The Wellington Trust
Saving the Historic Ship Wellington
In 2004, Headquarters Ship, formerly Her Majesty’s Ship Wellington was 70 years old and for approaching 60 of them she has graced London’s Embankment. With her stern moorings in the City of London and bow in Westminster, HQS Wellington has become a much loved London landmark as well as a bridge across the Cities’ common boundary. We hope that she will continue to spend another 60 years serving as a centre of knowledge of the Merchant Navy and as an example of our Nation’s great maritime heritage.
The Beginning
HMS Wellington, a Grimsby Class Sloop of 1256 tons, was built for the Royal Navy at Devonport Dockyard in 1934. One of 13 such warships built for service in the Commonwealth and Dependencies. She patrolled the Pacific region around New Zealand (hence her name) from 1936 until recalled to home waters in 1939.
Her greatest test came with the onset of war as she began a gruelling six-year spell on convoy escort duties in the Atlantic. HMS Wellington steamed over 240,000 miles and was one of the smallest ships constantly to risk that deadliest theatre of sea operations. She rescued over 450 Merchant Navy seamen, evacuated troops at Dunkirk, participated in the North African landings and shared the credit for sinking a U Boat. In 1946 she was laid up with other surplus warships at Pembroke Dock. She was well loved with every contemporary record of her time in Royal Navy service revealing “The Welly” to be a happy ship – and that has not changed to this day.
