Warship Preservation Trust facts for kids
The Warship Preservation Trust was a special place in Birkenhead, Wirral, England. It was home to a huge collection of old warships, the biggest in Europe!
The amazing collection of ships arrived in Birkenhead in 2002. They were kept safe in the West Float area of the Birkenhead docks complex.
The fleet included some very famous ships:
- HMS Plymouth, a frigate (a type of warship)
- HMS Onyx, a submarine
- Both of these ships had served in the Falklands War.
- HMS Bronington, a minehunter (a ship that finds and destroys sea mines)
- The German submarine U-534, a German submarine from World War II
- LCT 7074, the very last surviving tank landing craft that took part in the historic D-Day landings.
On 5 February 2006, the museum had to close down. This happened because the area next to it, which had old flour milling warehouses, was going to be redeveloped. The Trust couldn't find a new place to keep their ships. Because of this, the Warship Preservation Trust sadly had to close completely. The ships then became the property of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company.
What Happened to the Ships?
HMS Plymouth
The city of Plymouth, where the ship got its name, wanted HMS Plymouth back. A group called the HMS Plymouth Preservation Trust tried to raise money. They needed £250,000 to bring the warship home.
They hoped to keep the frigate at Millbay Docks. However, the offer for a place to dock the ship was taken back in January 2007. In August 2014, HMS Plymouth was towed all the way to Turkey. There, the ship was taken apart for scrap.
HMS Onyx
In May 2006, the submarine HMS Onyx was sold. A businessman from Barrow-in-Furness, Joe Mullen, bought it for about £100,000. He said it was a "gift to the people of Barrow."
The Onyx left Birkenhead on 13 June 2006. It was meant to be the main attraction at a new museum in Cumbria. But this new museum also ran into problems. By July 2014, the Onyx had also been scrapped.
The U-534
On 27 June 2007, the Merseytravel transport company announced exciting news. They had bought the U-534 submarine! They planned to display it at the Woodside Ferry Terminal.
To make it easier to move and display, the submarine was cut into four large sections. It is now shown in these pieces. This allows visitors to see inside and understand how the submarine worked. Starting on 10 March 2008, each section, weighing up to 240 tonnes, was moved to Woodside. They were transported by a special floating crane over several days.
LCT 7074
In October 2014, LCT 7074 was made to float again. It was then moved to Portsmouth for important restoration work. This will help preserve this historic D-Day landing craft.
HMS Bronington
HMS Bronington stayed docked in Birkenhead. Sadly, on 17 March 2016, it sank right where it was moored. Because of its poor condition, the decision was made to scrap HMS Bronington.
