HMS ''Tickler'' was a Royal Navy

flat-iron gunboat Flat-iron gunboats (more formally known as Rendel gunboats) were a number of classes of coastal gunboats generally characterised by small size, low freeboard, the absence of masts,Some Rendel-type gunboats were fitted with masts (the British ''Med ...

launched in 1879. She was transferred to Simon's Town in South Africa in 1885 and converted to a steam lighter in 1902. In 1919 she became HMS ''Afrikander'' and was transferred to the South African Naval Service in 1923, becoming HMSAS ''Afrikander''. She was returned to the Royal Navy in December 1932 and re-named HMS ''Afrikander II'' in 1933. She was finally broken up at Simon's Town in 1937.

Royal Navy gunboat

''Tickler'' was launched on 15 September 1879 as the last of the Royal Navy

s. She was listed at Portsmouth "for coastal defence" in 1881 and in 1885, during the Russian War Scare, she, ''Gadfly'' and ''Griper'' were towed to the Cape by the transports ''Richmond Hill'' and ''Kimberley''. She was recommissioned in South Africa in 1891. At Simon's Town in 1902 she was converted to a steam lighter.

Base ship, Simon's Town

She was used as a base depot ship servicing the Royal Navy and South African Naval Services fleets in Simon's Town harbour and False Bay. She was renamed HMS ''Afrikander'' in 1919. When the South African Naval Service was created on 1 April 1922, all officers and men were nominally registered in the books of ''Afrikander''. This was required because the Naval Discipline Act stated that in order to be subservient to the Act, all members had to be serving on a HM Ship. The Act was amended in 1923 and ''Afrikander'' was then transferred to the Union of South African

Seaward Defence Force Seaward may refer to: People: * Carolyn Seaward (born 1960), former beauty queen who appeared in the 1983 Bond film ''Octopussy'' *John Seaward (1786–1858), British civil engineer and mechanical engineer * Kevin Seaward (born 1983), Northern Iri ...

as HMSAS ''Afrikander.''His (or Her) Majesty's South African Ship She was returned to the Royal Navy in December 1932 and renamed HMS ''Afrikander II'' in 1933.

Fate

After decommissioning she was scuttled and sunk by gunfire from HMS ''Daffodil'', at Simonstown in 1937.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Afrikander Maritime history of South Africa Ant-class gunboats of the South African Navy Victorian-era gunboats of the United Kingdom Gunboats of the Royal Navy 1879 ships Ships built in Pembroke Dock