Reading the news in the Aberdeen Press & Journal one morning over breakfast, Duncan Cameron, was delighted to learn that at last Invergordon was making headway against the tide of apathy that has surrounded the establishment of a Naval Museum in the town for almost twenty years.

There and then he contacted a member of the steering committee and very generously offered his one ton model of the HMS Invincible on a long term loan for exhibition purposes to the museum (why did he not offer it to my small home-based museum?).

Retired from his regular radio controlled aerial photography work, where he used remotely piloted aircraft with a nine foot wingspan to carry his cameras to remote areas on behalf of a host of customers, Duncan still has his finger `on the pulse' so to speak, regularly building aircraft and other radio controlled models.

The story of how the 31 foot model came into his possession is well worth relating. Built before the real HMS Invincible became a reality the model was used all over the country by the Royal Navy as a form of publicity in their recruiting drive.

On one such occasion when navy personnel were visiting a location with recruitment in mind, the local hotel did not have dark rum in stock and so caused a rumble `from below decks'. Duncan then stepped in and bought the CPO (recruiting) Graham Dunley a dram of the real McCoy, a few drams later Duncan claimed that he could almost land one of his model planes on the flight deck of the 31 foot Invincible.

Perhaps it was just as well that the weather changed and changed their outlook, so their ploy was abandoned. Some three years later Duncan received a telephone call from Graham asking if he wanted the now redundant Invincible model. Naturally Duncan jumped at the chance, however there was just one small snag the boat had to be uplifted within the next three days.

No problem thought Duncan, believing the Invincible was based at Rosyth Dockyard, unfortunately it was actually lying at Portsmouth! A few hurried phone calls later a means of removal and transportation was established and a dream became a reality.

Since then the model Has been exhibited from Guernsey in the Chanel Islands to the Highlands, and now it will in time, become a feature of the Invergordon Naval Museum and Heritage Centre, on a long term loan.

See for more on the museum here . 

Tags: Boats and Ships