Select Committee finds in favour of HMS Stalker
The recent Parliamentary Culture Media and Sport Select Committee inquiry into maritime heritage and historic ships commented on HMS Stalker.
One of the most interesting innovations of World War II was the shallow-draft landing craft used to bring large forces quickly to enemy beaches during amphibious assaults. The most famous example of these was the LST (landing ship, tank), a large beaching craft that could embark and disembark troops and vehicles directly from shore to shore. The LSTs gave the Allies the ability to conduct amphibious invasions at any location on a foreign shore that had a gradually sloped beach.
The LST HMS Stalker had her hull built by Yarrows in Canada and was steam - powered. Launched in December 1944 and commissioned in June 1945, she served in the latter part of the Second World War but saw no active service. She became a submarine support ship in 1958 at Rosyth and was officially placed on the Disposal List in 1982. The vessel is currently laid up in Portsmouth Harbour awaiting restoration and is the last surviving British-designed LST in existence.
The vessel has never been placed on the National Register of Historic Ships because she was built in Canada and does not meet the NRHV criteria.
The Maritime Steam Restoration Trust is attempting to raise awareness of the historical significance of the vessel with the ultimate aim of restoring her to full operational condition as a living memorial to all those who lost their lives while serving aboard similar vessels and during the Second World War.
The Select Committee recommended that the Historic Ships Advisory Unit now being established should carefully consider the case for Stalker being included on the Register. The Committee suggested that the criteria for placing a ship on the Register should be kept under constant review. Although it went on to say that appearance on the Register must never, alone, be reason enough for a ship to attract funding.
John Paton Secretary NHSC