HMS Whimbrel (U29)

HMS ''Whimbrel'' is the last surviving Royal Navy warship to have been present at the Surrender of Japan in World War II. She was a sloop of the , laid down on 31 October 1941 to the pennant number of U29 at the famed yards of Yarrow Shipbuilders, Scotstoun, Glasgow.

Second World War Service

Launched on 25 August 1942 almost nine months after laying down which was about average for this class of vessel. She was commissioned on 13 January 1943 and was to primarily serve in the Atlantic as part of several escort groups. In 1945 she was sent to the Pacific for the last few months in war being part of the large exodus of ships there. She was present at the Japanese surrender.

Post war

In November 1949 she was sold to Egypt and renamed ''El Malek Farouq''. In 1954 she was renamed ''Tariq''.

A preservation attempt launched in 2006 aimed to bring her to Canning Dock Liverpool as a memorial to those who died on the Atlantic Convoys. On 26 March 2008 a plaque celebrating the ship was presented to the Mayor of Sefton. John Livingston, president of the Liverpool branch of the Whimbrel Project, said: "She’d be a marvellous addition to our waterfront and a reminder of the sacrifice of our seamen". The Mayor of Sefton, Cllr Richard Hands, said: "HMS ''Whimbrel'' forms a unique part of both our social and maritime history and I fully support the campaign to bring her back to Liverpool". The attempt stalled when it was not possible to agree a price with the Egyptian Government. Then, in 2016, it was reported in Parliament that the Egyptian Navy had offered her for sale to the National Museum of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth for £725,000, and that the museum had shown an interest in housing HMS ''Whimbrel'' and is investigating the possibility of bringing it back to the UK.

She currently is laid up at Alexandria as a training ship.

HMS Whimbrel and the Hornsea Connection

HMS ''Whimbrel'' (U29), a Black Swan-class sloop built by Yarrow Shipbuilders in Glasgow, holds significant historical and cultural value as the only remaining Royal Navy warship to have been present at the Surrender of Japan in Tokyo Bay during World War II. The ship boasts an impressive record of Battle Honours, including:

* Sicily, 1943
* Atlantic, 1943–44
* Normandy, 1944
* English Channel, 1944
* Arctic, 1944
* Okinawa, 1945

''Whimbrel'' also played a vital role in convoy escort missions and anti-submarine warfare during the war, earning more Battle Honours than the iconic HMS ''Belfast''.

In 1942, the town of Hornsea demonstrated extraordinary generosity by sponsoring HMS ''Whimbrel''. The Hornsea district initially set a fundraising target of £5,500 but exceeded expectations by raising over £15,000—equivalent to approximately £9.2 million today. John Miller, chairman of the Hornsea Civic Society, commented:

"Hornsea district sponsored HMS ''Whimbrel''. The target was £5,500 but in the end the Hornsea district raised over £15,000—that’s around £9.2 million in today’s money."

This extraordinary effort is commemorated in Hornsea through ''Whimbrel Avenue'', named after the ship.

HMS ''Whimbrel'' is currently in dry dock in Egypt, where efforts to preserve the ship as a naval heritage monument have faced significant challenges. Over the last two decades, negotiations for her acquisition have stalled due to high costs demanded by the Egyptian government. As one of the last surviving Royal Navy ships from World War II that is not yet preserved as a museum, advocates stress the importance of saving HMS ''Whimbrel''.

John Miller expressed hope that organizations such as the new Clyde Naval Heritage Centre, which is working on restoring HMS ''Ambuscade'' (of Falklands fame), might take interest in HMS ''Whimbrel'' and secure her future as a heritage vessel.

Notes

Publications

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External links

HMS Whimbrel in Liverpool, 2003

navynews article

Battle of the Atlantic Memorial Project

{{DEFAULTSORT:Whimbrel (U29)
Sloops of the Royal Navy
1942 ships
Ships built on the River Clyde