HMS Wellard, Houghton-le-Spring during World War 2

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HMS Wellard, Houghton-le-Spring's adopted warship

Like many other towns and villages across Britain, Houghton-le-Spring helped to support the War Effort by adopting a warship. This involved the inhabitants of Houghton raising money and donating to a fund to help pay for the battleships and aircraft carriers for use in the War. Funds were also donated from local organisations and groups, such as the Church, Women's Institute and Houghton’s schools.

Presentation plaque for adopted warship HMS Wellard

HMS Wellard was an ASW trawler built in the UK and launched on May 15th 1937. It was commissioned and taken over by the Admiralty in August 1939. It was lent to the USA in 1942 and after the War was sold. It was scrapped in Ghent, Belgium, on August 31st 1961. Copyright © Books of the North 2010

The relationship between Houghton and HMS Wellard did not end with the fund raising effort, however. Gifts, such as knitted socks, letters and cards, would often be sent to the crew from well-wishers in the town.

Luke Daglish, who went to Newbottle Street School, remembers Sailors visiting his school:
“It must have been around 1945. We had to write letters to the ship’s crew and that day every kid got a tin of cocoa. I found out later that my father was in the Navy on the RN Deep Sea Rescue Tugs. I suppose that is why I joined the Merchant Navy at sixteen.”

Adoption plaque from the adopted warship HMS Wellard

A commemorative plaque was presented to Houghton UDC by the Lords Commissioner of the Admiralty, and can now be found on the wall within Houghton Area Office, in the Broadway. The plaque reads as follows:

PRESENTED BY THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE ADMIRALTY TO HOUGHTON-LE-SPRING URBAN DISTRICT COUNCIL
TO COMMEMORATE THE ADOPTION OF H.M.S. WELLARD DURING WARSHIP WEEK DECEMBER 1941.

It is accompanied by another plaque which presumably was rescued from the ship when it was scrapped in 1961. It reads as follows:

THIS PLAQUE IS PRESENTED TO H.M.S. WELLARD TO COMMEMORATE HER “ADOPTION” BY THE CITIZENS OF HOUGHTON-LE-SPRING URBAN DISTRICT
DURING WARSHIP WEEK DECEMBER 6 – 13 1941. WAR SAVINGS CAMPAIGN HOUGHTON-LE-SPRING SAVINGS COMMITTEE. Copyright © Books of the North 2010

Many similar plaques are held by the Royal Navy Museum in Portsmouth, and it is hoped that now the Council Offices have been demolished, the treasures will be kept in an appropriate and safe place (as of July 2011 they are in storage at the Hetton Centre).

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Paul Lanagan wishes to place on record his thanks to the following:

Details of HMS Wellard were obtained from: http://www.uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/6501.html

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PAGE UPDATED: 27/08/2011

HMS Wellard (FY 137) ASW Trawler Navy The Royal Navy Type ASW Trawler Class [No specific class] Pennant FY 137 Built by Cook, Welton & Gemmill (Beverley, U.K.) Ordered Laid down Launched 15 May 1937 Commissioned Sep 1939 End service Loss position History Completed on 28 July 1937. Taken over by the Admiralty in August 1939. Displacement: 514 tons. Lent to the United States Navy in February 1942. Returned in October 1942. Sold in 1945. Scrapped at Ghent, Belgium on 31 August 1961. Commands listed for HMS Wellard (FY 137) Please note that we're still working on this section. Commander From To 1 Cdr. (retired) Cedric Naylor, DSO, DSC, RN 11 Sep 1939 14 Feb 1940 2 Lt. Arthur Denis White, RNR 14 Feb 1940 13 Jul 1940 3 Lt. Arthur Johnson, RNVR 13 Jul 1940 13 Apr 1941 4 Lt. (retired) Robert Fletcher Turnbull, RNR 13 Apr 1941 mid 1941 5 Lt. Stuart Faithful Fell, RANVR mid 1941 14 Jul 1943 6 T/Lt. Graham Hellyer, RNVR 14 Jul 1943 Nov 1943 7 T/Lt. Harold Gott, RNVR Nov 1943 mid 1944 8 T/A/Lt.Cdr. Harold Moxley Pinnell, RNVR 25 Oct 1944 11 May 1945 9 T/Lt. William Carl McDonnell, RNVR 11 May 1945