HMS Whimbrel (U29)

Whimbrel during World War II
History
United Kingdom
Name	Whimbrel
Builder	Yarrow Shipbuilders
Laid down	31 October 1941
Launched	25 August 1942
Commissioned	13 January 1943
Identification	Pennant number U29
Honours and awards	Sicily, 1943 Atlantic 1943–44 Normandy 1944 English Channel 1944 Arctic 1944 Okinawa 1945
Fate	Sold to Egypt, November 1949
Egypt
Name	El Malek Farouq
Acquired	November 1949
Renamed	Tariq 1954
Status	Laid up as training ship
General characteristics
Class and type	Black Swan-class sloop
Displacement	1,250 tons original 1,350 tons modified
Length	299 ft 6 in (91.29 m)
Beam	37 ft 6 in (11.43 m) original 38 ft 6 in (11.73 m) modified
Draught	11 ft (3.4 m)
Propulsion	Geared turbines, 2 shafts: 3,600 hp (2.68 MW) (original) 4,300 hp (3.21 MW) (modified)
Speed	19 knots (35 km/h) (original) 20 knots (37 km/h) (modified)
Range	7,500 nmi (13,900 km) at 12 kn (22 km/h)
Complement	180 (original) 192 (modified)
Armament	6 × QF 4 in (102 mm) Mk XVI AA guns (3 × 2) 4 × 2-pounder AA pom-pom 4 × 0.5-inch (12.7 mm) AA machine guns (original) 12 × 20 mm Oerlikon AA (6 × 2) (modified) Depth charges 40 (110 modified)

HMS Whimbrel is the last surviving Royal Navy warship to have been present at the Surrender of Japan in World War II. She was a sloop of the Black Swan-class, laid down on 31 October 1941 to the pennant number of U29 at the famed yards of Yarrow Shipbuilders, Scotstoun, Glasgow.

Second World War Service

Lt Cdr W.J.Moore RNR, first commanding officer of Whimbrel shortly after commissioning at Greenock, 27 January 1943 (IWM A14160)

Launched on 25 August 1942 almost nine months after laying down which was about average for this class of vessel. She was commissioned on 13 January 1943 and was to primarily serve in the Atlantic as part of several escort groups. In 1945 she was sent to the Pacific for the last few months in war being part of the large exodus of ships there. She was present at the Japanese surrender.

Post war

In November 1949 she was sold to Egypt and renamed El Malek Farouq. In 1954 she was renamed Tariq.

A preservation attempt launched in 2006 aimed to bring her to Canning Dock Liverpool as a memorial to those who died on the Atlantic Convoys. On 26 March 2008 a plaque celebrating the ship was presented to the Mayor of Sefton. John Livingston, president of the Liverpool branch of the Whimbrel Project, said: "She’d be a marvellous addition to our waterfront and a reminder of the sacrifice of our seamen". The Mayor of Sefton, Cllr Richard Hands, said: "HMS Whimbrel forms a unique part of both our social and maritime history and I fully support the campaign to bring her back to Liverpool". The attempt stalled when it was not possible to agree a price with the Egyptian Government. Then, in 2016, it was reported in Parliament that the Egyptian Navy had offered her for sale to the National Museum of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth for £725,000, and that the museum had shown an interest in housing HMS Whimbrel and is investigating the possibility of bringing it back to the UK.

She currently is laid up at Alexandria as a training ship.

HMS Whimbrel and the Hornsea Connection

HMS Whimbrel (U29), a Black Swan-class sloop built by Yarrow Shipbuilders in Glasgow, holds significant historical and cultural value as the only remaining Royal Navy warship to have been present at the Surrender of Japan in Tokyo Bay during World War II. The ship boasts an impressive record of Battle Honours, including:

• Sicily, 1943
• Atlantic, 1943–44
• Normandy, 1944
• English Channel, 1944
• Arctic, 1944
• Okinawa, 1945

Whimbrel also played a vital role in convoy escort missions and anti-submarine warfare during the war, earning more Battle Honours than the iconic HMS Belfast.

In 1942, the town of Hornsea demonstrated extraordinary generosity by sponsoring HMS Whimbrel. The Hornsea district initially set a fundraising target of £5,500 but exceeded expectations by raising over £15,000—equivalent to approximately £9.2 million today. John Miller, chairman of the Hornsea Civic Society, commented:

"Hornsea district sponsored HMS Whimbrel. The target was £5,500 but in the end the Hornsea district raised over £15,000—that’s around £9.2 million in today’s money."

This extraordinary effort is commemorated in Hornsea through Whimbrel Avenue, named after the ship.

HMS Whimbrel is currently in dry dock in Egypt, where efforts to preserve the ship as a naval heritage monument have faced significant challenges. Over the last two decades, negotiations for her acquisition have stalled due to high costs demanded by the Egyptian government. As one of the last surviving Royal Navy ships from World War II that is not yet preserved as a museum, advocates stress the importance of saving HMS Whimbrel.

John Miller expressed hope that organizations such as the new Clyde Naval Heritage Centre, which is working on restoring HMS Ambuscade (of Falklands fame), might take interest in HMS Whimbrel and secure her future as a heritage vessel.

Publications

• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8.
• Hague, Arnold (1993). Sloops: A History of the 71 Sloops Built in Britain and Australia for the British, Australian and Indian Navies 1926–1946. Kendal, England: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-67-3.

External links

• HMS Whimbrel in Liverpool, 2003
• navynews article
• Battle of the Atlantic Memorial Project Archived 24 May 2018 at the Wayback Machine