Rayleigh and Wickford MP and Armed Forces Minister, Mark Francois spent time aboard HMS Cavalier, the last surviving Royal Navy Destroyer from the Second World War, when he recently visited the historic dockyard at Chatham in Kent.
HMS Cavalier served in the latter part of WWII and had a reputation as one of the fastest ships in the fleet, able to sustain well over 30 knots on a high speed run. The ship was lovingly restored some years ago by a group of enthusiastic volunteers following a public appeal – to which Mark contributed.
Mark’s father, Reginald Francois, served in the Royal Navy in WWII and Mark is an honorary member of the Rayleigh Branch of the Royal Naval Association by virtue of his father’s naval service, so he was doubly pleased to have an opportunity to walk around the WWII warship, which is now preserved in excellent condition and receives tens of thousands of visitors a year.
Speaking about his visit to HMS Cavalier, Mark Francois said:
"As my dad was a WWII naval veteran, it was a real pleasure to walk around a WWII Destroyer, especially one in as good a condition as HMS Cavalier. The ship gave great service in the latter part of the war, including in the Pacific and she is a wonderful example of the role the Royal Navy has played down the centuries to keep us safe and free. Chatham is not that far from Essex and I would encourage anyone who has some spare time over the summer holidays to go and walk around the wonderfully preserved dockyards and also to take in HMS Cavalier, as part of what I am sure would be an exciting day out."