A SHIELD presented to Prudhoe to commemorate its strong community war effort has been restored to its former glory and is now hanging proudly in the town’s leisure centre.

The Lord Commissioners to the Admiralty Shield was presented to Prudhoe Urban District Council following warship week in 1942, when the town adopted a naval ship – Prudhoe UD – H.M.M.L.142.

During warship weeks held across the country, locals were set a figure relative to their community’s size and would attempt to raise money to fund a warship.

Prudhoe was set a target of £15,000, but ended up raising a staggering £37,700 to fund a motor launch. Prudhoe UD – H.M.M.L.142 served in Dover, Dartmouth and Plymouth during the war.

Around six years ago, members of Prudhoe and District Local History Society, Len Franchetti and Bill Rochester, came across the shield in the boiler room of Prudhoe Parish Hall, submerged in one-and-a-half inches of water.

It was a particularly interesting find for Bill, who, being born in 1937, had memories of the shield being presented to the town.

“After seeing it when I was just a toddler when it used to hang in the old council offices, I’m over the moon it’s found a place here,” he said.

Fellow history society member Derek Tulip undertook work to restore the shield, including drying it out – which took around a month – scraping it down to the bare wood, retaining the original colours and keeping the original metal.

The shield has now been erected on the wall of Prudhoe Waterworld, along with some framed information about its history, thanks to the support of Active Northumberland.

Mayor of Prudhoe Coun. Gerry Price said the town council has been looking for a suitable location for around two or three years.

“It’s a very important part of Prudhoe’s history and along with all the other contributions we made, such as men who went to fight for their country, this was a demonstration of the support by local people who did what they could do support the war effort,” he said.

“We felt this is a good location and somewhere that a lot of people use. It’s open to the public and it means it’s on display in a safe environment, as well as that it of course has the association of water.”

David McLaren, catering manager at Prudhoe Waterworld, who attended the unveiling, said: “It’s in a place where everyone will see it and we were more than happy to have it placed in here.”