page_title: Warship Week
section_title: Local fund-raising
hierarchical_section_title: Warship Week / Campaign / Local fund-raising
caption_attribution_description: English: Plaque in Kington Museum, Herefordshire, England
context_page_description: Warship Weeks were British National savings campaigns during the Second World War, with the aim of a Royal Navy warship being adopted by a civil community. During the early parts of the war, the Royal Navy not only had lost many capital ships but was facing increasing pressure to provide escorts for convoys in the Atlantic. While there was not a shortage of sailors, ships sunk by enemy action had to be replaced.
  Other national war campaigns included the 'Wings For Victory' week to purchase bomber planes, a 'Spitfire Week' to purchase fighter planes, a 'War Weapons Week' and a 'Tanks For Attack' week.
context_section_description: A level of savings would be set to raise enough money to provide the cost of building a particular naval ship. The aim was for cities to raise enough to adopt battleships and aircraft carriers, while towns and villages would focus on cruisers and destroyers. Smaller towns and villages would be set a lower figure. Once the target money was saved for the ship, the community would adopt the ship and its crew.
  Local charity organisations, churches and schools would provide the crews of the adopted ship with gloves, woollen socks and balaclavas. Children would often write letters and send cards to the crew.  When possible officers and men from the adopted ship would visit the local community. To celebrate their visit a parade would often be organised in their honour.
  The ship's commanding officer would exchange plaques, objects and photographs with the city or town that reached the target set, and an adoption would begin. The number of warships adopted was over 1,200, number including battleships, cruisers, destroyers and trawlers.
caption: Plaque presented to HMS Gentian, to mark the ship's adoption by the residents of the Kington Urban and Rural Districts during Warship Week, 29 November – 6 December 1941. Now in Kington Museum.
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