THANKS to Memory Lane readers and others, John Sanders, chairman of the Worcester Sea Cadet Unit, is piecing together a comprehensive record of HMS Worcester, the former Royal Navy destroyer.

It was built in 1919 and had an illustrious war record, rescuing thousands of British troops from the Dunkirk beaches and winning sea battle honours in the Atlantic, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Arctic.

Sadly, however, HMS Worcester was not to prove indestructible and it was put out of action in December 1943, when it was mined on East Coast convoy duties. The vessel was eventually scrapped in 1946, and there hasn't been an HMS Worcester since, despite the fact that it was last in a line of seven British Navy ships to carry the name Worcester down three centuries from 1650.

John Sanders, who is also publicity officer for the city branch of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, recently sought the help of Memory Lane readers, who might have more details or personal recollections about HMS Worcester.

One of the first responses was from Mrs B.M. Willis of Oak Crescent, Malvern, who wrote to say that her husband, Bill Willis was serving on HMS Worcester when it was mined in 1943. Alas, he was in hospital but John Sanders hopes to chat to him later.

Maxwell Nicholls of Malvern, was also in touch to point out the existence of a book, published in 1971, containing details of the courageous exploits of HMS Worcester in 1943.

The book, Fiasco by John Dean Potter, deals with the break-out of German battleships from Brest.

"British air cover was virtually non-existent, and no large ships had been deployed by the Allies," said Mr Nicholls. "It was therefore left to comparatively small ships such as HMS Worcester to tackle the battleships.

"Alas, HMS Worcester was badly damaged and many of its sailors were killed but, fortunately, it just managed to get back home."

Local historian John Hinton, in recent correspondence to the Letters Page of the Evening News, also grippingly highlighted the same exploits of HMS Worcester against the three German battleships, Scharnhorst, Gueisenau and Prinz Eugen. He pointed out too, that a plaque was presented to the city some years ago bearing the ship's badge of HMS Worcester. It is still on display in the Guildhall.

In fact, past Worcester Mayor Ray Turner tells me that during his term as First Citizen he negotiated the return to the Guildhall of a second HMS Worcester plaque. It had originally been presented to the city and had hung in the Guildhall but, due to a series of oversights, it had remained wrongly for years in the possession of a local voluntary organisation, to which it had only been loaned for an event.

Commodore Michael Bradley of Worcester, has also been in touch with John Sanders to show him another relevant book, One Ship, One Company by Dr David Clements Jackson, who was surgeon aboard HMS Worcester.

The 1996 book from GB Publishing of Brisbane, Australia, covers the history of all seven British Navy ships to carry the name Worcester, though the bulk of the volume deals with the exploits of the mid-20th Century destroyer.

Commodore Bradley has for some years been part of a campaign to persuade the Royal Navy to christen one of its vessels HMS Worcester.

John Sanders says the Government is, in fact, ordering some new destroyers, and all hopes are that one will receive the name Worcester.

Among other readers who have been in touch with John are Dudley Mills of Lucerne Close, Worcester, and Ken Long of Langdale Drive, Worcester, who has a telescope awarded to a Hubert Garnett as a second prize aboard the old training ship, HMS Worcester in 1898.

Denis Walker of Windmill Close, Worcester, also wrote in to say that the merchant ship, SS City of Worcester, pictured in the Suez Canal about half-a-century or more ago belonged to the Ellerman Line.

John still hopes Memory Lane readers may have other personal recollections of HMS Worcester and of Warship Weeks in the Faithful City. He can be contacted at 85 Patterdale Drive, Worcester.