Campaign launched to bring 'Spitfires of the Sea' memorial to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

A new memorial dedicated to the Royal Navy's Coastal Forces could greet visitors at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard – if campaigners raise £250,000.

Historians and enthusiasts hope to install the bronze monument just inside Victory Gate as a permanent tribute to the men and women of the Coastal Forces and the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve.

During both World Wars, the fast and lightweight motor boats of the Coastal Forces proved a constant threat to enemy shipping, often engaging much larger and more powerful vessels.

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Proving to be agile in the water, like the Supermarine Spitfire in the air, the vessels became known as the "Spitfires of the sea".

Coastal Forces personnel earned more than 3,000 bravery awards – including four Victoria Crosses, proportionally more than any other part of the Royal Navy.

The craft were used for an array of tasks such as attacking German convoys, defending Allied shipping, carrying out clandestine raids and landings, and picking up secret agents.

They took part in around 900 operations all over the world, including the St Nazaire Raid, the Dieppe Raid and D-Day, fired more torpedoes than the Submarine Service, and sank 400 enemy vessels.

The cost was high: some 300 boats – roughly one in 12 – were lost in action.

Crews were drawn from reservists and wartime conscripts, known for their youth, strong camaraderie, and a family-like bond. 

Among those who served were several future public figures, including Avengers actor Patrick Macnee, Doctor Who's Patrick Troughton, Bond film director Guy Hamilton and former Chancellor Nigel Lawson.

The planned memorial, created by Hampshire sculptor Amy Goodman, features two bronze figures on the bows of a motor gunboat with a WRNS signaller alongside them. 

One of the figures is inspired by Lieutenant Commander Robert Hichens, one of the most decorated officers of the RNVR, who was awarded two Distinguished Service Orders, three Distinguished Service Crosses and three Mentions in Dispatches. 

There is already a modern Coastal Forces gallery at Priddy's Hard in Gosport. But the Coastal Forces Heritage Trust says a prominent memorial in Portsmouth, home to HMS Hornet, the Coastal Forces headquarters for three decades until the mid-1950s, is "long overdue".

Hannah Prowse, chief executive of Portsmouth Historic Quarter, said: "We are excited at the prospect of this interactive and inspiring monument, which will help bring the stories of courage and daring to life.

"We are privileged to be the custodians of Motor Gun Boat 81 and Coastal Motor Boat 4R that allow people to experience the thrill of riding on Coastal Forces vessels."

Standing four metres tall, the monument is due to be unveiled in May 2027, if funding is secured.