54-677: Captain John Fenwick Hutchings , CBE , DSO (17 May 1885 – 20 September 1968) was a British Royal Navy officer who served in the First and Second World Wars . During the latter, he commanded Operation Pluto , the project to construct submarine oil pipelines under the English Channel . John Fenwick Hutchings was born in Christchurch, Hampshire , on 17 May 1885, the son of Charles Robert Hutchings,
108-556: A solicitor , and his wife Lizetta Mary née Atkin. He entered the Britannia Royal Naval College as a cadet on 15 January 1900, and was commissioned as a midshipman in the Royal Navy on 30 May 1901. He served on the armoured cruiser HMS Cressy , and was promoted to sub-lieutenant on 30 July 1904, and lieutenant on 31 December 1906. He applied for duty in submarines , and assumed command of
162-526: A few days and Captain Robert FitzRoy visited the Fox family at nearby Penjerrick Gardens. Darwin's shipmate Sulivan later made his home in the nearby waterside village of Flushing , then home to many naval officers. In 1839 Falmouth was the scene of a gold dust robbery when £47,600 worth of gold dust from Brazil was stolen on arrival at the port. The Falmouth Docks were developed from 1858, and
216-454: A four-year term. The council provides municipal services while strategic services are provided by Cornwall Council , a unitary authority governing the entirety of mainland Cornwall. From 2009 to 2021, Falmouth had elected five councillors to Cornwall Council, one from each of its then five divisions: Falmouth Arwenack , Falmouth Boslowick , Falmouth Penwerris , Falmouth Smithick , and Falmouth Trescobeas . Boundary changes in 2013 abolished
270-593: A large base in Falmouth harbour as well. The SS Flying Enterprise , a cargo vessel that had sailed from Hamburg on 21 December 1951, ran into a storm on the Western Approaches to the English Channel. A crack appeared on her deck and the cargo shifted. A number of vessels went to her aid including the tug Turmoil which was stationed in Falmouth, but they found it initially impossible to take
324-745: A range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses, often with a particular focus on the environment and sustainability, and also hosts the world-renowned Camborne School of Mines (formerly located nearby in Camborne), which specialises in the understanding and management of the Earth's natural processes, resources and the environment. In 2015, actor and comedian Dawn French was installed as Falmouth University's chancellor. Falmouth Marine School, formerly Falmouth Technical College, specialises in traditional and modern boat-building, marine engineering, marine environmental science and marine leisure sport. The campus
378-572: A range-estimating device for submarines, followed by another £50 for it as a final settlement in 1925. Another invention was a device that permitted submarines to penetrate anti-submarine nets, which was tested successfully by the submarine HMS L22 in the Firth of Forth . He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1928 Birthday Honours . Hutchings retired from
432-462: Is Kimberley Park, named after the Earl of Kimberley who leased the park's land to the borough of Falmouth. Today the park has exotic and ornate plants and trees. The Cornwall Railway reached Falmouth on 24 August 1863. The railway brought new prosperity to Falmouth, as it made it easy for tourists to reach the town. It also allowed the swift transport of the goods recently disembarked from the ships in
486-478: Is a town , civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall , England, United Kingdom. The name Falmouth is of English origin, a reference to the town's situation on the mouth of the River Fal . The Cornish language name, Aberfal or Aberfala , is of identical meaning. In 1540, Henry VIII built Pendennis Castle in Falmouth to defend Carrick Roads . The main town of
540-596: Is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy . It ranks above commander and below commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a colonel in the British Army and Royal Marines , and to a group captain in the Royal Air Force . There are similarly named equivalent ranks in the navies of many other countries. In the Royal Navy, the officer in command of any warship of
594-800: Is a terminus of the A39 road , connecting to Bath, Somerset some 180 miles (290 km) distant although such a route has now been surpassed by the A303 , A37 and A367 . The A39 connects Falmouth with the A30 via Truro . The A30 provides a fast link between Falmouth and the M5 motorway at Exeter 98 miles (160 km) to the northeast. Most commercial bus services are provided by First Kernow who have an outstation in Falmouth. Other services are run by Office & Transport Services on behalf of Transport for Cornwall . Falmouth has three railway stations (described above) at
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#1732780834612648-607: Is a weekly tabloid newspaper which has a Falmouth & Penryn edition reporting on the area. Falmouth has many literary connections. The town was the birthplace of Toad, Mole and Rat: Kenneth Grahame 's classic The Wind in the Willows began as a series of letters sent to his son. The first two were written at the Greenbank Hotel whilst Grahame was a guest in May 1907. Reproductions of the letters are currently on display in
702-485: Is also hosted the start of the 2021 race. Falmouth has been a major centre for Cornish wrestling for centuries. Tournaments were often badged as "the championship of the West of England". Bouts were held at various venues around the town, including Pendennis Castle . Alfred Ernest Trenoweth (1868–1942) from Falmouth was well known as light weight champion wrestler of Cornwall. Another champion wrestler from Falmouth
756-466: Is apt to be too clever at times. Produces many sound and original ideas but occasionally radically unsound ones which he adheres to with equal tenacity. Brilliant at times but inclined to be over theoretical to the detriment of his practical work. Inclined to be disobedient at times, not with the intention of being insubordinate, but through failing to appreciate when an order should be obeyed implicitly and when discretion should be exercised. Apt to interpret
810-716: Is in Berkeley Vale. The former synagogue (1816) is one of the earliest surviving synagogue buildings in England; it was in use until 1879. Falmouth is famous for its harbour. Together with Carrick Roads , it forms the third deepest natural harbour in the world, and the deepest in Western Europe. It has been the start or finish point of various round-the-world record-breaking voyages, such as those of Robin Knox-Johnston and Dame Ellen MacArthur . Falmouth
864-582: Is part of Cornwall College . The town has a football team in the Western Football League , Falmouth Town A.F.C. , who play at Bickland Park in the north-west of the town, and also Falmouth RFC , a rugby union club who play at The Recreation Ground, a site at the top of The Moor. Falmouth is also home to one of Cornwall's biggest cricket clubs, where four teams represent the town in the Cornwall Cricket League , with
918-471: Is the oldest local company with performances dating back to 1927. The Falmouth Art Gallery is a public gallery with a diverse 19th and 20th century art collection including many notable modern Cornish artists exhibited in four to five seasonal exhibitions a year, as well as a "family friendly and free" community and schools education programme. Falmouth has its own community radio station Source FM broadcasting on 96.1 FM and online. In 2016, Falmouth won
972-457: The Atlantic from Falmouth, Massachusetts (which is named after Falmouth) to Falmouth, Cornwall, from June–August 1965 in the thirteen-and-a-half-foot Tinkerbelle —this was the smallest boat to make the crossing at the time. The town was the location for the 1966, 1982 and 1998 and 2014 Tall Ships' Race in which approximately ninety Tall Ships set sail for Lisbon , Portugal . The town
1026-515: The Commander-in-Chief, Western Approaches . Then on 6 November 1940, he became commander of HMS Orlando and the naval officer in charge at Lamlash . He married Olive de Boulez in 1940. They had no children. He was placed back on the retired list on 13 August 1942. Hutchings's second retirement was of brief duration; on 4 December 1942 he was again recalled to active duty. This time he was assigned to HMS President for duty with
1080-690: The Department of Miscellaneous Weapons Development , where he was assigned to assist Combined Operations Headquarters . On 10 July 1943, he became the Senior Naval Officer in commander of Operation Pluto , the project to construct submarine oil pipelines under the English Channel . By VE-Day his command would consist of several ships, over 100 merchant navy officers and more than 1,000 men. Under his direction, Operation Pluto laid 21 submarine pipelines that delivered an estimated 440 million litres (2.7 million imperial barrels) from
1134-536: The Falmouth Gyllyngvase division , replacing it with Falmouth Smithick. Since the 2021 elections , Falmouth has been covered by four divisions: Arwenack, Boslowick, Penwerris and Trescobeas and Budock. While Falmouth's maritime activity has much declined from its heyday, the docks are still a major contributor to the town's economy. It is the largest port in Cornwall. Falmouth remains a cargo port and
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#17327808346121188-620: The Flying Enterprise in tow. The ship was finally taken in tow on 5 January 1952 by the Turmoil when she was some 300 nautical miles (560 km) from Falmouth. It took several days to reach port. On 10 January the tow line parted when the ship was still 41 nautical miles (76 km) from Falmouth. Two other tugs joined the battle to save the ship and cargo, but the Flying Enterprise finally sank later that day. Captain Carlsen and
1242-490: The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) opened Falmouth Lifeboat Station nearby in 1867. The present building dates from 1993 and also houses Her Majesty's Coastguard . The RNLI operates two lifeboats from Falmouth: Richard Cox Scott , a 17-metre (56 ft) Severn-class all-weather boat, and B-916 Robina Nixon Chard , an Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat. Near the town centre
1296-521: The "Great British High Street 2016" award, in the 'Coastal Community' category. The Anglican parish churches are dedicated to King Charles the Martyr and to All Saints . A third church is St Michael's Church, Penwerris . The Roman Catholic church of St Mary Immaculate is in Killigrew Street. It was designed by J. A. Hansom and built in 1868; the tower and spire (1881) are by J. S. Hansom;
1350-668: The 1948 film Scott of the Antarctic . Robert Newton , Bobby Driscoll and other cast members of the 1950 Walt Disney film Treasure Island (some scenes were filmed along the River Fal ) were visitors to the town. Stars from the BBC TV serial The Onedin Line stayed in the town during filming in the late 1970s. In 2011 Paramount Pictures filmed parts of the film World War Z starring Brad Pitt in Falmouth Docks and off
1404-577: The 1st team playing in the Cornwall Premier League. Falmouth CC play at the Trescobeas ground on Trescobeas Road. With its proximity to sheltered and unsheltered waters, Falmouth has long been a popular boating and water sports location. It is, for example, a centre of Cornish pilot gig rowing, the home of Gyllyngvase Surf Life Saving Club (founded 2008) and a popular location for sea swimming. Solo yachtsman Robert Manry crossed
1458-584: The Packet Service and built Penmere Manor in 1825. In 1805 news of Britain's victory and Admiral Nelson's death at Trafalgar reached Falmouth from the schooner Pickle and was taken to London by post chaise . On 2 October 1836 HMS Beagle anchored at Falmouth at the end of her noted survey voyage around the world. That evening, Charles Darwin left the ship and took the Mail coach to his family home at The Mount, Shrewsbury . The ship stayed
1512-600: The Royal Navy at his own request with the rank of captain . From 1934 to 1935, he was an advisor to the Greek government on submarines. On 20 November 1939, Hutchings was recalled to active duty as commander of HMS Forte , the Royal Navy base at Falmouth, Cornwall . On 10 June he became the commander of HMS Drake , the naval base at Devonport, Devon , with additional duty as the Defence Liaison Officer Plymouth and Falmouth Areas on staff of
1566-580: The UK to the continent. Hutchings was created a Commander of the Order of the British Empire on 28 November 1944 for "distinguished services in operations which led to the successful landing of Allied Forces in Normandy." He retired from the Royal Navy for the last time on 13 July 1946. Hutchings died in Bishopsteignton , Devon , on 20 September 1968. Captain (Royal Navy) Captain ( Capt )
1620-424: The baptistery and porch were added in 1908 to the original designs. The style is a blend of Gothic and Burgundian Romanesque, creating a very French effect. Two of the stained glass windows are early works of Dom Charles Norris . Falmouth Methodist Church is also in Killigrew Street; the street façade is "one of the grandest expressions of Methodism in Cornwall". The United Reformed Church (originally Bible Christian)
1674-658: The building of angled ramparts. During the Civil War , Pendennis Castle was the second to last fort to surrender to the Parliamentary Army. Sir John Killigrew created the town of Falmouth shortly after 1613. After the Civil War, Sir Peter Killigrew received royal patronage when he gave land for the building of the Church of King Charles the Martyr , dedicated to Charles I, "the Martyr" . The seal of Falmouth
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1728-486: The bunkering of vessels and the transfer of cargoes also keep the port's facilities busy. The port is popular with cruise ship operators. Further up the sheltered reaches of the Fal there are often several ships laid up, awaiting sailing orders and/or new owners/charterers. Falmouth is a popular holiday destination and it is now primarily a tourist resort. The five main beaches starting next to Pendennis Castle and moving along
1782-574: The coast towards the Helford river are Castle, Tunnel, Gyllyngvase , Swanpool and Maenporth beaches. The National Maritime Museum Cornwall opened in February 2003. The building was designed by the architect M. J. Long. The Falmouth & Penryn Packet , first published in 1858, is still based in the town as the lead title in a series of Packet Newspapers for central and western Cornwall . The West Briton newspaper, first published in 1810,
1836-412: The coast. Falmouth had the first "Polytechnic": Royal Cornwall Polytechnic Society which went into administration briefly in 2010 but is now a feature of the town with frequent art exhibitions, stage performances and an art house cinema. Falmouth is home to many theatre groups, including Falmouth Theatre Company, Falmouth Young Generation and Amity Theatre. Falmouth Theatre Company, also known as FTC,
1890-636: The district was then at Penryn . A late-16th century map shows 'Arweneck' manor house with some ordinary dwellings at 'Smithick, alias Pennycomequick' near today's Market Strand. Pennycomequick is an Anglicisation of the Celtic Pen-y-cwm-cuic 'head of the creek'; there is still a Pennycomequick district in Plymouth . In the late 16th century, under threat from the Spanish Armada, the defences at Pendennis were strengthened by
1944-484: The hotel. Poldark author Winston Graham knew the town well and set his novel The Forgotten Story (1945) in Falmouth. The town has been the setting for several films and television programmes. British film star Will Hay was a familiar face in Falmouth in 1935 whilst filming his comedy Windbag the Sailor . The film had many scenes of the docks area. The docks area was featured in some scenes with John Mills for
1998-597: The more junior Army and Royal Marines rank , and in naval contexts, as a "four-ring captain" (referring to the uniform lace) to avoid confusion with the title of a seagoing commanding officer. In the Ministry of Defence , and in joint service establishments, a captain may be referred to as a "DACOS" (standing for deputy assistant chief of staff) or an "AH" (assistant head), from the usual job title of OF5-ranked individuals who work with civil servants. The rank insignia features four rings of gold braid with an executive curl in
2052-426: The nearest large harbour to the entrance of the English Channel, two Royal Navy squadrons were permanently stationed here. In the 1790s one was under the command of Sir Edward Pellew (later Viscount Exmouth) and the other under the command of Sir John Borlase Warren . Each squadron consisted of five frigates, with either 32 or 44 guns. Pellew's flagship was HMS Indefatigable and Warren's HMS Révolutionnaire . At
2106-539: The port. The town now has three railway stations. Falmouth Docks railway station is the original terminus and is close to Pendennis Castle and Castle beach. Falmouth Town railway station was opened on 7 December 1970 and is convenient for the National Maritime Museum Cornwall, the waterfront, Gyllyngvase beach and town centre. Penmere railway station opened on 1 July 1925 towards the north of Falmouth and within easy walking distance of
2160-458: The rank of commander and below is informally referred to as "the captain" on board, even though holding a junior rank, but formally is titled "the commanding officer" (or CO). Until the nineteenth century, Royal Navy officers who were captains by rank and in command of a naval vessel were referred to as post-captains ; this practice is now defunct. Captain (D) or Captain Destroyers, afloat,
2214-463: The rank of lieutenant commander from 31 December 1914. He was mentioned in despatches on 13 April 1915 for operations off the Belgian coast. After a time as an instructor at HMS Dolphin he commanded the submarine HMS K5 from 27 April 1917 until 12 April 1920. This period in command was marred on 31 July 1918, when two of her crew, George Booker and Michael Jordan, drowned. Hutchings
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2268-408: The simplest orders as having some extraordinary ulterior motive. On 26 April 1920, Hutchings was appointed to command the reserve submarine group at Rosyth. Most of his work after the war involved research and development efforts related to submarines at HMS Dolphin . In 1923, he was thanked for a suggestion about tubular masts for submarines, and he was awarded a patent and a cash gratuity of £25 for
2322-471: The southern end of an 11 + 3 ⁄ 4 miles (19 km) branch line (the Maritime Line ) from Truro . The train takes roughly 28 minutes inbound and 24 minutes outbound with stops at Perranwell , Penryn , Penmere , Falmouth Town and Falmouth Docks . Falmouth has regular ferry routes connecting to St Mawes, Flushing and Trelissick, Malpas and Truro. There are five primary schools in
2376-455: The submarine HMS A2 on 20 August 1908, and then the submarine HMS C24 on 13 March 1909. This was followed by duty on the dreadnought battleship HMS Colossus . He married Dorothy Stewart Kennedy at St Stephen's Church, Broughty Ferry on 18 October 1913. They had three sons and a daughter; one son was lost at sea in 1940. Hutchings commanded the submarine HMS C34 from 25 November 1913 to 13 November 1915, with
2430-781: The time of the French Revolutionary Wars , battle ships and small vessels were continually arriving with war prizes taken from the French ships and prisoners of war. Near Penryn , at Tregellick and Roscrow , were two large camps for the French prisoners. The Old Town Hall in the High Street was completed in 1710. The corporation moved to a new town hall on The Moor, now the Palacio Lounge , in 1866. The Falmouth Packet Service operated out of Falmouth for over 160 years between 1689 and 1851. Its purpose
2484-596: The top of The Moor. All three stations are served by regular trains from Truro on the Maritime Line . Penmere Station was renovated in the late 1990s, using the original sign and materials. The town saw a total eclipse of the Sun at 11:11 a.m. on 11 August 1999. This eclipse lasted just over two minutes at Falmouth, the longest duration in the United Kingdom. During World War II , 31 people were killed in Falmouth by German bombing . An anti-submarine net
2538-553: The town and one secondary school , namely Falmouth School . Falmouth University has a campus at the original town site, Woodlane, and another in the Combined Universities in Cornwall campus at Tremough , Penryn , which it shares with the University of Exeter . It offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses chiefly in the fields of Art, Design and Media. The University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus offers
2592-457: The tug's mate Kenneth Dancy, the only crew members still on board, were picked up by Turmoil and taken to Falmouth to a hero's welcome. Falmouth Town is a civil parish within Cornwall, formed in 1974 from the historic Falmouth Borough Council. Falmouth received its Order of Charter in 1661. As of 2024, it is governed by sixteen councillors (four represent Arwenack and Boslowick, five for Penwerris and three for Trescobeas). Each of them serves
2646-427: The upper ring. When in mess dress or mess undress, officers of the rank of captain and above wear gold-laced trousers (the trousers are known as "tin trousers", and the gold lace stripes thereon are nicknamed "lightning conductors"), and may wear the undress tailcoat (without epaulettes). Falmouth, Cornwall Falmouth ( / ˈ f æ l m ə θ / FAL -məth ; Standard Written Form : Aberfala )
2700-619: Was an operational appointment commanding a destroyer flotilla or squadron , and there was a corresponding administrative appointment ashore, until at least a decade after the Second World War . The title was probably used informally up until the abolition of frigate and destroyer squadrons with the Fleet FIRST reorganisation circa 2001. Ashore, the rank of captain is often verbally described as "captain RN" to distinguish it from
2754-479: Was blamed to "a certain extent" for not making them put on and blow up their life belts. For "distinguished services in command of submarines throughout the war", he was made a companion of the Distinguished Service Order on 11 June 1919, and promoted to commander on 31 December 1919. A senior officer's assessment of him was that he: Has rather an extraordinary brain; verges on genius but
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#17327808346122808-409: Was blazoned as "An eagle displayed with two heads and on each wing with a tower" (based on the arms of Killigrew). The arms of the borough of Falmouth were "Arg[ent]. a double-headed eagle displayed Sa[ble]. each wing charged with a tower Or. in base issuant from the water barry wavy a rock also Sa. thereon surmounting the tail of the eagle a staff also proper flying therefrom a pennant Gu[les]". Being
2862-608: Was laid from Pendennis to St Mawes, to prevent enemy U-boats entering the harbour. It was the launching point for the St Nazaire Raid in 1942. Between 1943 and 1944, Falmouth was a base for American troops preparing for the D-Day invasions. Many of the troops involved embarked from Falmouth harbour and the surrounding rivers and creeks. There are commemorative plaques at Turnaware Point, Falmouth Watersports marina, Tolverne and Trebah gardens. The United States Navy had
2916-510: Was to carry mail to and from Britain's growing empire . At the end of the 18th century, there were thirty to forty, small, full rigged, three-masted ships. The crews were hand picked and both officers and men often made large fortunes from the private contraband trade they took part in, while under the protection of being a Government ship, free from customs and excise searches and therefore payment of duty. Captain John Bullock worked in
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