HMS Gifford

HMS Gifford was one of 23 boats of the Ford class of patrol boats built for the Royal Navy in the 1950s. Gifford was launched on 30 June 1954. In 1968 the vessel was sold to Nigeria and renamed NNS Bonny. Bonny took part in the Nigerian Civil War and was decommissioned in 1983. Bonny is preserved at the Nigerian War Museum in Umuahia.

The NNS Bonny at the Nigerian War Museum
History
United Kingdom
NameHMS Gifford
BuilderScarr
Launched30 June 1954
Commissioned30 June 1954
IdentificationPennant number: P3111
FateSold in 1968 to Nigeria
NN EnsignNigeria
NameNNS Bonny
Acquired1968
Decommissioned1983
StatusMuseum ship
General characteristics
Class and typeFord-class seaward defence boat
Displacement
  • 120 tons standard
  • 160 tons full load
Length117 ft 3 in (35.74 m)
Beam20 ft (6.1 m)
Draught6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Propulsion
  • 1 × Foden diesel (centre shaft)
  • 2 × Paxman 12YHAX 550 hp (410 kW) diesels (outer shafts)
Speed20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Armament

Service history

Gifford was a Ford-class seaward defence boat constructed for the Royal Navy. The names of the class ships were all chosen from villages ending in "-ford". This boat was named after Gifford.[lower-alpha 1] She was launched on 30 June 1954 and sold to Nigeria in 1968. Renamed NNS Bonny,[1] she fought in the Nigerian Civil War against Biafra. She was decommissioned in 1983.[1]

Museum ship

NNS Bonny is preserved in the Nigerian War Museum at Umuahia as a museum exhibit.[2]

Notes
  1. There are several places in UK whose name contains or consists of Gifford. It is unclear which one the name givers had in mind.

References
  1. Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. p. 160. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
  2. "Table of contents". The National War Museum Umuahia (PDF). DARC, Carolina Academic Press. p. vi. Retrieved 10 April 2018.


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