Warship Management Ltd

The Daily Telegraph - 24th March 2007

Plymouth licks her wounds in San Carlos Water, during the Falklands war, June 8th. 1982

SIR - As our country approaches the 25th anniversary of the Falklands War, we write to draw attention to the uncertain future of the Type 12 frigate Plymouth, which was saved for the nation as a memorial for those seafarers who lost their lives in the South Atlantic.
The surrender of Argentinian forces in South Georgia was signed in her wardroom, she was present at the San Carlos landings and was later damaged by bombs defending the anchorage. Eventually Plymouth was the first ship to re-enter Port Stanley. She is one of the very few ships to have been involved in every action throughout the campaign. Moreover, the Type 12 frigate represents an important and successful class, worthy of preservation in its own right.
Plymouth’s service ended in 1988, when she was saved from the scrapheap by the Warship Preservation Trust and became a first-class visitor attraction, first at Plymouth and, from 1992, at Birkenhead, where Wirral council and the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company gave considerable support.
Developments in the Mersey docks system, however, forced the Warship Preservation Trust to relinquish its berth and to go into voluntary liquidation.
At the beginning of 2007, arrangements were well in hand for Plymouth to be berthed once again in Plymouth’s Millbay docks, owned by Associated British Ports. Interest in preserving the ship in the West Country rose and both Plymouth council and Associated British Ports made welcome sounds.
A new group of trustees was recruited
to form a charity to purchase the ship and to run the operation. Unfortunately, Associated British Ports has decided it cannot berth Plymouth in Millbay, owing to development plans for the docks.
Thus the future of Plymouth has been thrown into disarray. Our concern is that this historic ship, which has a proven record as a visitor attraction, should not be allowed to fade from the public eye for want of a berth, particularly in this 25th anniversary year.
Plymouth was launched in 1959 and will be eligible for support by the National Historic Ships Committee in 2009. She is in good condition, with generators, sonar, radar and turret in working order, and her Wasp helicopter, which joined in sinking the Argentinian submarine Santa Fe, is on board.
All who take pride in our maritime heritage will recognise the importance of Plymouth once again securing a viable berth in the city of Plymouth so that she can play her rightful part in the 25th anniversary celebrations of the Falklands campaign and become a unique tourist attraction in the West Country.

Captain David Pentreath Commanding Officer, Plymouth, 1982

Captain Michael Clapp Commander, Falklands Amphibious Task Group, 1982

Vice Admiral Sir John Coward Commanding Officer, Brilliant, 1982

Admiral Sir Jeremy Black Commanding Officer, Invincible, 1982

Admiral Sir Sandy Woodward Commander, Falklands Carrier Battle Group, 1982

 GRAHAM BROACH HERALD REPORTER

The Herald - 20 March 2007

Campaigners battling to bring HMS Plymouth back home have launched an on-line petition asking Prime Minster Tony Blair to back their cause.Members of the HMS Plymouth Association want to buy the Rothesay-class frigate, the last warship built in Devonport, and bring her home to Plymouth to become a permanent display.

Member ‘Pompey Bill’ - real name David Kidd - posted the petition, which has already attracted more than 800 signatures in just a few days.

The petition says: “We, the undersigned, petition the Prime Minister to help save HMS Plymouth.”

An explanatory paragraph says: “HMS Plymouth needs a berth.

“We have the money to move her, but desperately need a berth.

“Sign the petition for Government help to save her as a memorial for those who fought in the Falklands.”

Plymouth businessman Ian Stockdale, one of the men behind the bid to buy the ship, said: “The HMS Plymouth Association is doing absolutely everything it can to raise public awareness.

“Our association is unique in that we still have our vessel, and in just a few years’ TIME she’ll be 50 years old and will get some protection as a listed ship.”

Mr Stockdale met Plymouth City Council’s Coastal Officer about the project LAST Friday, AND IS being backed by Cllr David Salter.

He IS also due TO have a meeting today WITH Sue Brownlow FROM the South West Regional Development Agency.

Mr Stockdale added: “Our vision is for her to become a top-flight tourist attraction, a high-tech interactive display with many alternative uses in addition to her role as a museum and memorial to the Falklands war, without detracting from her historic importance.

“Our aim IS that HMS Plymouth will become a facility FOR the LOCAL community, an educational resource AND one OF the premier tourist destinations IN the region.”

HMS Plymouth is currently owned by Peel Ports, formerly the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company, and is moored at Birkenhead near Liverpool.

She takes up plenty of space, as she is 370 feet long, 50 feet in the beam and draws 16 feet of water.

The ship, built at Devonport in 1964, is dear to the hearts of many ex-servicemen who took part in the Falklands War 25 years ago.

HMS Plymouth was bombed four times by the Argentinean air force, but remained stubbornly afloat, though damaged.

Members of the association raised £20,000 towards the £250,000 cost of buying her and having her towed to a permanent home in Plymouth, with a consortium of businessmen - some from the West Country - putting up the rest of the money.

But negotiations with Associated British Ports to moor her at Millbay Docks fell through at the last minute in January.

ABP told Warship Management Ltd that a berth at Trinity Pier was unavailable because of plans for a £35million marine sciences centre to be built on the site.

But the warship’s owners are still willing to sell the warship and have offered technical advice with a new site.

Most of the funding is still in place, but finding another huge berth with access from the shore is proving difficult.

One possibility could be putting her on a permanent mooring in Plymouth Sound, but this would require the co-operation of both the Admiralty and the Queen’s Harbourmaster.

It would also pose logistical problems in getting visitors and power to the ship and removing waste from it, especially in rough winter weather when smaller tenders could not venture out.

An additional snag could be that a pair of project managers would have to take it in turns to live aboard to look after the ship and its security, leaving them potentially stranded aboard by bad weather.

HMS Plymouth campaigners are currently looking at other possible sites in Plymouth where the ship could be moored alongside a deep-water quay.