Widnes Memories: Last call for HMS Black Swan veterans

By Runcorn And Widnes Weekly News on Jun 29, 09 08:47 AM in 1900-1999

Letter from Avril Dunstan (email: johndunstan@supanet.com)

OUR HMS Black Swan Association is made up of veterans who served aboard the frigate which was commissioned in 1940 and broken up in 1956.

She saw extensive active service in the Second World War and was one of the ships who went to the aid of HMS Amethyst in the famous Yangtze Incident of 1949.

To commemorate the incident, veterans from the Black Swan joined members of the HMS Amethyst, HMS London and HMS Consort at the National Arboretum in Alrewas, Staffordshire, this April for a service of remembrance in the chapel and at the Yangtze Grove.

HMS Black Swan was adopted by Widnes in War Week 1942. Our association was formed in 1989 and reunions have been held in Widnes/Runcorn every five years where we have been royally entertained by the Borough of Halton and comfortably accommodated at the Holiday Inn, Runcorn. This year's reunion is being held over the weekend of September 11/12/13. However, due to the inevitable decline in member numbers, we're sadly winding up the association at this reunion.

I wonder if readers have any old photographs or newspaper articles regarding the adoption and if they have any memories of the adoption and anything else they remember about the Black Swan.

At one of our first reunions, while welcoming our members in the reception of the then-Trust House Forte, I asked one gentleman waiting to book in if he was a 'Black Swan'.

He said he wasn't but he remembered cycling around as a boy collecting money for the ship. I'm not sure what that was for but perhaps readers can enlighten me?