On a bright spring morning, the veteran destroyer flew her long decommissioning pennant, passing the Round Tower and coming alongside in Portsmouth for the last time.
Her swansong will be her decommissioning ceremony at the end of this week – a poignant and moving occasion as crew members past and present will say goodbye to the much-loved warship.
Her commanding officer, Captain Colin Williams – recognised with an OBE on Friday for his command of the Type 42 during operations off Libya in 2011 – spoke of his pride and affection for the ship and her achievements.
He said:
“She’s been a real workhorse. I particularly have fond memories of her.
“She has been involved in pretty much all of the major events in the maritime world in the last 30 years.
“She’s an important part of our history.”
HMS Liverpool has steamed more than 921,700 nautical miles protecting the nation’s interest around the globe.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff , March 27, 2012; Image: royalnavy