King's ship at sea in 1976

The trust behind the campaign to save the ‘king’s ship’ has been boosted by receiving charitable status, which means it can access funding and grants.

HMS Bronington Preservation Trust aims to turn the WW2 craft into a static museum ship or potentially a working ship again.

The ship’s association with King Charles dates back to his ten-month tenure as her commanding officer as then-Lieutenant Wales in 1976, during which he dealt with WW2 ordnance, kept an eye on a Soviet submarine in home waters, and welcomed most of his family aboard during a visit to London.

Throughout his time in charge of Bronington, royal duties were also performed constantly; every three days a large blue dispatch bag containing correspondence and documents was delivered to the ship.

Vital to restoring the WW2 ship was £4.7m from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, supported by fundraising efforts of the team dedicated to restoring the landing craft.

The wooden-hulled ship has been partially submerged in a basin in Birkenhead since 2016.

Crowdfunding and local veterans raised enough money to both conduct a comprehensive dive survey of the vessel – which determined Bronington can be saved.

The goal for 2023 – the 70th anniversary of the ship’s launch and the coronation year of her most famous commanding officer – is to get her refloated, then out of the water and on to a slipway, after which the restoration, and fund-raising effort to support it, can begin in earnest.

The trust has been offered free use of a crane/salvage equipment and a major UK shipbuilder has offered the free services of a naval architect to assist the salvage and restoration process.

The king says he has “many fond memories” of his time on the ship – keeping in touch with former shipmates and occasionally hosting reunions. He has told the trust he finds their efforts to save Bronington “truly humbling”.

The charity is now pressing on with fundraising – – with any money donated going to Forces charities if the restoration attempt ultimately fails.

In September 2022, MIN reported on a skipper from Liverpool who had put his life’s work into restoring a historic steamship. Captain Dan Cross restored the iconic SS Daniel Adamson, which first set sail in 1903. He bought it for £1 in 2004 to prevent it being scrapped.

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