Mystery of submarines at Latchford Locks solved!

THE mystery of three submarines pictured at Latchford locks during the 1960s by local photographer Eddie Whitham has been solved – thanks to a former crew member!

Mike Bound from Plymouth, was a crew member on HMS Alliance and seeing the pictures on warrington-worldwide brought his memories flooding back. Mike, now aged 75, was in his eary twenties when he sailed through Latchford locks, on a journey from Liverpool to Manchester to “show the flag”

He said:” The three submarines on the ship canal in May 1967 were HMS ALLIANCE. HMS TIPTOE. and I believe HMS ALCIDE.
“I was serving aboard the ALLIANCE and we docked in Salford docks for 3 or 4 days. We had an amazing time in Manchester including an evening with Tommy Trinder at Mr Smiths club with Matt Busby and members of the United team whom we had watched from the press box earlier in the day. I have never seen any pictures of the trip up the canal before!”
The photos at Latchford Locks had previously been thought to show HMS Explorer which used to do fuel trials using Full High Test Peroxide’, which was one of the principle products made at Laporte Chemicals, Baronet Works, Lower Walton.
The submarines used to dock at Liverpool and when in port the crews were shown over Baronet Works. The crews reciprocated with tours round the sub for staff members.
The photographs below were taken in May 1967, heading for Liverpool with the others heading to Manchester in March 1968.
Although there were three submarines they could only fit in the docks two at a time.
Mike, who was an electrician, remembers all too well having to stop and start four or five times at locks on the ship canal between Liverpool and Manchester.
Remarkably HMS Alliance is still around and on display at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum at Gosport. The Royal Navy A-class, Amphion-class or Acheron-class submarine, laid down towards the end of the Second World War and completed in 1947. The submarine is the only surviving example of the class, having been a memorial and museum ship since 1981.
The Amphion-class submarines were designed for use in the Far East, where the size of the Pacific Ocean made long range, high surface speed and relative comfort for the crew important features to allow for much larger patrol areas and longer periods at sea than British submarines operating in the Atlantic or Mediterranean had to contend with. Alliance was one of the seven A-class boats completed with a snort mast – the other boats all had masts fitted by 1949.

Meanwhile Mike would love to hear from any former colleagues who were crew members and can be contacted at [email protected]