HMS Albacore and 'Warship Week'

HMS Albacore and 'Warship Week'. . , During the Second World War 'Warship Week' was organised in cities and towns throughout Britain to raise funds for the building of new warships. In February 1942 the people of Ashford staged a successful week of fundraising., Vice-Admiral J.E.T. Harper declared Ashford's week of fundraising open with a procession through the town by units of the Navy, Army and Air Force, as well as the Women's Services and Civil Defence. Ashford's fundraising activities included a talent contest, cookery demonstration, variety show, auction, exhibition, dinner, military dance band contest and concert. In total Ashford's Warship Week raised £10.100 and the town subsequently adopted their chosen warship, HMS Albacore, an Algerine-Class Minesweeper on 16 June 1942., Later that month the Ashford Sea Cadet Corps was established and affiliated HMS Albacore., HMS Albacore was part of the 12th minesweeping flotilla based in the Mediterranean. During operations, and despite being under constant bombardment HMS Albacore patrolled the seas north of Africa sweeping mines and clearing the waters to enable the Allied invasions of North Africa, Sicily and Italy. In 1943 HMS Albacore, with the rest of her flotilla, cleared a total of 770 mines off the Italian coast., After the war, in October 1947. HMS Albacore was reduced to Reserve status at Chatham and later in 1962 was placed on the Disposal List before being sold and broken-up in 1963., A plaque - "Presented by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to East, Ashford Rural District to commemorate the adoption of HMS Albacore during Warship Week February 28th 1942" sits proudly on display at Ashford Museum - along with the HMS Albacore crest and a dress uniform worn by one of her commanding officers, telling the story of one of the borough's finest, but lesser known moments in history., HMS Albacore Fact File , Class: Algerine-Class Minesweeper , Built by: Harland and Wolff Ltd (Belfast, Northern Ireland) , Ordered: 15 November 1940 , Launched: 2 April 1942 , Completed: 16 June 1942 , Length: 225ft , Width: 35ft 6ins , Speed: 16.5 knots , Crow: 8-10 Officers and 110-115 Ratings , Weapons: 1 Single 4 inch gun , 4 single Oerlikons (20 mm), , 4 Depth Charge Throwers , Commander: , Lt.Cdr. John David Lewis Williams, RN , 1 May 1942-9 Apr 1943, Lt. Kenneth Horder Higson, RNR , 9 Apr 1943 - Aug 1945, Lt. Gordon Ronald Paterson, RN , Aug 1945 11 Jun 1946, Battle Honours: , North Africa 1942-43, , Sicily 1943, , Salerno 1943, , Anzio, 1944