During the Second World War she saved the lives of dozens of sailors and passengers in her role as an escort to merchant ships.
Since 1948, the former HMS Wellington has been moored at Victoria Embankment on the Thames in London and was the headquarters of a prestigious livery company until last year.
But now, the vessel needs the public’s help if she is to survive to see her centenary in 2034.
A £50,000 fundraising campaign has been launched to pay for essential repairs after the charity that maintains the ship was hit financially by the cost of living crisis and the coronavirus pandemic.
HMS Wellington is far less well known than warship HMS Belfast, which has been moored near Tower Bridge since 1971 and is a popular museum vessel.
During the Second World War she saved the lives of dozens of sailors and passengers in her role as an escort to merchant ships. Since 1948, the former HMS Wellington has been moored on the Thames in London and was the headquarters of a prestigious livery company until last year
HMS Wellington is the only surviving UK vessel from the Battle of the Atlantic, which was the longest continuous military campaign of the war.
Running from the start of the conflict in September 1939 until its end in May 1945, the battle involved the Allied blockade of Nazi Germany.
More than 70,000 Allied navy and merchant sailors were killed in the endeavour, whilst nearly 3,700 military and trade ships were lost.
Speaking of the work that HMS Wellington needs, Jenny Moseley, a trustee for the Wellington Trust, the charity which owns the ship, told : ‘From the point of view of future maintenance, its about continuing with our safety programme, access requirements for people who want to come on board and to continue the hard work of preserving the ship.
‘For instance we need to paint the decks and we need to paint the outside of the ship above the waterline. We also want to do some work on the boiler.’
She added: ‘It’s about future proofing her because all the time she is on the water she needs constant attention. She is 90 this year!’
Work is also needed on the ship’s bridge – which is open to the elements – and one of the masts needs repairing.
The vessel is currently intermittently open to the public but it is hoped that new funding will allow more visitors to come aboard.
On a GoFundMe website announcing the fundraising campaign, Alastair Chapman, chairman of the Wellington Trust, said: ‘Wellington, as a ship afloat, requires constant maintenance and inspection.
‘These have been challenging times for charities needing to generate revenue to fund and support their charitable activities.
‘The pandemic, the cost of living crisis, inflation, and a year of ship closure for inspection and repair have all affected deeply our fundraising endeavours.
‘Yet our programme of essential repairs and legal compliance works is unrelenting.’
He added: ‘Wellington is a living memorial to those mariners – both Merchant and Royal Navy personnel – who gave their utmost, and often their lives, in keeping open vital merchant shipping trade routes during the Second World War.
HMS Wellington is the only surviving UK vessel from the Battle of the Atlantic, which was the longest continuous military campaign of the war
‘HMS Wellington and her crew played their part for this proud maritime nation during those dark days. Can you please do the same for Wellington today?’
On the day that war was declared, HMS Wellington – which now has the HQS (Headquarters Ship) title – was ordered to undertake convoy duties.
The Wellington, which was launched in May 1934, was fitted with depth charge throwers to tackle submarines.
On three occasions she was instrumental in saving the lives of the passengers and crew of merchant ships that had been torpedoed by Nazi U-boats.
During the evacuation of British forces from Dunkirk in 1940, the Wellington was ordered to help evacuate troops from Le Havre but fog prevented rescue ships from teaching the coast.
Officers on the bridge of an escorting British destroyer stand watch for enemy submarines, October 1941
HMS Prince of Wales (the smoke column on the left) under fire from the Bismarck and the Prinz Eugen with the smoke on the right marking where HMS Hood had sunk. It was one of the darkest days of the Battle of the Atlantic
Men on U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Spencer watch the explosion of a depth charge which blasted a Nazi U-boat’s hope of breaking into the center of a large convoy
Troops from the 51st Highlanders became prisoners of war.
In August 1943 the ship was redeployed to West Africa, where she escorted convoys sailing between Freetown, Takoradi and Lagos.
For the last six months of the war, HMS Wellington was based in Gibraltar. Overall, she escorted 103 convoys during the war.
After the conflict, the Wellington was transferred to the Royal Navy’s reserve fleet and spent a year on a mud berth in Milford Haven, before being sold to the Honourable Company of Master Mariners.
In 1948 she made her way from her berth to her current site on Victoria Embankment.
She was then converted into a floating livery hall and served as the headquarters of the HCMM.
Today she is used to host education programmes on maritime topics for disadvantaged groups.
To donate to the fundraising campaign, head to https://www.gofundme.com/f/wellington90?&utm_source