Sad news about HMS Kellington

This message was posted today [22/04/05] on the Ton Class Association website forum by Dave Tennick. If anyone would like to offer help or support, please visit the website [link at the bottom of this page].

Re:HMS KELLINGTON Stockton Sea Cadet Unit
« Reply #1 on: Today at 07:54:49am »

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Just thought I would let you know what is happening with the Kellington at the moment it is not good news I'm afraid. I received this e-mail off Kieran Prentice, a instructor with the sea cadets

Hi Dave
I've got some bad news regarding the Special K. We have had our Area Health & Safety officer down to inspect the ship. He has cancelled all activities for both cadets and adults with imediate effect on the vessel over serious safety concerns. We are still waiting for his full report, but it doesn't look good. The kind of capital needed to rectify the problems would more than likely stretch to over £100,000 and it would need a dedicated project manager to oversee as we simply don't have the time or resources to manage a project this big. We are in the process of contacting our local council to obtain help and we are looking at other avenues, but we are looking for a miracle I think. Our options appear to be A: get help or B: sell/scrap vessel.

As you can imagine, we are all upset, especially the cadets. Its such a shame we didn't get enough support from the council before (the open day) as I feel its going to be much harder to raise support now that we are no longer on the vessel.

Rest assured, if the worst happens, as much items of interest will be recovered from the vessel and put to good use. Ive already spoken to Bob James of the Iveston and asked him to create a list of parts/items he may need.

HMS Kellington was originally allocated the number CMS 54 and was named after the village of Kellington prior to her launch in 1954. She was built by Wm Pickersgill in Sunderland, and was launched by Mrs R Hopper, who was the wife of the Managing Director of the yard.

On completion in November 1955 the ship sailed from Sunderland to HMS Diligence at Hythe, on Southampton Water, to be fitted with her mine sweeping equipment. This was the commissioning base for all of the Coastal Minesweepers of the Royal Navy until 1960.

On completion of the initial trials, Kellington was sent to Poole to prepare her for the Reserve Fleet, which meant preserving all her machinery and equipment, then in February 1956 she was towed to Hythe to commission temporarily for the 108th Mine Sweeping Squadron, based in Malta.

HMS Kellington sailed for Malta in the company of HMS's Hexton and Tarlton on 14th March 1956, but on on March 23rd encountered Force 9 gales and took shelter in the Bay of Tunis. They eventually reached Malta on 24th March, 1956.
For the following 3 months, Kellington was involved in patrols round Cyprus, but on 30th June set sail from Malta to return to the UK. She spent the next 5 months in Portland, arriving back in Hythe in January 1957 to join the Reserve Fleet. In total, she spent 14 years in Reserve.
She remained at Hythe until July 1962, when she was towed to Devonport Dockyard for refitting. This was completed in the summer of 1963, when she retuned to Hythe.

In November 1964, the decision was taken to convert Kellington to a mine hunter, and also for conversion from Mirrlees engines to Deltic engines with an enclosed bridge. She was towed from Hythe by the tug Bustler, arriving at Chatham on 5th May 1967 to convert to a hunter.

On June 6th 1969, Kellington was re-commissioned at Chatham to join the Fishery Protection Squadron based at HNS Lochinvar at Port Edgar. During the previous 14 years, she had only travelled 13, 000 miles, but after conversion was a completely different vessel. After trials at Portsmouth, she reached her new home at South Queensferry on 31st July 1969.

For the next 6 years she was constantly on patrol round the UK, and was also involved in national mine counter measure exercises and foreign visits.
When HMS Lochinvar closed in 1975 the Fishery Protection Squadron moved to Lochinvar Block at Rosyth.

On 16th November 1976 Kellington was transferred to Sussex Division RNR prior to starting a refit at Portsmouth Dockyard. As part of the Channel Group of the RNR, Kellington was ionvolved in all NATO and national mine counter measures exercises, including those based in Gibralter.

On 1st April 1985, Kellington returned to the Royal Navy.

Following her decommission in 1993, Kellington became a Headquarters for the Sea Cadet unit in Stockton -on -Tees. This was initially a 5 year loan agreement, and in 1998 the unit was hoping to buy the vessel.

She is currently owned by SCC Thurrock, now being called T.S. Kellington.