3 weeks to save the last Second World War Coastal Motor Boat of its type
CMB 331 is the last surviving Thornycroft 55-foot Coastal Motor Boat. These innovative craft were designed during the First World War, following a suggestion by three junior officers that small, fast torpedo-carrying craft might be able to pass over German minefields and attack the High Seas Fleet at its base in Wilhelmshaven. Designed by pioneering boat builder John Thorneycroft and built all over the country, including at Camper and Nicholson’s Yard in Gosport, the first 40-foot boats first saw action at Zeebrugge in April 1918.
The small 40-foot boats could only carry one small torpedo so in 1916, Thornycroft designed a much larger 55-foot model which could carry two torpedoes, whilst still capable of extraordinary speeds of up to 41 knots, or 76km/h. The larger boats saw action in the Baltic and Caspian Seas in 1919, during the ‘secret war’ to overturn the Russian Revolution.
These remarkable boats remained current technology right up to the Second World War. CMB 331 was one of the last to be built, and was part of an order for the Government of the Philippines which were requisitioned for the Royal Navy in 1941. She was built at Thornycroft’s yard at Woolston, near Southampton, commissioned in November 1941, and based at HMS Hornet, the Coastal Forces Base at Haslar in Gosport. She was decommissioned for disposal in 1945.
331 is the Grandfather of the generations of light attack craft which followed, through the Motor Torpedo Boats and Gunboats of the Second World War, right up to the missile boats in service all over the world today. She will be an exciting and vivid reminder of the very young men who fought their ‘mosquito war’ in small boats, in the dark, at incredibly high speeds, during both world wars. The National Museum of the Royal Navy is thrilled at the possibility of acquiring her.
What Do We Need to Raise?
We need to raise £6,000 to bring CMB 331 back home to Gosport and subsequently acquire her for the museum. Her current home in Oxfordshire is soon to expire and The National Museum of the Royal Navy want to bring her back to Gosport where she was based in the Second World War. She will be housed next to Explosion The Museum of Naval Fire Power and conserved by a team of experts.
The first £3,000 of donations will be matched by a generous donor. If we don't receive the funds we need The National Museum of the Royal Navy will underwrite the difference in order to move CMB 331 home. This is a cost to the museum and as a charity, we need to raise every penny we can.
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The Impact
You only need look at our previous crowdfunding campaigns to get an idea of just how big an impact they can have. We raised £9,236 to help preserve First World War ship HMS M.33, the only remaining Royal Navy survivor of the Gallipoli Campaign. The money raised was crucial in contributing to the opening of this unique attraction, which has already been visited by more than 42,000 people. Now we want to do the same for CMB 331.
CMB 331 is the last surviving boat of her group and is a lasting legacy to Britain's courageous Royal Navy personnel who fought in the Second World War. By supporting this campaign you are literally helping to save her for the nation. CMB 331 helps to tell the story of our war effort and the challenges faced by the Royal Navy. Help us to conserve and celebrate their story.
Funding Goals and Perks
£10 - An e-certificate to acknowledge your donation.
£25 - 50% off the cost of National Museum of the Royal Navy Membership (applicable to all gifts above £25).
10 x £100 - A print of Commander Rupert Head of the Coastal Forces Heritage Trust's watercolour painting of CMB 331.
5 x £500 - Small, mounted model of a 55ft CMB.
5 x £1,000 - Acknowledgement as a National Museum of the Royal Navy Vice Patron. An exclusive opening with refreshments and viewing of CMB 331 plus a talk from a National Museum of the Royal Navy curator. You will also receive a small, mounted model of a 55-foot CMB. (You may bring a guest to the viewing).
1 x £3,000 - An invitation to join the National Museum of the Royal Navy Vice Patron Board. A private, champagne viewing for two people of CMB 331 with a National Museum of the Royal Navy curator. You will also receive the original painting of CMB 331 by Commander Rupert Head of the Coastal Forces Heritage Trust.
Please note that after donating, we will contact you with further information about how you can claim your perk. The small, mounted CMB 331 models will be available by the end of June.
Other Ways You Can Help
Spread the word! You can make a big impact even without making a direct financial contribution. Every post or tweet about our campaign will allow more people to learn about it and possibly reach those who would like to support it as well!
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