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HMAS VAMPIRE Gun Club tankard

Date1969

Object number00045831

NameTankard

MediumSilver

DimensionsOverall: 88 x 98 x 68 mm, 204 g

ClassificationsCommemorative artefacts

Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Terry Goodwin

Terms

DescriptionThe HMAS VAMPIRE Gun Club awarded this silver plated tankard to an unknown recipient in 1969. The Gun Club was one of many sporting teams sanctioned by the Royal Australian Navy including sports such as rugby, soccer, cricket, league, AFL, boxing and basketball. Each ship had its own team for all or some of these sports helping to develop team camaraderie of the ship's company.HistoryVAMPIRE is a ship from another era - the last of the big destroyers built in Australia at the former premier shipbuilding facility on Cockatoo Island, Sydney - which closed in 1991. It is the last Australian example of a 'gun ship', ships which used guns as their primary armament and still relied to an extent on the skill of the gunners. Modern frigates might carry a single highly automated turret gun, but their real firepower comes from guided missiles. HMAS VAMPIRE was the last of three Daring class destroyers originally ordered in 1946, VAMPIRE was built in Australia between 1952 and 1956 and commissioned in 1959. They were a British design dating from the latter stages of World War II and they went, it has been said, 'so far beyond accepted destroyer design that many naval authorities claimed they should be classified light cruisers'.VAMPIRE's sister ships were VOYAGER (commissioned 1957) and VENDETTA (commissioned 1958). A fourth ship - WATERHEN - was planned but never ordered. During its 27-year career, VAMPIRE steamed some 808,000 nautical miles. A large proportion of Royal Australian Navy personnel both past and present have served at some time in VAMPIRE, which became affectionately known as 'The Bat'. Decommissioned in 1986 for the final time, VAMPIRE was put on display at the Australian National Maritime Museum where it remains one of the most popular exhibits. SignificanceThis tankard is representative of the Royal Australian Navy HMAS VAMPIRE and recreational sporting clubs on board naval ships.