ZTFE Holds HMS Trincomalee Bicentenary Celebrations Aboard INS Tarkash
On 9th May, 2017, ZTFE (Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe) patron, Lord Karan Bilimoria, Vada Dasturji of Udvada, Khurshed Dastoor and ZTFE President, Malcolm Deboo, led the ZTFE delegation on board the Indian Navy Ship (INS) Tarkash, docked at Thames Quay, West India Dock, London, for the launch of the bicentenary celebrations of ‘HMS Trincomalee’ and Make in India. The celebrations marked the 200th Anniversary of HMS Trincomalee, which is not only the oldest ship afloat in the Royal Navy, but is also the oldest warship ship afloat in the world. It was built by the great Zoroastrian Master Ship Builder, Jamsetji Bomanji Wadia, of the Wadia family, for the British Admiralty in 1817 at Bombay Dockyard. The event was hosted aboard INS Tarkash by Commanding Officer, Captain Ritu Raj Sahu and the officers and men of INS Tarkash, in collaboration with the National Museum of the Royal Navy and HMS Trincomalee Trust.
Vada Dasturji Khurshed Dastoor recited a short prayer, in reverence and praise of Wadia Master Ship Builders, Lovji Nusserwanji, Maneckji Lovji, Bomanji Lovji, Framji Maneckji, Jamsetji Bomanji, the heroic and beneficent souls of the armed forces and the rulers, who served and sacrificed their lives defending Indian and UK’s freedom from adversaries.
It was attended by the First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy, the immediate former First Sea Lord, Officers in the Royal Navy (RN), Army and Royal Air Force (RAF), the Defence Minister of the United Kingdom, the Commander and Officers of INS Tarkash, the Indian Naval Attaché in London and the Indian High Commissioner, Vada Dasturji Khurshed, Lord Karan Bilimoria, President Malcolm Deboo, Vice President Behram Kapadia. ZTFE Trustee Rusi Dalal presented ‘ZTFE Sesquicentennial Medallions’ to Commander of INS Tarkash, Captain Ritu Raj Sahu; First Sea Lord, Royal Navy and Knight Commander of the Bath (KCB), Admiral Sir Philip Jones; Chairman National Museum of the Royal Navy and former First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Jonathon Band; Chairman HMS Trincomalee Trust, Colonel Euan Houston; Naval Adviser, High Commission of India, Commodore Sameer Saxena and His Excellency Yasvant K Sinha, High Commissioner of India.
