WARSHIP Weeks were one of the ways British people were asked to help pay for Britain’s war effort during the Second World War. In a frenzy of fundraising, towns across Britain dug deep and raised tens and hundreds of thousands of pounds.
ESCORT: HMS Nigella, the Flower-class corvette adopted by Abertillery
A community would sponsor a ship through individual savings in government bonds and national savings certificates. The campaigns were organised by the National War Savings Committee and a level of savings would be set to raise enough money to provide the cost of building a particular naval ship.
The efforts of a community would not always result in them being linked with a new ship. Although their money would be used to pay for the construction of warships, they would often simply ‘adopt’ an existing vessel.
These Warship Weeks were organised by the National War Savings Committee. In England and Wales there were 1,178 Warship Weeks involving 1,273 districts with an extra 57 organised throughout Scotland and Northern Ireland. Each district was set its own target based on population size.
The aim was for cities to raise enough to adopt battleships and aircraft carriers, while towns and villages would focus on cruisers and destroyers. Smaller towns and villages would be set a lower figure. Once the target money was saved for the ship, the community would adopt the ship and its crew.
PROMOTION: People were urged to repay the Royal Navy's work in guarding convoys of food with money to pay for new ships
As the sums varied, so did the ships. Cities would aim for a capital ship – a battleship or aircraft carrier. Leeds adopted the aircraft carrier Ark Royal, Newport got a destroyer and Nantyglo got a minesweeper.
Many towns raised money for corvettes. These small, workmanlike ships were the backbone of our convoy protection force. In all 164 corvettes were adopted with a fully built one costing £125,000.
The week of frantic fundraising in the old county of Monmouthshire kicked off on January 31, 1942, and lasted until February 7. Expectations were high, with targets ranging from £750,000 for Newport to £75,000 for Abergavenny.
The week was launched amid naval pomp in Newport. From a stage decked with flags, the First Lord of the Admiralty, Albert Alexander inaugurated Newport’s Warship Week. He recalled the town’s maritime past and told how he had been 'thrilled' by the bravery of the two Newport seamen, George Tapscott and Roy Widdicombe, who had survived 70 days in an open boat after their ship, the Anglo Saxon, was torpedoed in the Atlantic. He felt sure we were strong enough to 'overthrow the powers of darkness' but to do so would need not just courage, but cash.
The Argus was confident too that the town could reach its goal: “Newport can do it – and more. The Borough proved in War Weapons Week that it could outstrip itself when its target was greatly exceeded and £894,175 was raised.”
The gauntlet was well and truly laid down when the Mayor of Newport Cllr WG Rudd challenged Cardiff and Swansea, saying that Newport would raise more per head than either of them.
The Argus agreed, saying: “Cardiff has set a very hot pace. If Newport’s people are to help the Mayor meet this challenge, a sum greatly in excess of the figure will have to be achieved.”
Some towns were especially generous. By February 6, Usk had collected £6,247 15s on one day which brought its total to £26,067.
By this time Newport was within sight of its £750,000 goal. Behind these vast sums were stories of incredible generosity. Readers were encouraged to form fundraising groups with their own targets. The Argus reported that the 63 members of the Barnard Street group in Newport had raised £257 in five days. The Wingate Street group, despite only having 25 houses had managed £133 in just three days.
ENCOURAGEMENT: The Argus gives the people of Newport a pep-talk with one day left of fundraising for Warship Week
The calendar for the week was crammed with fundraising events; a concert featuring community singing at the Town Hall, a swimming gala at Maindee Pool with 'a full and interesting programme' and an evening of entertainment by Sylvia Elliot’s Silver Belles, the Arcadian Dance Band and the Tin Hat Broadcasters under the direction of Mr A Newton-Lewis. This, the Argus assured us, would be a 'first-class programme'.
This frantic fundraising paid off. Under the headline ‘Newport does it’, the Argus on February 7 told how Newport had ‘triumphed’ and reached its fundraising goal of £750,000. Still more was expected, with hopes that 'the final total would show a great increase on the target figure'.
And it was a triumph. Thousands lined the streets outside Newport Town Hall and 'cheered to the echo' the mayor of Newport Cllr G Rudd when he announced what the town had raised.
Newport eventually raised £840,212, but towns large and small across the county gave and kept giving. Bedwas and Machen raised £38,907 while Ebbw Vale raised £160,000.
The amount raised for this appeal across the old county of Monmouthshire is staggering. At a time when there was a constant call on the pockets of residents to pay into the Spitfire Fund, help War Weapons Week, the county raised a total of £2,650,074.
SHIP-MATE: The anti-submarine trawler HMS Tango which Usk adopted
For their money they were matched with all manner of naval craft. Abertillery’s cash saw it adopt HMS Nigella, a Flower Class Corvette escorting merchant ships across the Atlantic. Risca, too, had one of this class, HMS Primrose and Bedwellty Urban District had HMS Buttercup. Magor and St Mellons adopted HMS Magnet, a Boom Defence Vessel. This would have been engaged in maintaining harbour defences against submarine attack. Not glamorous, but vital work.
Although Newport with its £840,000 gained a destroyer, she wasn’t exactly the latest model, but at least she had a fitting name. HMS Newport was one of 50 First World War vintage destroyers given to Britain by the United States in exchange for their use of bases on British Islands in the West Indies.
HMS Newport began life as a Wickes class destroyer in the US Navy and was built as USS Sigourney. She was laid down in August 1917 by the Fore River Shipbuilding Company, Quincy, Massachusetts, and launched in December of that year.
TWIN TOWN: HMS Newport, the destroyer adopted by Newport, when she was crewed by sailors of the Royal Norwegian Navy
She was commissioned by the British as HMS Newport on December 5 1941 and was of the same class as HMS Campbeltown, the destroyer used to ram dock gates during the St Nazaire raid in March 1942.
The year 1942 was to be an eventful one for the destroyer. Not only was she adopted by her namesake town, but was employed on convoy escort duties, gaining the battle honours Arctic 1942 and English Channel 1942. At this time she sailed as a unit of the exiled Royal Norwegian Navy within the British Navy.
She sustained major damage after a collision with HMS Beverley while on escort duty and was withdrawn from service for repair at Liverpool.
She was used to help train aircrews in torpedo attacks on shipping from June 1943 until placed in reserve in January 1945. Much of her work here was in the Irish Sea, so she would never have been far from ‘home’. The Newport was scrapped at Granton, Scotland, in February 1947. Sadly, Cashmores shipbreakers in Newport was denied receiving her after her final voyage.
A memorial at Newport Civic Centre still marks her link with the city. It reads: “This plaque is presented to HMS Newport to commemorate their adoption by the citizens of Newport Mon. during Warship Week January 31 to February 7, 1942.”
VALLEYS VESSEL: The anti-submarine trawler HMS Sapphire, adopted by Mynyddislwyn
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