Ship's nicknames

[Riley Blue]

Prompted by the aircraft threads, does anyone have any ship's nicknames?

My Dad served on various ships during WW2 but he only mentioned a nickname for one, the Roberts class monitor HMS Abercrombie which the crew knew as 'Dumbo' due to it's single twin-15" turret.

Any more?

[gt40steve]

Big Lizzie, R08.

[shed driver]

Super B

Shiny Sheff

My dad (ex RN 1952 - 1964) was full of ship nicknames. I wish I could still ask him.

SD.

[98elise]

HMS Charybdis (F75) was known as "Cherry B".

[andy97]

HMS Cumberland was “the fighting sausage”

[bad company]

A relative served on HMS Venerable. The Navy being what it is its nickname was the ‘VENEREAL’.

Edited by bad company on Monday 13th January 20:44

[Huntsman]

I refer to Victoria of Wight as Big Liz.

[Wafu7]

HMS Invincible (R05) - the Death Star (Orient ‘92 deployment).

[GliderRider]

HMS Brazen's Lynx was known as "'The Brazen Hussy"

HMS Bulwark was the "Rusty B".

USS Enterprise - 'Mobile Chernobyl' and 'Quarter Mile Island' a reference to The Three Mile Island nuclear accident.

[Simpo Two]

HMS Nelson and Rodney - the 'Queen Anne's Mansions' as their superstructure resembled the building of the same name.

[Stick Legs]

HMS Illustrious = Lusty

HMS Intrepid = HMS Decrepit

HMS Duncan = Drunken Duncan

[Castrol for a knave]

My dad served on HMS Troubridge, which unsurprisingly (for those of a certain age), was nicked named the Troutbridge.

They used to be sent all the Navy Lark fan mail. The agreement was the crew would reply to the letters in return for extra rum ration.

[minipower]

HMS Penelope was known as HMS Pepperpot due to the significant damage it sustained. Despite that, a friend of my Grandfather voluntarily transferred to the ship and sadly died soon after when it was sunk.

[BrettMRC]

HMS Warspite -The Grand Old Lady.

"Mighty" Hood.

HMS Invincible - The Wobbly Eight

HMS Barham - Billy Ruffian

HMS Agincourt - Gin Palace

HMS Malaya - Jinx

HMS Rodney & HMS Nelson - Rodnol and Nelsol

[Dbag101]

On the merchant / leisure side of things, the Cunarders are known as Dizzy Lizzy ( Queen Elizabeth ) sticky Vicky ( Queen Victoria) Scary Mary ( Queen Mary 2 ). The Royal Caribbean Anthem of the seas, is referred to as ahole of the seas. The P&O ships are collectively known as Petri dishes.

Edited by Dbag101 on Wednesday 15th January 13:23

Edited by Dbag101 on Wednesday 15th January 13:25

[Stick Legs]

Dbag101 said:

On the merchant / leisure side of things, the Cunarders are known as Dizzy Lizzy ( Queen Elizabeth ) sticky Vicky ( Queen Victoria) Scary Mary ( Queen Mary 2 ). The Royal Caribbean Anthem of the seas, is referred to as ahole of the seas. The P&O ships are collectively known as Petri dishes.

RFA are Grey Funnel Ferries.
Royal Navy are Grey Funnel Line.

Unfortunately the British MN is too small now to have companies big enough to get nick names.

I head a few times that in P&O’s cargo & container fleets the P&O stood for Pricks & Orientals.

[POIDH]

Common parlance up here:

Auld Trooper



Caley Isles

[ChevronB19]

BrettMRC said:

HMS Barham - Billy Ruffian

I thought that was how HMS Bellerophon was referred to?

Edited by ChevronB19 on Friday 17th January 15:40

[BrettMRC]

ChevronB19 said:

BrettMRC said:

HMS Barham - Billy Ruffian

I thought that was how HMS Bellerophon was referred to?

Edited by ChevronB19 on Friday 17th January 15:40

Could be both, Barham was a generation later almost...

[captain_cynic]

BrettMRC said:

ChevronB19 said:

BrettMRC said:

HMS Barham - Billy Ruffian

I thought that was how was referred to?

Edited by ChevronB19 on Friday 17th January 15:40

Could be both, Barham was a generation later almost...

I think it was the Nelson era HMS Bellerophon that was first nicknamed Billy Ruffian as the common sailors struggled to pronounce it.

Napoleon was imprisoned aboard her.

No idea about HMS Barnham.