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Barwick Adopts HMS Peacock
Warship Week 1942

Barwicker No.123
Spring 2017


During the early part of the Second World War the Royal Navy lost many ships to enemy action. It was also called upon to provide many more convoy ships to protect the vital goods coming into the UK from abroad. The Government created "Warship Weeks" as a national saving campaign to provide the money to build the many new ships required. A target would be set for a particular district, town or city and once the money was raised it would adopt the ship and its crew. Between the 7th and 14th of March 1942 the Parish of Barwick-in- Elmet under its then District Council, the Tadcaster Rural District Council, held a "Warship Week". The target was to raise £150,000 of savings from the forty three parishes which made up the Council's area. This would be enough to buy a corvette warship (the smallest class of vessel to be considered a warship).

In Barwick the event started on Sunday the 8th March, when a joint Barwick and Scholes Church Parade was held. The Scholes section, headed by the band of the West Yorkshire Regiment, marched to Barwick All Saints' Church where a service was held, conducted by the Rector, the Rev H. Lovell Clarke. The parade consisted of the Police, the Barwick and Scholes Home Guard, the British Legion, Air Training Corps, Fire Service, Air Raid Wardens, First Aid Parties, Woman's Voluntary Service, Voluntary Aid Detachment, Cadets and Girl Guides. Major S. Streeton Smith M.C. was in charge.

On the Wednesday a special ladies' day was held organised by the Woman's Institute when a whist drive in the afternoon attracted 100 players. In the evening a performance of a play called "A Local Wedding" in the Scholes Village Hall drew a big crowd.

Barwick schoolchildren ran a poster competition, the winners were S. Smith, B. Pawson, J. Mouncey, R. Kemp, A. Tomlinson, G. Harvey, D. Poulter, R. Barratt, A. Johnson, F. Hannam, I. Rushworth and A. Burks. Scholes schoolchildren also drew posters and had an essay competition. More whist drives and concerts were held during the week.

The main reason for the events was to encourage people to invest in National Savings to fund the war effort. The bonds available were the 3% Savings Bonds 1955-65, the 2½% National War Bonds 1949-51, the 3% Defence Bonds or Savings Certificates. You could also deposit your savings in the Post Office or buy savings stamps at 6d or 2/6d each.

The week was a massive success both for the Parish and the District. The figures raised were:

.
Barwick Ward
Scholes Ward
Wellington Hill Ward*
PARISH TOTAL 		£ 10,189
£ 21,585
£ 36,820
£ 68,594
Tadcaster Rural District Council Total (including above figure)
Barwick in Elmet Parish raising just under 30% of the Districts total		 £ 230,350

*In 1942 the Wellington Hill area was included in the Parish boundaries.

The Admiralty originally allocated HMS Calendula to the district, but as the target was exceeded by over £80,000 a much bigger ship was in order. So, HMS Peacock, a modified Black Swan class sloop convoy escort ship was adopted. There was much laughter at the Tadcaster Rural District Council meeting on the 1st June 1942 when the name was announced as one of the District Councillors was called Cr. F. W. Peacock!

HMS Peacock was built by shipbuilders John I. Thornycroft & Company at Woolston, Southampton. She was laid down on 29th November 1942, launched on II th December 1943, and completed on 10th May 1944.

In October 1943 the Parish Council received a certificate from the Admiralty to commemorate the adoption of HMS Peacock. This was immediately proudly displayed in a frame in the Council Chamber in the now old Council Chamber in Scholes.
Once commissioned HMS Peacock initially completed work in UK waters. In August 1944 she was allocated for service with the Arctic convoys to Russia. By December 1944 she was moved onto the defence of the Atlantic Convoys. During these operations, she took part in the sinking of several German U-Boats.

In May 1945 she was allocated for service with the British Pacific Fleet but was transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet as the war drew to a close.

Following the end of the war she remained in the Mediterranean. She received the new pennant number 'F96' and was based in Malta, as part of the 3rd Frigate Flotilla. In June 1953 she attended the Coronation Review at Spithead near Portsmouth. In 1954 she was placed in reserve and was scrapped in 1958.

DAVID TEAL




Sources:
Barwick and Scholes Parish Council Records
Skyrack Express
Naval-history.net

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