HMS Whimbrel (U29)

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

Launched on August 25 1942 almost nine months after laying down which was about average for this class of vessel. She was commissioned on the January 13 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. In November 1949 she was sold to Egypt and renamed El Malek Farouq. In 1954 she was renamed Tariq.

As of 2006 there is a preservation attempt to bring her to Canning Dock Liverpool as a memorial to the brave men who died on the Atlantic Convoys.

References

• 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.

External links

• HMS Whimbrel in Liverpool, 2003
• navynews article
• Battle of the Atlantic Memorial Project