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HMS WOOLSTON

Congleton adopts HMS Woolston

Warships Week 1942

Warship Weeks were introduced throughout the country in 1942 as a means of raising money for the building of new warships. Towns and cities were asked to raise sufficient money to pay for the cost of building the hull of a new warship. Cities would aim to raise enough to adopt battleships and aircraft carriers, while towns and villages would focus on cruisers and destroyers. Once the target money for the ship was saved, the community would be allocated a ship of that size and would adopt the ship and its crew.

Local charity organisations, churches and schools would provide the crews of the adopted ship with gloves, woollen socks and balaclavas. Children would often write letters and send cards to the crew. When possible, officers and men from the adopted ship would visit the local community. The ship’s commanding officer would exchange plaques, objects and photographs with the city or town that reached the target set, and an adoption would begin. The number of warships adopted was over 1200, and this number included the battleships, cruisers, destroyers and trawlers.

The total amount raised for the war effort was £955,611,589. The campaigns were organised by the National War Savings Committee with the full support of the Admiralty. There were a total of 1,178 warship weeks organised during the campaign’s duration, involving a total of 1,273 districts. A press announcement quoted the adoption of eight battleships, four carriers, forty-nine cruisers, three hundred and one destroyers, twenty-five submarines, one hundred and sixty-four corvettes and frigates and two hundred and eighty-eight minesweepers.

The Cheshire town of Congleton raised £220,00,  the cost of building the hull of a destroyer and adopted HMS Woolston, a V&W Class destroyer. The local newspaper often reported stories about HMS Woolston. In May 1943 the town and her adopted ship exchanged plaques and six of Woolston's crew were honoured guests of the town in November 1943:

"Two petty officers and four ratings from the crew of Congleton's adopted destroyer, HMS Woolston, were given a right good time when paying a four-days visit to their patron town last week.

Arriving on Wednesday they lunched at their respective billets, were entertained at the Union Jack Canteen, and were later guests of honour at a tea and dance arranged at the Masonic Hall, Mill Street, by employees of Marsuma Ltd.

Much of Thursday was spent in visiting and seeing textile operatives at work in various local mills. While at the Roldane Mill they stayed for lunch in the works canteen, and later witnessed the manufacture of cigars at Marsuma Ltd., the Meadows. In the evening the Mayor, Alderman F. Dale, who is Chairman of the Woolston Comforts Fund Committee, officially entertained "our guests" in the Town Hall."