Memorial to town's minesweepers restored

The memorial was unveiled in Grimsby in 2001 by veterans

A memorial to Grimsby seafarers who helped clear the Humber Estuary of mines during the two world wars has been returned to its former glory.

Veterans of the Royal Naval Patrol Service (RNPS) unveiled the tribute on the docks in 2001.

However, Simon Bird, regional director for Associated British Ports (ABP), which owns the town's docks, said the memorial had suffered from the "ravages of the weather".

He added: "It's fitting that we keep it maintained as a tribute to all those who served and gave their lives."

A Royal Naval Patrol Service gunner mans a machine gun aboard a Royal Navy auxiliary vessel in August 1940

Mr Bird said Grimsby was a "major centre" for minesweeping, adding many who volunteered for the work were fisherman in peacetime with extensive knowledge of the estuary.

"They earnt the nickname Harry Tate’s Navy, which was jargon for something amateurish after an old music hall entertainer who played a clumsy comic," he said.

"They were anything but amateurs and became well respected by the Navy for their courage and resourcefulness. This is a fitting tribute to those men.”

'Faded names'

Dale Wells, from the Turntable Gallery, which carried out the restoration, said it required "sympathetic cleaning, re-establishing the worn lettering, and replacing the lost badges".

"The latter involving extensive research and contact with specialists in the field," he added. "These new ceramic pieces have been sourced from Italian artisans and now adorn the central stone.

“Working on repainting the lettering of the faded names, and learning a little of the lives they lived, and left behind, has made their stories incredibly immediate. The least we can do is ensure the record of their passing is preserved.”

The original plaque, which was dedicated in 1939 to the minesweepers, is located on the western side of the Dock Tower

ABP said the memorial was dedicated to 2,385 men who had no grave and died at sea in World War Two.

Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.