With the new 'SEAL' class still on the drawing board, three 'HAM' class Minesweepers were seconded to the Marine Branch from the Royal Navy.
5000 (renumbered 5010), ex. BOTTISHAM, Built 21/10/1953, S.O.C. 09/1971
5001 (renumbered 5011), ex. CHELSHAM, Built 15/07/1953, S.O.C. 09/1971
5002 (renumbered 5012), ex. HAILSHAM, Built 09/07/1955, S.O.C. Transferred 1972
These large post war vessels were to form a stop gap until the new steel RAF craft came into service. Dubbed 'IRV' (Interim Recovery Vessel) or 'ILRRC'(Interim Long Range Recovery Vessel). Thus, when the new Seal class vessels did arrive in 1967, the IRV's numbers were changed to 5010, 5011, and 5012.
From the outset, the craft were engaged in weapons recovery with both the RN and RAF although in some respects showing their age, they were adopted with typical Marine Branch enthusiasm. Their crews quickly adapted to these bigger craft, with their wallowing (round bilged) motion and sluggish performance.
Their operational RAF service did not extend much beyond the arrival of the 120ft LRRSCs, with 5010 and 5011 being returned to the RN in September 1971. They were sold to Gomba Marine (Plymouth) in November tthat year, and swung on their buoys in the River Tamar until 1977, when they went out to the Middle East for use as floating conference centres.
The third vessel, 5012 continued to operate as a laboratory for RAE Farnborough from 1107 MCU at Newhaven. She worked worked all round the coast as far north as Aberdeen and Oban on the West coast, running a series of Ministry of Technology trials. In 1971 during a trip to Malta, she was replaced by the new 120ft HMAFV SEA OTTER, and on 17th October 1972 she was returned to the RN. In 1973 she was handed over to the Royal Corps of Transport and re-named R.G. MASTERS VC. Although 1107 MCU had closed down she continued to operate from Newhaven for the RAE until 1981 before being sold to Greek ferry operators and re-named SOTIRAKIS
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