According to a news update received by the UK Defence Journal, the decommissioning ceremony took place at Devonport Naval Base, the long-time home of the so-called T-boats. Crews from HMS Triumph and HMS Talent, veterans of the Submarine Service, and members of the Royal Naval Associations gathered to mark the occasion.
A ceremonial parade was held at HMS Drake, with a Guard and Colour Party comprising submariners from Talent and Triumph, as well as veteran contingents. Among those present were Captain Dave Burrell, a long-serving officer in the class, and Lady Hamilton, Triumph’s sponsor. World War Two veteran John Harlow, who served in earlier T-class submarines including HMS Truculent, also attended as an honorary guest.
Captain Burrell said, “They are the last of the Cold War warriors, although the Cold War never went away. We continued to play our dangerous game.” Reflecting on his first experience aboard HMS Tireless in 2003, he described the submarine as “a marvel” and its crew as “inspiring.”
He paid tribute to all who served in the class, particularly Weapons Engineers Paul McCann and Anthony Huntrod, who were killed in a 2007 explosion aboard Tireless during an Arctic patrol. He described the crew’s response as “probably the finest moment in the history of the class.”
According to the update, Burrell added, “I asked the Royal Navy’s most senior submariners how I should describe the Trafalgar class. They said simply: utterly brilliant submarines.”
Former nuclear engineer Craig Spacey, who served in HMS Trenchant and HMS Torbay and now works at BAE, said, “What keeps you in the Service is the people, the fun, the comradeship.”
Triumph, which entered service in 1991 and completed a 34-year career, was the last of the seven T-boats in service. The class also included HMS Trafalgar, Turbulent, Tireless, Torbay, Trenchant and Talent. Built to counter Soviet submarines during the Cold War, the Trafalgar class was later adapted to carry out intelligence gathering, special operations, and precision strikes. Triumph launched Tomahawk missiles during operations in Afghanistan in 2001 and Libya in 2011.
The update noted that Triumph made her final entry into Devonport in December 2024. Her duties will eventually be assumed by HMS Achilles, the final Astute-class submarine, later this decade.
Captain Burrell concluded, “It is time to rest easy Trafalgar, Turbulent, Tireless, Torbay, Trenchant, Talent and Triumph. It’s now someone else’s turn.”