THIS WEEK IN 1973: HMS Hampshire back in action
Hampshire's own warship '“ the 5,000-ton County Class guided missile destroyer HMS Hampshire '“ was a ship of which her crew, the dockyard (in whose hands she had been for four years undergoing a major refit) and the county were proud.
While there was an impression the Fleet was getting smaller, commanding officer J Beeson said: '˜As long as we build first class ships and man them with first class men, we have no fear for the future.' Pictured is the commanding officer's wife, Anne Beeson, and the ship's youngest rating James Craw, 16, cutting the commissioning cake.Â