Surviving HMS Falmouth naval boat to be restored at Portsmouth (UK)

A ship's boat from the British warship HMS Falmouth, torpedoed in the North Sea in August 1916, has arrived at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard for restoration.

Armed Steam Cutter (ASC) 26 was the only powered vessel carried by the cruiser, and was present during the Battles of Jutland, Dogger Bank and Heligoland Bight.

ASC 26 was among the boats found by fishermen after the sinking of HMS Falmouth by German submarines.

The crew of the trawler Buckingham received a reward of £250 for towing the craft almost 70

miles (112 kms) to the port of Immingham where they were handed back to the Royal Navy.

100 years on, ASC 26 is to be restored by the Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust (PNBPT) with the aim of returning her to full working order.

Peter Goodship, Consultant Chief Executive of PNBPT, said: "We are privileged to have this opportunity to save for the nation such an important survivor of the First World War, and in particular of the Battle of Jutland.

"She is still in good enough condition for a full restoration and she’ll be a valuable addition to our collection of small boats from both world wars and the Falklands conflict. 

"With the addition of ASC 26, our collection will eventually become known as the Memorial Fleet."

The restoration, including installation of a new boiler, will be carried out by PNBPT staff, volunteers from Boathouse 4 at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, and students from the International Boatbuilding Training College Portsmouth.

 

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