Esther Williams Trophy
The Esther Williams Trophy is one of two trophies that have circulated among ships of various navies, after originating in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Initially, in 1943, the trophy was a joke between two friends, Lieutenants Lindsay Brand and David Stevenson (later the RAN's Chief of Naval Staff), serving in HMAS Nepal, an N-class destroyer attached to the British Eastern Fleet.[1] Stevenson wrote on a photograph of Esther Williams, "To my own Georgie, with all my love and a passionate kiss, Esther"; Brand (aka "George") put the screen idol over his bed. The photo was taken to another ship by a fellow officer, and the "trophy" was then circulated by officers among some 200 other ships including in United States Navy,[2] Royal Navy, and Royal Canadian Navy ships in Asian waters.
The original photo became the "trophy copy" to be kept in a safe location.[3] A "fighting copy" was displayed where officers from other ships could attempt to steal it or take it by force, often with a good deal of roughhousing between the officers of the ships involved;[3] one of the more violent raids, by officers of USS Boxer attempting to retrieve the trophy from HMAS Warramunga, resulted in three Americans and one Australian being hospitalised.[4] After the "fighting copy" had been successfully removed from the custodial ship, the "trophy copy" would be presented to the new owners with appropriate ceremony.[3] At various times, the holders of the trophy have either flown an Esther flag[5] or sent naval signals (signed "Esther") to other nearby ships to indicate where the trophy resided.[citation needed] In 1946, an officer from HMS Jamaica started a tradition when he composed the "Esther Rescued" signal (indicating the trophy's changing of hands) in poetry.[4]
In 1957, "Esther" was retired by the United States Navy and sent to the RAN's Naval Historical Collection at Spectacle Island in Sydney. The trophy was brought into circulation again in 1997 by officers from HMAS Brisbane, and has been given official standing by senior officers, for instance when an RAN admiral officiated when Brand was re-introduced to the trophy on 30 June 2004 for only the fourth time since 1943.[6] A documentary[7] about the trophy's history was produced in 2007.
Following the death of Esther Williams in June 2013, the trophy was officially retired.[4] The last unit to officially capture the trophy, RAN Clearance Diving Team Four, presented the trophy to HMAS Stuart for transportation to the Navy Heritage Centre at Spectacle Island.[4]
References
- ^ "Sailor at heart of 'Esther' prank became top loan negotiator". October 2010.
- ^ Esther, USS Floyd B. Parks (DD-884) memorial page, accessed 16 April 2008.
- ^ a b c Karcher, Daniel M., CAPT USN "We've Come for Esther" United States Naval Institute Proceedings July 1986 pp. 115–16.
- ^ a b c d "Bon voyage to our Esther". Navy News. Directorate of Defence News, Department of Defence. 18 July 2013. p. 11.
- ^ Esther’s Navy fame spans the globe, Navy News, Vol 48, No 10, 16 June 2004, accessed 16 April 2008.
- ^ Chasing Esther Willians, Navy News, Vol 47, No 12, 15 July 2004, accessed 16 April 2008
- ^ Esther Williams' Trophy Archived 9 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine, Digital Dimensions (2007), accessed 16 April 2008.
- v
- t
- e
- Chief of Navy
- Deputy Chief of Navy
- Commander Australian Fleet
- Director-General Maritime Operations
- Commodore Flotillas
- Warrant Officer of the Navy
- Royal Australian Naval Reserve
- Australian Navy Cadets
- Maritime Border Command
- Royal Australian Navy School of Underwater Medicine
- Units and Formations
Fleet Command |
|
---|---|
Navy Headquarters |
|
equipment
- Current fleet (Anzac-class frigate, Adelaide-class frigate, Collins-class submarine, Canberra-class landing helicopter dock, Bay-class landing ship, Armidale-class patrol boat, Huon-class minehunter, HMAS Sirius, Leeuwin-class survey vessel, Paluma-class motor launch, Young Endeavour, Cape-class patrol boat)
- All ships
- Aircraft
- Naval procurement programme
- Equipment
- Craft of Opportunity Program
- Fleet Base East
- Fleet Base West (HMAS Stirling)
- HMAS Albatross
- HMAS Cairns
- HMAS Cerberus
- HMAS Coonawarra
- HMAS Creswell
- HMAS Harman
- HMAS Kuttabul
- HMAS Moreton
- HMAS Penguin
- HMAS Waterhen
- HMAS Watson
- Admiral of the Fleet
- List of admirals
- List of personnel
- Badges
- Ranks
operations
- Operation Sovereign Borders
- Operation Resolute
- Operation Highroad
- Operation Manitou
- Australia Station
- Colonial navies of Australia
- Jervois-Scratchley reports
- World War I
- World War II
- Malayan Emergency
- Korean War
- Vietnam War
- Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation
- Operation Navy Help Darwin
- International Force East Timor
- Gulf War
- Iraq War
- Afghanistan War
- Middle East deployments
- Battle honours of the Royal Australian Navy
- List of Royal Australian Navy losses
- Royal Australian Navy Memorial
- Minister for the Navy
- Australian Naval Aviation
- Royal Australian Navy Heritage Centre
- Australian White Ensign
- Navy News
- Royal Australian Navy Helicopter Flight Vietnam
- Naval Stores, Kangaroo Point
- Esther Williams Trophy
- Navy League of Australia
- Admiral
- Garden Island Naval Chapel
- Royal Australian Navy Tridents Rugby League Team
entities