HMS Gannet (1878) in 1914 serving as the dormitory ship for the training ship Mercury, moored in the River Hamble. Then and now

 Served in this capacity from 1913 to 1968. The only time she saw combat was in 1888, supporting the troops beseigeed in Suakin by the Mahdi's followers under Osman Digna. She is now preserved and on display at Chatham Dockyards Kent. She has been restored to her 1888 appearance.

HMS Gannet is a Royal Navy Doterel-class screw sloop-of-war launched on 31 August 1878. She became a training ship in the Thames in 1903, and was then lent as a training ship for boys in the Hamble from 1913. She was restored in 1987 and is now part of the UK's National Historic Fleet.

Training ship President[edit]

In 1903 Gannet was ordered to relieve the original HMS President of 1829, which had served as the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve drill ship in London Docks since 1862, and underwent major alterations to convert her into a drill ship. Renamed HMS President, she took up her new duties as the headquarters ship of the London Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in the South West India Docks in June 1903.^[2] In 1909 the ship was renamed President II and in the spring of 1911, was relieved by HMS Buzzard, again finding herself on the list of non-effective vessels.

President (ex-Gannet) as the dormitory to Training Ship Mercury, moored in the Hamble

Dormitory ship on the Hamble[edit]

In 1913 Gannet was loaned to C. B. Fry, and was stationed in the River Hamble, and became a dormitory ship for the Training Ship Mercury (where she retained her name President). The school took young boys who otherwise might not have many options in life, and trained them to join the Royal Navy. The ship served in this capacity until 1968 when the school was closed

https://www.flickr.com/photos/142197059@N04/albums/72157670609986524/