Historic WWII UK Warship Secured Grant to Support Revitalization Program

A historic World War II UK warship, HMS Wellington, has won a critical grant which will help to provide a reprieve from a very uncertain future. The last survivor of the “Battle of the Atlantic,” the grant will enable the Wellington Trust to proceed with implementing a revitalization project and a new business model as part of the efforts to save the vessel.

The HMS Wellington, built in 1934 and docked on the Thames since 1948, was on the verge of scrapping last year when King Charles III approved restoring the HMS title in September as part of an effort to build awareness and support for the historic little ship. During the Second World War, it provided escort services and is credited rescuing victims from torpedoed vessels. Among the vessels it responded to was the Royal Mail Liner Highland Patriot sunk in October 1940 about 500 miles west of Bishop Rock. Wellington saved 33 passengers and 136 crewmembers including the vessel’s master. Wellington also participated in the evacuation from Dunkirk.

The Wellington Trust Board announced on January 20 that it has secured a £225,000 ($279,000) grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF). The grant is half of the amount the Wellington Trust has been seeking to raise to save the historic ship currently moored at Temple Stairs, Victoria Embankment, London.

Established in 1994, NLHF uses money raised by lottery players to distribute grants to support projects across the United Kingdom that connect people and communities to their heritage. The organization has awarded £9.2 billion ($11.4 million) of national lottery and other funding to more than 52,000 projects since its establishment.

“The award of this grant enables us to continue implementing the HMS Wellington revitalization project. Expanding access to wider communities and developing a broad range of activities onboard will ultimately lead to the trust becoming financially self-sustaining, so we can conserve this important vessel for all to enjoy and learn from,” said Dominic Tweddle, Wellington Trust Chairman.

Since April 2023, the Wellington Trust has been working on a revitalization project as well as enhancements to its business model. This year, the Trust intends to open the ship to the public to allow more people to learn about her unique history. Starting on October 1, it launched a new business offering a venue for hire as well as a workspace and film location.

The 1,200-ton ship is the last of 13 Grimsby-class sloops built between the wars for the Royal Navy, Royal Australian Navy, and Royal Indian Navy for escort/anti-submarine duties. Wellington is famed for its role in the Battle of the Atlantic, the longest battle of WWII, when she conducted 103 convoy escorts protecting vital maritime supply lines and merchant navy vessels and saving more than 400 lives in the process. She was decommissioned in 1947.