Arethusa at Upnor

      1933-1973

 

Who and what we are:

 

There have been two Arethusa Training Ships, both run by the charity "Shaftesbury Homes" which is still in existence today. These started life to provide a refuge and give schooling to children (boys) who had been sleeping rough on the streets of London. Through the years they still existed to give a start in life to disadvantaged children of one form or another and all boys left to start a maritime career. 

 

The fourth HMS Arethusa (a 50-gun wooden-walled frigate – built in 1849) became the first TS Arethusa in 1874 and remained in service in this guise until 1933. She was moored on the Thames at Greenhithe in the company of several other training ships. When she became un-seaworthy she was scrapped in 1933.

 

A replacement for her was found: a German four-masted barque – the "Peking" (built 1911). The Peking was converted for service as a training ship, renamed "Arethusa" and re-located to the River Medway. She was moored off the village of Lower Upnor; a couple of miles downstream from Rochester in Kent.

 

The "Peking-Arethusa" stayed in service until 1973 when she became un-economical to run.  She was sold to the South Street Seaport Museum in New York, who had her towed across the Atlantic where she is now being re-converted to her Peking sailing ship condition. She is an excellent example of a large, latter-day, cargo-carrying sailing ship (3191 tons).

 

The Arethusa Old Boys' Association was inaugurated in September 1990. All our member Old Boys have two things in common: We were all on one of the Arethusa Training Ships and we all left the Arethusa to pursue a nautical career in either the Royal or Merchant Navy…

 

It has now become traditional for us to have a Reunion (and AGM) on the first weekend in September each year – at Upnor. One of our primary aims is to maintain and encourage contact between Old Boys of the Arethusa Training Ships, wherever they may be.  Our membership is currently 400+ and we have 'boys' representing all years on board from 1928 through 1973.

 

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