Page 27 - 10052 WORSH Marketor Issue 79.indd

In the footsteps of the
Caroline Jarvis
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Deploying immediately after summer Liveryman
leave, HMS ST ALBANS spent several
weeks conducting ASW operations On an unseasonably beautiful, warm and sunny April 14, Marketors and
cooperating with multiple allied
ships, submarines and marine patrol guests embarked on a tour around the former underworld of East London,
aircraft. The importance of these the hunting ground of one of the most notorious of serial killers of all times
operations cannot be understated ² -DFN WKH 5LSSHU
and, whilst often unseen in the public
eye, they are essential for the We met at the Whitechapel Gallery – frequented, the infamous Ten Bells
security of the UK. This was best and, guided by the incredibly on the corner of Fournier Street and
demonstrated by her very public knowledgeable John Steel of Tour de Commercial Road!
deployment to the North Sea over Force London, trekked around the
Christmas 2017, to escort the latest East End and heard the murderous Although the evidence mounted, it
Russian Frigate ‘Gorshkov’ through mysteries of Jack’s rampage during still points in several directions and
UK sensitive waters. London’s Autumn of Fear in 1888. we all drew our own conclusions.
HMS ST ALBANS has had a year to John’s knowledge stretched beyond The day was not all murder and
remember, she has been involved in just the Ripper’s victims, to the very mayhem. The walk ended with a
15 separate operations with multiple time in which they lived, the lives lovely lunch in the Hubble Room at
sightings of Russian navy ships and they led, the people they the Astronomer pub on Middlesex
submarines. Whilst much of her encountered and, through his Street, after which walkers left with
DFWLYLW\ KDV UHPDLQHG FODVVLÀHG LW LV description, walkers could truly their questions and the remainder of
still recognised in the public domain envision the spectacle of what the the sunshine.
and the ship was nominated and dark and dreary East End of London, ‘A fantastic success… a great walk,
VKRUW OLVWHG IRU WKH +HUR DW +RPH 8QLW 1888 would truly have been like for crammed full of fascinating
Award for the Sun Military Awards in these unfortunate souls. anecdotes,’ exclaimed one excited
recognition of her contribution to the Along the route he also shared his walker.
VHFXULW\ RI WKH 8. D ÀUVW IRU D 5R\DO knowledge of the various ethnic
Navy Surface Unit. ‘Fascinating walk, delicious food and
groups who had inhabited the D ZHOO GHVHUYHG EHHU · H[FODLPHG
During the year, HMS ST ALBANS has neighbourhoods, the art and another.
operated in the Channel, the Irish architecture (some of which still
Sea, the North Sea, off the coast of grace the streets) that have :KLOH WKH GD\ ZDV ÀOOHG ZLWK
Norway, the Denmark Strait, up to memorialised the era, and the ways merriment, horror, laughter and history
the North Cape and even into the the East End has changed… and the question remains… who was Jack
Arctic Circle. remained the same. the Ripper? We may never know.
HMS ST ALBANS is now alongside in $OWKRXJK QR RQH FDQ DQVZHU WKH
Portsmouth conducting pinnacle question ‘Who WAS Jack
maintenance to allow her to fully the Ripper’, theories were shared
regenerate for further frontline about where the murderer came
operations by summer 2018. This from, with whom he might have
period will include additional been acquainted and where he
capability enhancements in all areas might have gone when the murders
of warfare and see a period of seven miraculously stopped. Our tour even
weeks’ intensive sea training with included a stop by the pub where his
)ODJ 2IÀFHU 6HD 7UDLQLQJ LQ 3O\PRXWK victims – and possibly Jack himself

MARKETOR SUMMER 2018 marketors.org 27