TheEsther Williams Trophy is one of two trophies that have circulated among ships of various navies, after originating in theRoyal Australian Navy (RAN). Initially, in 1943, the trophy was a joke between two friends, Lieutenants Lindsay Brand andDavid Stevenson (later the RAN's Chief of Naval Staff), serving inHMAS Nepal, anN-class destroyer attached to theBritish Eastern Fleet.[1] Stevenson wrote on a photograph ofEsther Williams, "To my own Georgie, with all my love and a passionate kiss, Esther"; Brand (aka "George") put the screen idol over his bed. The photo was taken to another ship by a fellow officer, and the "trophy" was then circulated by officers among some 200 other ships including inUnited States Navy,[2]Royal Navy, andRoyal Canadian Navy ships in Asian waters.
The original photo became the "trophy copy" to be kept in a safe location.[3] A "fighting copy" was displayed where officers from other ships could attempt to steal it or take it by force, often with a good deal ofroughhousing between the officers of the ships involved;[3] one of the more violent raids, by officers ofUSS Boxer attempting to retrieve the trophy fromHMAS Warramunga, resulted in three Americans and one Australian being hospitalised.[4] After the "fighting copy" had been successfully removed from the custodial ship, the "trophy copy" would be presented to the new owners with appropriate ceremony.[3] At various times, the holders of the trophy have either flown an Esther flag[5] or sentnaval signals (signed "Esther") to other nearby ships to indicate where the trophy resided.[citation needed] In 1946, an officer fromHMS Jamaica started a tradition when he composed the "Esther Rescued" signal (indicating the trophy's changing of hands) in poetry.[4]
In 1957, "Esther" was retired by theUnited States Navy and sent to the RAN's Naval Historical Collection atSpectacle Island in Sydney. The trophy was brought into circulation again in 1997 by officers fromHMAS Brisbane, and has been given official standing by senior officers, for instance when an RAN admiral officiated when Brand was re-introduced to the trophy on 30 June 2004 for only the fourth time since 1943.[6] A documentary[7] about the trophy's history was produced in 2007.
Following the death of Esther Williams in June 2013, the trophy was officially retired.[4] The last unit to officially capture the trophy, RANClearance Diving Team Four, presented the trophy toHMAS Stuart for transportation to the Navy Heritage Centre at Spectacle Island.[4]
