LAST YEAR, Britain at War reported the threat to HMS President, one of only three British Great War warships which still survive. The submarine hunter had been moved to Chatham from her wellknown London berth while her home of 90 years was redeveloped and it initially seemed unlikely she would find a new home after the HMS President Preservation Trust sadly failed to raise the money needed after an application to the Heritage Lottery Fund was unsuccessful.
However, it seemed that the ship might be spared the scrapyard, as Ship Management International reported early in November that funds raised by the LIBOR fines levied on banks may be diverted to further preserve the ship. The Treasury stated it was to give “full consideration” to the application.
Unfortunately, Chancellor Phillip Hammond’s Autumn Statement seemed to turn down the bid to preserve the vessel, as tens of millions of pounds of LIBOR funds were directed instead towards several Armed Forces and Emergency Services charities, RAF Centenary events, and museums. Director of the HMS President Trust, Paul Williams, stated:
“Her hull is only a few millimetres thick now in some places… As we mark the centenary commemorations of the First World W…
