Ship which defied Nazi U-boats to transport vital resources during World War II to be scrapped and replaced with slavery reflection room in Liverpool
- The Wadden was built in 1917 and transported coal and food across the Irish Sea
A ship that braved the terror of Nazi U-boats to ferry vital resources across Britain has been destroyed and will be replaced by a slavery reflection chamber.
Maritime historians have condemned the decision, labeling it an ‘abomination’ in memory of the seafarers who bravely crewed the ship during World War II.
Built in 1917, the De Wadden transported coal and food via the Irish Sea to southern England between 1939 and 1945, while Hitler’s infamous submarines lurked beneath the waves.
Official documents from the National Historic Ships Register say: ‘Her finest hour was probably during the Second World War, when she was one of the few ships that provided the vital lifeline of supplies to the Irish Republic.’
Manned by a crew of just five and a young boy, her longest serving was Captain Victor Hall, who commanded her from 1933 to 1954.
The World War II ship De Wadden, which carried raw materials past Nazi U-boats across the Irish Sea to southern England, is set to be scrapped
The historic ship will be replaced with a slavery reflection space as part of the redevelopment of Liverpool’s Canning Dock
In the photo: The Wadden in its heyday, sailing between Liverpool and Ireland for almost forty years
But despite the fact that she has survived the dangers of conflict and is the last cargo sailing ship the city can boast of, the National Museums Liverpool (NML) decided to scrap her earlier this year.
They did this after receiving a £10 million grant from the government for the redevelopment of Canning Dock, where the De Wadden was open to tourists for almost forty years. Critics say the decision was made to build a slavery reflection space at the bottom of the dry dock where she rested since 1987, to further a politically correct agenda.
But the museum insisted on repairing the ship – which they said would cost £5m – and maintaining it would have been too expensive.
Staff argue that funds from the Government’s £4.8 billion Leveling Up fund are ‘reserved for the development’ of the waterfront and could not have been spent on restoring The Wadden.
Maritime historian Peter Elson condemned the decision, calling it “political correctness, or wokeness, gone mad.”
The author of The Great Mersey Shipping Lines said: ‘Why, when we have a very impressive and extensive International Slavery Museum so close by, is it necessary to destroy The Wadden to make way for a Reflection Room on transatlantic trade?’
Mr Elson and Jim Graves, chairman of Merseyside Adventure Sailing Trust, want to know why the money could not be used to restore The Wadden instead of building the slavery chamber.
Mr Graves said: ‘The breaking up of The Wadden is an abomination and an insult to Merseyside’s heritage in general and to all the seafarers who crew these sailing vessels in particular.’
The Wadden will be demolished in March 2024. National Museums Liverpool insisted it would have been too expensive to repair and maintain the ship
Pictured: A sign on Liverpool’s waterfront with information about the three-masted auxiliary schooner. NML was charged with its preservation after purchasing it in 1984
The bitter row is particularly intense because NML was originally charged with preserving the three-masted schooner after purchasing it in 1984.
Mr Graves added: ‘It is incredible that NML, the organization charged with preserving The Wadden, can allow it to fall into such a derelict state that demolition is considered the only option, without any positive alternative is offered.’
Liverpool has long struggled with its history of the slave trade. According to NML, ships from the city’s port carried more than 1.5 million slaves to America.
Ian Murphy, head of the Maritime Museum, NML, said: ‘The deconstruction of The Wadden is the final stage in a long period of careful research and consultation about the ship, its history, and how we can best realistically continue to tell its story. narrate.
‘It has been a complex project where it was important to be clear and honest about the reality of the state of De Wadden and the significant costs to stabilize it, which are still ongoing.’