New Royal Navy museum to be built in Gosport to commemorate unsung heroes of war

From raids on enemy convoys to ferrying secret agents to and from Normandy, the work of the coastal forces division is not as well-known as other branches of the armed forces – quite literally slipping under the radar.

But by the end of the war they were practically running the Royal Navy, despite 90 per cent of the 30,000 personnel being reservists.

Now, their heroism will be officially recognised as work begins on a £1m museum, run by the National Museum of the Royal Navy.

The Coastal Forces Museum will be based in Priddys Hard, Gosport, telling the story of these reservists and their daring efforts during the war.

Inside, visitors will get a tour of static displays that document the stories of coastal forces reservists from the Royal Navy archives.

A mezzanine level will then give them a bird’s-eye view of two vessels – MTB 71, which saw a great deal of action in the Second World War – and CMB 331, the last surviving 55ft coastal motor boat.

It’s a project that has been almost half a decade in the making, with the museum expected to open in April next year.

Gosport maritime expert Mike Critchley says something like this has been a long time coming.

'The coastal forces is a massive part of Gosport's history,' he said.

'They were based at HMS Hornet and were the unsung heroes of the Second World War.

'Since many people have no idea this even existed, so it's a story that simply has to be told, to recognise their heroism. It sounds like a fitting tribute to them all.'

With the coastal forces division disappearing from the navy in the late 1950s, many people today are unaware of the work they carried out.

A handful of Victoria Crosses were handed out to reservists after the Second World War, cementing their heroism.

The Coastal Forces Heritage Trust not only put the initial plans in place, but secured the funding for the project.

Director Simon Haill is hugely excited about the new museum.

He said: ‘To be at this stage feels terrific.

The goal is to tell the story of the coastal forces and the young people involved in it – some of these kids were only 18 or 19 but they had a crucial role in the war.

‘By 1945 the reservists were practically running the Royal Navy; then the war was over and they went back to working in shops and factories, they were just ordinary people and I find that inspiring.’

A Royal Navy veteran himself, the ex-captain is keen for the museum to have interactive features, similar to the Mary Rose Museum at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

He said: ‘The museum will follow static displays but every 15 minutes or so the lights will go dim and it will be like you’re sat in a fast patrol boat yourself.

‘The average person only spends about 50 minutes at a museum, so we want to make that time as interactive and engaging as possible.

‘This is something that will last a long time and it’s great to have something like this in Gosport – it will be a great complement to Explosion and the Submarine Museum.’

Little ships make a big difference

From espionage behind enemy lines to full-frontal assaults, the coastal forces division of the Royal Navy played an instrumental role in the outcome of the Second World War.

Established in 1916, the coastal forces branch aimed to provide direct protection to the British coastline – but after the outbreak of war was placed into a more offensive role.

Most of the work involved attacking German convoys at sea, specifically their heavily-armoured E-boat escorts, sinking around 400 enemy vessels by the end of the war.

In that time, 1,169 torpedoes were fired and 32 enemy aircraft were shot down.

But not all of the work took place on the front lines.

The Royal Navy deployed the coastal forces for secret raids and landings, as well as collecting secret agents from Norway and Brittany.

Known as the ‘Wavy Navy’ for their rank insignia, the reservists came from all over the world, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands.

After the Second World War, the motor torpedo boats (MTBs) were repurposed as fast patrol boats.

In 1956 the coastal forces were decommissioned alongside HMS Hornet in Gosport, but the patrol boats live on in the P2000 craft, which are still used by the navy today.