Work starts on Portsmouth wartime coastal heroes sculpture

Work is under way to build the first monument to a Royal Navy division that helped defend the UK during World War One and World War Two.

The sculpture for the Coastal Forces (CF) will feature a 13.1ft high (4m) motor gun boat hull with two men aboard, and will be located at the entrance to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard in Hampshire, next to HMS Warrior.

It is designed by Andover-based artist Amy Goodman, whose previous works have included Queen Elizabeth II in Riverside Park, and statues of Sir Mick Jagger and Keith Richards in their home town in Kent.

Richard Farrington, trustee at the Coastal Forces Heritage Trust, told the BBC the finished article would be “fabulous”.

CF sailors operated small, fast vessels to attack German convoys, carry out raids and pick up secret agents.

They were manned by young volunteers, with an average age of 21.

Farrington, a former Commodore in the Royal Navy himself, described the crews on these vessels as “remarkable”.

“There was no GPS in those days,” he said. “All their navigation was done at 40 knots, in the dark, using a stopwatch and their guts.

“Don’t forget, they were butchers, bakers, candlestick makers. These were just ordinary people doing extraordinary things.”

Fundraising is still continuing for the monument, which organisers hope to install next year.

It is under construction at the Elephant Boatyard in Southampton.

The sculpture depicts Lt Cdr Robert Hichens and a signaller standing on the bow of a scaled down version of motor boat MGB 77, which he commanded.

There are also plans to install a figure across the pavement from the main sculpture, depicting a member of the Women’s Royal Naval Service signalling back.