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The Old Boat Wreck in Salhouse Broad


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I too was told, in my youth that it was an old WW1 motor gun boat, and that she was built of teak which probably explains her longevity. I remember as a kid climbing over her, the foredeck was still complete in those days, but I never had the courage to go inside far to many spooks for me.

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  • 3 months later...

Hi

Bit late I know but ....

I took a picture of the wreck at salhouse in July (hope that I've managed to upload it OK!)

There have been some interesting coments on this on the BMPT forum which I have just noticed today, having not checked over there for a while. Some may remember that I was searching for information on a mystery MTB at Horning which was amongst a colection of photos from the 1950s which were sunbmitted for my website. That mystery MTB was identified as being MTB 653, and I have since learned that it was indeed at Horning and it had part of the superstructure removed to allow it to get under the bridges at Yarmouth and Acle. So that you know what I'm talking about, you can find a photo of that boat at the top of this page:

http://www.broadlandmemories.co.uk/page62.html

Back to the British Military Powerboat Forum ... it seems that the wreck at Salhouse is thought to possibly be the remains of MTB 653. However, as I have seen pictures of 653 dating from the 1970s it doesn't tie in with Barry's memories of the wreck being there during his childhood.

So this wreck would still seem to be a mystery , but perhaps Clive (C.Ricko) can help with this?

Carol

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I'm stunned they got that great big thing up the Bure, even if they did have to give it a haircut to get it up that far. I wonder what its draft is and how far it would get today?!

I didn't even realise they made MTB (Motor Torpedo Boat???) that size, that looks big enough to have been a WWII corvette.

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Hello,

This is what I wrote on the BMPT forum a while back, if she was a Fairmile D then she would have been 112 feet long but unladen not drawn more than about 3 or 4 feet if that, not much more than a sailing boat. if you are interested there are more 'anoracks' and info on Ex military houseboats on the broads here. http://www.bmpt.co.uk/forum_posts.asp?TID=282&PN=1 most of the info came from Carol.

Hi All,

I think I found the remains of MTB 653 a couple of months ago, if it is what I think it is.

I could not get a very good picture but will try again from the water or borrow a decent camera.

there is very little of her (presuming it is) but my reason for the assumption is the shape and length of her stem, it is dead straight and quite long. there is no deck, the aft disappears into some trees and 'pointing' to the right there is no starboard side in her, except for a couple of feet, there is probably 20-30 feet of the forward port withonly the interior visable, you can see numerous timbers/ frames which seem quite close together and the bow is quite sharp.

I am sorry for not having a photo to discuss but she is in the S/E corner of Salhouse broad in Norfolk, you cannot see her from google earth but is just to the top right of the 'boat shaped' clump of trees.

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Regarding the wreck at Salhouse, I was always lead to believe it was of WW1 vintage. I have recently been in touch with a chap from Salhouse who reckons she is a WW1 torpedo towing boat, was converted to a private yacht between the wars and was sunk during WW11 to prevent seaplanes landing. By the end of hostilities she was beyond economical repair and was towed to where she now lays to end her days. He says that allegedly when she sunk she had a grand piano on board.

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I love an unsolved mystery too .... but I'd rather have it solved!

I've been on the trail of MTB 653 for a while now ... just when you think the trail has gone cold, up pops some new information!! :clap

Barry ... thanks for having a word with your contact at Salhouse.... that is very inetersting. If it's not our MTB then it would be equally fascinating to find out which boat it was. There have been so many ex-military craft on the Broads over the years. Hopefully Clive will go along and have a closer look with some of the members of the BMPT forum and be able to tell us a bit more about what it actually is.

Whilst I would sort of love it to be my MTB so that the mystery of what happened to her is solved, I have to say that I still do have my doubts. I have photos of MTB 653 moored at Norwich in the early 1970s .... as they already removed part of the superstructure to get her up to Horning in the late 40s/early 50s, and must have had to do the same to get her on to the Southern rivers by 1971 I wonder whether they would have gone to the trouble of doing it all for a third time to get her back on to the Northern rivers?

These are MTB 653 at Norwich c 1971/72.

Carol

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Hi Carol,

reading back i was wrong to suggest the wreck is MTB 653, as you say she was moved south and it would have been unlikely she would have been moved back up.

I suspect she was moved to Norwich when Frank Wild dug the basin at Horning as there would have been no access as previously there was a footpath along the riverbank from the thatched boatshed on the corner of Ferry view estate.

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What happened to the MTB that was a bit worse for wear moored in Norwich ?

That's what I'm still trying to find out .... I think the trail goes cold after the Norwich pictures were taken.

Hi Clive .... it will still be extrememly interesting to find out what the wreck actually is! At least I now have confirmation of where MTB 653 was during the 50s and early 60s so many thanks for that!! cheers

Carol

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Trevor

I think the one you refer to is MTB 102, she was a Dunkirk "little Ship" and was rebuilt by the makers of the film The Eagle has landed. The trust that own her have I believe just bought Newsomes yard at Oulton Broad where she will be kept along with any other military craft that they can find. Newsomes do have a history of restoring these type of craft. The B.M.P.T. forum is worth a visit The British Military Powerboat Trust.

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What is the one that the Sea Scouts or cadets have up in Norwich? The one that's moored next to that hideous wooden floating Chinese eatery?

Trevor

http://www.normanboats.co.uk

If you refer to the current grey ship - I seem to remember that it was a cast off from the swedish navy and replaced the more shippy looking vessel that served them well. Regarding the Chinese mock junk eatery place it just goes to show that some sort of control would be welcomed to stop this sort of eye-sour springing up. It used to be a perfectly respectable dutch barge and a pleasure to dine in.

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I don't know if this has been mentioned elsewhere but has anyone spotted what looks like a small MTB moored in the grounds of the riverside property near Church bend on the Bure?

This is the one that has the small thatched summerhouse down by the edge of the river

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