Sailors mark end to Trafalgar class submarines

On 18 July sailors held Divisions to mark the formal end of the Trafalgar Class submarines in service

The formal act of decommissioning the last operational Trafalgar class submarine has been marked with an event in Devon.

The Royal Navy said HMS Triumph was the last remaining of seven Trafalgar class attack submarines, otherwise known at T-boats.

It said for more than four decades the seven submarines were the "forefront of underwater warfare".

Crews of the last two T-boats in service, Talent and Triumph, marked the occasion at HMS Drake in Devonport on Friday, with former Trafalgar class crews invited to join them.

HMS Triumph sailed from HM Naval Base Clyde in Argyll to HMNB Devonport in Plymouth in December

There was a colour party and guard comprising of submariners from Talent – which still has crew as part of the complex decommissioning process – and Triumph.

There were also veterans from the Royal Naval Associations and Royal British Legion on parade.

The salute was taken by Captain Dave Burrell, who served in a string of T-boats, was Executive Officer of both Talent and Triumph and, as skipper of HMS Trenchant, took her to the North Pole.

He was joined by Triumph's Sponsor, Lady Hamilton, whose husband was Armed Forces Minister when the boat was launched in February 1991.

Captain Burrell said he was mesmerised by the T-boats from the moment he first stepped aboard HMS Tireless in 2003.

He said: "The boat was a marvel, the people inspiring, and the mission was challenging."

The Trafalgar class vessels began to be phased out in 2009 after the first of the seven successor Astute class submarines arrived.

Collectively T-boats served for more than 200 years and Triumph completed the longest career of the seven submarines with 34 years.

Captain Burrell concluded his address with a brief eulogy for the class of submarines: "It is time to rest easy Trafalgar, Turbulent, Tireless, Torbay, Trenchant, Talent and Triumph.

"It's now someone else's turn."