Huddersfield’s bit to help war effort recalled

Jul 14 2009 by Dave Himelfield

A FASCINATING glimpse of how Huddersfield backed the war effort has come to light.

Last month, the Examiner printed a piece about Meltham man Terry Hickson who became mascot for a warship, HMS Mazurka, which was adopted by his village.

It turns out the Mazurka wasn’t the only ship to be adopted in 1942 by towns in the Huddersfield area.

Several towns in what is now Kirklees paid for a whole series of Naval ships that year.

More details have come from historian John Rumsby, of Edgerton, and uncovered a stirring story about how communities rallied round.

Mr Rumsby said: “Warship Week took place in Spring 1942 around the country. It was one of several campaigns to encourage people to put their savings into National Savings Certificates, War Bonds and other schemes.

“The war at the time was costing £14.5m a day. Towns were offered a warship to ‘adopt’ if they raised a certain sum of money. Naturally, the size of warship adopted depended on the population of the town.

“Leeds famously adopted the fleet aircraft carrier Ark Royal at a cost of £9m.