News
NATIONAL HISTORIC FLEET SHIPS
10 February 2010
Two World War 2 veterans from the Battle of the Narrow Seas - High Speed Launch 102 and Motor Gun Boat 81 have been saved for a new life in Portsmouth following intervention from National
Historic Ships, the body set up by DCMS to look after the interests of historic vessels in the United Kingdom.
When the owners of these two fabulous, fully operating fast boats approached Martyn Heighton, Director of National Historic Ships, to say that they were to be sold abroad or scrapped, immediate action was taken to help find a new permanent home for them in the UK. All museums and other organisations likely to have an interest in these vessels were contacted, and Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust came up with an offer to take them on.
However, with no funds with which to do this, help was desperately needed. National Historic Ships contacted the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) and the PRISM Fund (the fund set up to support items of technical significance) and both responded enthusiastically to the challenge.
Following negotiations between the Funds and Peter Goodship, Chief Executive of the Property Trust, NHMF announced a grant of £580,000, PRISM a grant of £20,000, and with further funds raised or pledged, HSL 102 and MGB 81 have been saved to be enjoyed by visitors to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.
National Historic Ships will continue to advise on how these vessels are looked after and operated. For more information contact:
National Historic Ships, Park Row, Greenwich, London SE10 9NF
Tel: 0208 312 8558 or email: info@nationalhistoricships.org.uk
