Statement from Kevin Wheatcroft
Since a young boy, I’ve had a fascination with S-boats and had always kept my eyes open and followed leads and stories to try and track one down. I then became aware of the story surrounding the survival of S130, her own history is an amazing read in its own right. One of the longest surviving naval craft in continuous use, her involvement in Exercise Tiger, involvement in D-Day itself and then ending the war with dignity running mercy missions to bring back women, children and the wounded from the East, her then involvement with the Royal Navy eventually being handed over to MI5 as a spy boat, her being used for the testing and the development of various engines including the legendary Napier Deltic diesel, her eventually being given back to the newly formed West German Navy as their first ever fast patrol boat.
Then, with old age, she was pensioned off as a houseboat, sunk in shallow waters (twice!), and then being rescued by the British Military Power Boat Trust before being acquired by The Wheatcroft Collection. Then followed a 10-year search to find original engines, propellers, armoured bridge, multiple gun platforms, torpedo tubes, torpedoes, sea mines, depth charges. As well as a huge array of below decks equipment, radios, ships galley equipment, binoculars, small arms, helmets, life preserves etc etc. She was eventually pulled out of the water in 2009 where she was stripped of all her post war modifications, her planking partially stripped to assess the condition of the hull. We then constructed and fitted a new keel and purchased all the necessary materials for the future restoration. The next episode in her career before restoration commenced, was to find her a permanent home. Considering we live on an island, the UK had very few dry docks on offer. We eventually tracked one down and after prolonged negotiations, we purchased Richmond Dock at Appledore in Devon. Following its successful purchase, a four-year operation with the local authorities, the Environment Agency, the Crown, and a huge investment in drawings and visuals, we are now in a position (hopefully having satisfied all of the above authority’s questions), to submit for planning permission. I’ve no idea how long this process will take, but on the assumption that we get planning, which indications show we will, we then embark on the restoration of the dry dock and construction of S130’s new permanent home. It is then intended, when we have our completion date for the docks build process, is to immediately start the restoration of S130 herself. The plan being, that both the dock and the boat taking about the same period of time to complete. S130, once having completed her sea trials, will come home to her permanent residence. It is then intended to have general public open days and private bookings to view.
We will then set up a crew and she will be available for private charter giving everybody the opportunity to step aboard and live life as a German sailor would have done in S130’s heyday. A number of voyages have already been planned, such as a mass poppy drop at the exact location of the wreckage of what remains of Exercise Tiger.
She will then return to the site of Schlichting motor vessel works, as a tribute to the families of those who built her. She will then return to her former wartime home of Cherbourg and La Rochelle. All these opportunities will be made available to those who share the same passion.
To date The Wheatcroft Collection has invested over £3.5m, with a further £1.8m earmarked for construction work. We are now offering the opportunity for people to become involved in the next chapter of this exciting journey by joining S130’s fund raising subscription platform which is due to be launched in 6 weeks.
Your involvement will enable the boat to be rebuilt. We intend to match fund every penny raised, this will form a trust fund enabling S130 to live on beyond me as a revenue earning historic craft for generations to come.
THIS VIDEO AND CONTENTS…
Kevin Wheatcroft©️2024 and
#TheWheatcroftCollection©️2024
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The attached video was made by our friends at Wargaming / WorldOfWarships. We would also like to thank our media partners at NavalHistoria and MilitaryHistoria. Enjoy.
Thanks for following and see you Tuesday, Kevin, Alex, Bismarck and the team.