As some of you may be aware the Submarine Heritage Centre has thanks to the generosity of Mr Joseph Mullen and the smooth talking of Terry Spurling,  recently taken over the Onyx, The Onyx was previously owned by the Warship Preservation Trust based on the Merseyside.

 The trust went into liquidation when the berth was required to build Flats and no other suitable berth could be found. The Trust also owned HMS Plymouth and HMS Bronington ( Which Prince Charles was one of her Commanding Officers and was frequently Sea Sick on)and also had on show the  German U-Boat U534,owned by Danish company Den Bla Avis, which retrieved it from the sea-bed after it was sunk in World War II. Apparently the Trust applied to all the local Councils but could not raise the necessary funds to keep going.

The  Onyx is now berthed at BAE shipyard in Barrow and in the care of the Submarine Heritage Centre in Barrow, it is hoped that the boat will eventually be moved to the small drydock adjacent the Dock Museum after which it will be open to visitors. The Fate of the remaining vessels is unknown although apparently Plymouth Council are in the market to take over the Plymouth.

If you or anyone you know sailed on the Onyx please go to the website below to register your details.www.submarineheritage.com

The Oberon Class of submarines built for the Royal Navy between 1959 and 1964 were a class of 13 Diesel Electric Boats, the first of class Oberon, Pennant No. S09, being built at HM Dockyard Chatham in 1959. They were capable of high underwater speeds, had improved detection equipment over the Porpoise Class and were able to maintain continuous submerged patrols in any part of the world, armed with homing torpedoes.   Before and abaft the bridge, glass reinforced plastic was used for the superstructure for the first time. The Oberon Class were acknowledged as the quietest submarines of their day and are considered the classic submarine of their era.     HMS Onyx S21 was constructed at Cammel Laird shipbuilders in Birkenhead. She was originally ordered by the Royal Canadian Navy and was launched in August 1966. Onyx was commissioned into service with the Royal Navy in 1967. HMS Onyx was the only non-nuclear powered submarine to take part in the Falklands War, where she was used in shallow water to land troops. In 1991 Onyx was decommissioned from the Navy, she was then on public display in Birkenhead as part of the Warship Preservation Trust.