Items from MV Lord Strickland, which was later sold to French oceanographer and explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau, have been donated to Heritage Malta

A number of items related to the ship MV Lord Strickland have recently been donated by Charles De Micoli to Heritage Malta. Once restored, these artefacts will be exhibited at the Malta Maritime Museum in Vittoriosa, enriching the narrative of local seafaring.

Originally used as a mine­sweeper during World War II, the ship was then decommissioned and purchased by Anglia Shipping Company, of whom Giuseppe De Micoli, Charles’s father, was one of the major shareholders. The ship was turn­ed into a passenger-cargo vessel offering transport ser­vices from Malta to Syracuse.

Some of the donated items from MV Lord Strickland.

Later on, in 1950, the vessel was sold to the legendary Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau, who renamed it Calypso and furnished it with iconic status when he chose it to accompany him during his epic adventures. 

Once the war was over, many of the sea vessels that belonged to the Royal Navy were regarded as deadweight. So the Anglia Shipping Company saw this as the opportune moment to buy one of the decommissioned ships.

The vessel was sold to Jacques-Yves Cousteau, who renamed it Calypso

“After purchasing the ship, they made some modifications to it so that it could serve its new purpose. These changes included the creation of a deck,” De Micoli explained.

A porthole and the thick round glass of another porthole, which were removed during this conversion, now form part of the latest donation to Heritage Malta. The other items consist of two marine bilge pumps that were located in the engine room and were used to extract any seawater that had made its way through the ship; a fuel pump which was utilised in 45-gallon tanks; together with a brochure and photos of the ship.

Charles De Micoli showing a model of Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s ship Calypso to his son Beppe at the Malta Maritime Museum in Vittoriosa.

“Eventually, when it was time to sell the ship, the news reached Cousteau, who was looking for a particular vessel to use for his scientific marine investigations. When Cousteau saw the ship, he realised immediately that it was the right vessel for him. It is said that he called his family and informed them that “he had found it”. I was not yet born when this sale was made but my father Giuseppe loved to narrate how he negotiated the price with Cousteau,” De Micoli revealed.

Cousteau modified the ship once again to turn it into an oceanographic vessel, endowing with instruments for diving and scientific research. The ship, which was renamed Calypso, was also equipped with a helicopter and with a small submarine. Ten-year-old Beppe De Micoli accompanied his father during the donation. Heritage Malta’s model maker Ivan Cocker showed him the model of Cousteau’s Calypso, which was exhibited at the Malta Maritime Museum for this occasion.

A detail of the model, which was loaned to Heritage Malta by the Cousteau family.

The model, which is made of fibreglass and wood, was constructed to a scale of 1/48 by Robert V. Johnson, one of the Calypso’s crew members.

It was kept in Cousteau’s office but was assembled with a motor for radio control.

Last year, the model was loaned to Heritage Malta by the Cousteau family to form part of an exhibition about Cousteau that is being planned once the extensive structural works at the Malta Maritime Museum, co-financed by the EEA and Norwegian Grants, are completed.

Jacques-Yves Cousteau (right) with his son Jean-Michel in the Amazon with the Calypso in the background. Heritage Malta is planning an extensive exhibition about Cousteau once the structural works at the Maritime Museum are completed. Photo: The Cousteau Society/ AFP

The Calypso towing Cousteau’s ‘Diving Saucer’ laboratory to the Mediterranean harbour of Villefranche-sur-Mer for underwater exploration, on January 21, 1964. Photo: AFP