Spitfires of the Sea Memorial – Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

Coastal Forces veterans may soon see a new monument at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. The Coastal Forces Heritage Trust has launched a fundraising campaign to raise £250,000 for a bronze statue – dubbed the “Spitfires of the Sea” memorial – to stand inside Victory Gate. If successful, the four-metre (13 ft) tall sculpture will be unveiled in May 2027. It will honour the men and women of the Royal Navy’s Coastal Forces and the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR), who served in high-speed patrol boats during both world wars.

The nickname “Spitfires of the Sea” reflects the vital role of these fast attack craft. Coastal Forces were small, agile gunboats and torpedo boats that harried much larger enemy ships. For example, Motor Gun Boats (MGBs) were armed with guns and torpedoes, designed for hit-and-run attacks.T

Coastal Forces vessels like MGB 75 (pictured above) could speed to engage enemy coastal convoys and E-boats. Altogether, these boats saw around 900 combat actions and sank about 400 enemy vessels. They fired more torpedoes than even the Royal Navy’s submarine “Silent Service”. This fierce success came at heavy cost: roughly 300 boats – about one in every 12 – were lost in action. The crews were famously young (average age ~21) volunteers and conscripts. In total, Coastal Forces personnel earned over 3,000 bravery awards, including four Victoria Crosses – a higher proportion of VCs than any other branch of the Royal Navy.

• Combat actions: ~900 operations; sunk ~400 enemy ships.

• Awards: 3,000+ bravery honours; 4 Victoria Crosses (most per-capita of any RN branch).

• Losses: ~300 Coastal Forces boats lost (~1 in 12) in action.

• Crews: Mostly volunteer reservists and conscripts, average age ~21.

Remarkably, many Coastal Forces veterans went on to high-profile careers. Former crewmen include actor Patrick Macnee (later of The Avengers), actor Patrick Troughton (the Second Doctor in Doctor Who), film director Guy Hamilton (known for James Bond films) and Nigel Lawson, who became UK Chancellor of the Exchequer. These shared stories underscore how the Coastal Forces shaped a generation.

Memorial Design & Inspiration

The planned monument, designed by Hampshire sculptor Amy Goodman, will feature two bronze figures on the bow of a motor gunboat, with a WRNS (Women’s Royal Naval Service) signaller at the stern. One figure is modelled on Lieutenant Commander Robert Hichens, a legendary RNVR officer. Hichens was the most highly-decorated RNVR officer of WWII – earning two Distinguished Service Orders, three Distinguished Service Crosses and three Mentions in Despatches – before he was killed in action in 1943.

The statue will be interactive – for example, visitors may climb the bow of the boat – and is intended to bring these wartime stories to life. The design “reflects [the Coastal Forces’] courage and ingenuity,” says Rear Admiral Rex Cox, Chair of the Heritage Trust, who calls the memorial “long overdue”. Portsmouth Historic Quarter CEO Hannah Prowse adds that the monument will “help bring the stories of courage and daring to life”.

Motor Gun Boat 81 (MGB 81) is preserved at Portsmouth Historic Quarter (HM Naval Base). Today, it is a museum exhibit; during WWII, she served in the Coastal Forces. As Hannah Prowse notes, Portsmouth is “privileged to be the custodians of Motor Gun Boat 81 and Coastal Motor Boat 4R,” which let visitors experience the thrill of these boats.

How to Support

The memorial is part of a wider campaign by the Coastal Forces Heritage Trust. Alongside raising funds for the statue, the team will be touring schools, cadet forces and maritime groups around the coast, sharing the “untold stories of Coastal Forces”. If funding is secured, the Spitfires of the Sea statue will be installed just inside the Historic Dockyard’s Victory Gate, honouring a unique chapter of naval history.

Learn more or donate: Details of the project and donation links are on the Coastal Forces Heritage Trust website. With your support, Portsmouth’s new memorial will ensure that the exploits of the Coastal Forces – the Navy’s “Spitfires of the Sea” – are never forgotten.