with fridges, ovens, sinks, serving areas and an air conditioning unit. Her wheelhouse and forward were also converted.

Engineers completed a total redesign of the aft transom with guardrails, boarding steps and boarding platform, with a new engine being sourced, stripped down and rebuilt using parts from HMS Scimitar’s original parts. UK Docks managing director, Jonathan Wilson, said: “Our company carries out servicing and maintenance of vessels from the North East down to the South Coast and each project is unique in its own way. But the conversion of HMS Scimitar into the MV Lady Jean was particularly special. We would like to thank The Vine Trust and Babcock for entrusting us with the work and we wish the MV Lady Jean many years of successful service on Lake Victoria.”