History
A guiding light
Lightvessels
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A lightvessel, or lightship, is a ship which acts as a lighthouse. They are used in waters that are too deep or otherwise unsuitable for lighthouse construction.[1] Although there is some record of fire beacons placed on ships in Roman times, the first modern lightvessel was off the Nore sandbank at the mouth of the River Thames in England, placed there by its inventor Robert Hamblin in 1732. The type has become largely obsolete; some stations were replaced by lighthouses as the construction techniques for the latter advanced, while others were replaced by large automated buoys..the remaining have become unmanned and totaly automated
LV72 aka JUNO
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A forgotten Veteran of WW2's Normandy Invasion.
Records held by Trinity House prior to WW2 were destroyed by bombing during the war, so most information is from 1939 onwards.
Pre War
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LV72, has a number of claims to fame, she was one for four sister lightvessels built by John Crown & Sons Ltd at their Monkwearmouthyard in Sunderland, they were the first iron hulled light-vessels built for Trinity House.
It has no propulsion of its own because most of its life is spent at anchor. When it needs to be relocated a lightvessel is towed by a Trinity House tender.
LV72 was launched on 30th March 1903, and originaly weighed 275 tons. From the time of its first commission for Trinity House in 1903 until 1944 it served on at least three stations including MORCAMBE BAY, and SEVEN STONES, with its last prewar station being the SHIPWASH.
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During the War
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LV72 was one of two lightvessels which saw service as part of Operation Neptune, the sea bourne invasion of Normandy. Towed across in Royal Navy convoys by Trinity Hose tenders THV Alert and Warden, both LV68 carrying the name KANSAS and LV72 carrying the name JUNO, the vessels were anchored to mark the limits of a safe passage through the swept minefields for the various ships and craft carrying men, equipment and supplies, on route to the invasion beaches and the Mulberry Harbours. Mulberry "B" at Arromanches for LV72 in sea area JUNO, and Mulberry "A" at Omaha Beach for LV68 in sea area KANSAS.
Juno (No. 72) Lightvessel was established on 18 June 1944 remaining on station until 27 January 1945 when she was towed to Le Havre for damage repairs following various collisions and heavy seas. One month later she was relaid in a new position at a station named SEINE to asssit with the landings as they continued along the French coast.
On 3 March 1946 she was replaced by a French Light Vessel named Le Havre and towed to Harwich for more repairs and would return to her normal duties with Trinity House.
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Post War
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Following the war the LV72 passed through a number of different stations Firstly Smith Knoll Station off East Anglia 3/4/1046 -10/6/1947
Back to SHIPWASH station 15/8/1948- 24/2/1948.She was refitted during 1948 with her lamps converted from parafin to electric.
Then moving south to Varne Station in the English Chanel 9/8/1949-26/8/53. Exceptionally high tides at the end of January 1953 flooded Immingham Graving Dock, whilst in the dry dock, the Trinity House lightvessel VARNE- LV72 filled and turned over.(presumably she was in for repairs before her next posting) In 1953 the vessel began its longest posting on the E.W. Grounds where she would stay until 1972 apart from the Nov 30th 1954 at 4.30am when she broke adrift as the result of her riding cable at 97 fms parted and drifted off station, the bower anchor was dropped and the vessel brought up by 14.35 1 mile N.E off assigned position. Towed by tug into Cardiff Roads. On the 2nd Decemeber 1954 No 66 Lightvessel laid at the E.W.Grounds station, During the time LV72 was being repaired, approved alterations were made to her light and fog signal apparatus to make her an "all purpose" ship..
April 1957, three sea scouts from Barry pass the light vessel whilst rowing from Barry to Windsor
Retirement
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The vessel was laid up at the Trinity House berth in Swansea in 1972 and was decommissioned and sold the following year. When sold she was the oldest vessel in the Trinity House fleet. LV72 and her sister vessel were bought by the Steel Supply Co who intended to scrap the them, having arrived in the river Neath on 30th May 1973. The Steel Supply Company's managing director at that time, Ian Jones, felt scrapping her would be a shame considering her history, he had her painted yellow. When Swansea marina was being redeveloped, there was at one point a plan to convert the vessel into a floating night club but it didn't come to fruition. Another plan to convert her into a floating home also fell through, now with their long standing connection of over 45 years with the vessel, the current owners have no plans to ever scrap her, and have in the past spoken with interested groups that have expressed an interest in preserving her for future generations and a memorial to those Trinty House Crews that lost thier lives during the War.
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