Naval_Gazer
GCM
Project Vernon is the campaign to erect a monument at Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth to commemorate the mine warfare & diving heritage of HMS Vernon which occupied the site in one form or another until 1996. The monument will comprise a bronze statue of a Mk17L moored contact mine fouled by a length of sweepwire and explosive cutter being prosecuted by a diver wearing old-type CDBA Clearance Divers' Breathing Apparatus. The heritage being commemorated includes the WW II Mining Department that also developed mine countermeasures and provided naval bomb & mine disposal personnel during the Blitz, the Minewarfare School, the Diving School, the mine countermeasures vessels that berthed on Vernon's jetties, the Clearance Diving teams and all the men and women who served in connection with them. In its broadest sense, it will represent the entire RN and other Commonwealth navies' mine warfare and diving community – past, present and future.
To date, the project has harnessed the all-ranks, serving & retired forces of the Minewarfare & Clearance Diving Officers' Association, the Association of RN First Class Divers and the Mine Warfare Association, set up a website, canvassed stake holders and agreed on a popular design, selected a sculptor through competition, secured the support of the Gunwharf Quays management and Portsmouth City Council’s Planning Department, found VIP patrons, achieved charitable status, gained a fair amount of publicity in the media and organised and run fund-raising events that have already netted several tens of thousands of pounds towards the sum required. Fleet Graphics Officer Steve Williams has just produced this inspirational artist's impression of the Project Vernon monument in position at Gunwharf Quays in what was once Vernon Creek.
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Artist's impression of Project Vernon monument[/align]
The nearly twice life-size bronze statue is intended to be on a scale that makes it impossible to ignore by the thousands of visitors who frequent Gunwharf Quays each day. It will be a lasting tribute to naval mine warfare and diving including all those involved in conducting, teaching and supporting these operations, ashore and afloat, particularly those who passed through the gates of HMS Vernon. Were you ever a ships' diver or a pre-MW Branch TAS ape working on a windy sweepdeck? Did you serve in one of the many minesweepers and minehunters that operated from or visited Vernon? A plaque or interactive display will be installed at the water's edge to provide a comprehensive explanation of this heritage to passers-by.
This is an ambitious project costing over £250k but it needs to be to match the stature of the people involved and their significant achievements over the best part of a century. Every penny will count but it will take more than the odd fiver or tenner to see it reach fruition. Whatever your connection, go to the Project Vernon website here and make a generous donation now or spread a few smaller donations over a longer period.
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'Danger at Depth' by John Terry FCSD [/align]
If you are in the Portsmouth area, a Project Vernon promotion weekend will be held at Gunwharf Quays on Sat 25 and Sun 26 July when you will have the opportunity to buy tickets for the project's Grand Summer Draw or order limited edition prints of John Terry's superb oil painting, 'Danger at Depth' with all proceeds going towards the Project.
To date, the project has harnessed the all-ranks, serving & retired forces of the Minewarfare & Clearance Diving Officers' Association, the Association of RN First Class Divers and the Mine Warfare Association, set up a website, canvassed stake holders and agreed on a popular design, selected a sculptor through competition, secured the support of the Gunwharf Quays management and Portsmouth City Council’s Planning Department, found VIP patrons, achieved charitable status, gained a fair amount of publicity in the media and organised and run fund-raising events that have already netted several tens of thousands of pounds towards the sum required. Fleet Graphics Officer Steve Williams has just produced this inspirational artist's impression of the Project Vernon monument in position at Gunwharf Quays in what was once Vernon Creek.
[align=center]
Artist's impression of Project Vernon monument[/align]
The nearly twice life-size bronze statue is intended to be on a scale that makes it impossible to ignore by the thousands of visitors who frequent Gunwharf Quays each day. It will be a lasting tribute to naval mine warfare and diving including all those involved in conducting, teaching and supporting these operations, ashore and afloat, particularly those who passed through the gates of HMS Vernon. Were you ever a ships' diver or a pre-MW Branch TAS ape working on a windy sweepdeck? Did you serve in one of the many minesweepers and minehunters that operated from or visited Vernon? A plaque or interactive display will be installed at the water's edge to provide a comprehensive explanation of this heritage to passers-by.
This is an ambitious project costing over £250k but it needs to be to match the stature of the people involved and their significant achievements over the best part of a century. Every penny will count but it will take more than the odd fiver or tenner to see it reach fruition. Whatever your connection, go to the Project Vernon website here and make a generous donation now or spread a few smaller donations over a longer period.
[align=center]
'Danger at Depth' by John Terry FCSD [/align]
If you are in the Portsmouth area, a Project Vernon promotion weekend will be held at Gunwharf Quays on Sat 25 and Sun 26 July when you will have the opportunity to buy tickets for the project's Grand Summer Draw or order limited edition prints of John Terry's superb oil painting, 'Danger at Depth' with all proceeds going towards the Project.