Sea Cadets Honoured with Blue Plaque

A new commemorative Blue Plaque has been unveiled honouring the contribution of the South Shields Sea Cadets building to South Tyneside's maritime history and heritage.

The T.S Collingwood Sea Cadets base, on the South Shields riverside at Comical Corner in Wapping Street, was originally built in 1936 as an operational shore base for the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserves (RNVR) and to supplement the facilities for the training ship HMS Satellite.

The Blue Plaque was unveiled on the building by the Mayor of South Tyneside, Councillor Pat Hay. She was joined by the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Richard Porthouse and Deputy Lieutenant of Tyne and Wear, Colonel Ann Clouston, with T.S Collingwood staff, volunteers, friends and supporters in attendance.

The Mayor said: "It was a real honour to unveil this Blue Plaque in recognition of the contribution this important building has played in South Tyneside's rich maritime heritage, particularly as part of the River Tyne's World War II defences.

"Nowadays, the building provides a special place for our young people to come together and be supported to be the best that they can be with the Sea Cadets giving them incredible experiences that help them to grow with confidence, build resilience and encourage respect and loyalty.

"The building is steeped in so much history that those that use it, particularly our younger generation, get to understand the social history of those that served there and on Naval Ships and the part that they played in some of the most important events in world history."

The site has been occupied by the T.S Collingwood Sea Cadets for the last 85 years and became known as T.S Collingwood when the HMS Satellite shore base closed in 1959 and the RNVRs disbanded, with staff moving to HMS Calliope at Gateshead.

The building houses the original figurehead from the 1854 HMS Satellite. The figurehead was fully restored and returned from HMS Calliope in 2021 and now forms part of a display on the T.S Collingwood parade deck commemorating all the different naval ships that carried the same name.

John Eltringham MBE, Chairman of South Shields Sea Cadets T.S Collingwood, nominated the building for a Blue Plaque, which has been privately funded and installed by the Sea Cadets.

He said: "The unveiling of a Blue Plaque on our Sea Cadet building in South Shields is a proud day for us.

"Anyone walking along the riverside from the Customs House to Littlehaven probably hasn't given the rather austere and underwhelming pre-war building at Comical Corner a second glance.

"But the truth is, it's the last remaining part of what was the shore-based drill ship HMS Satellite that trained thousands of seafarers during its time in service. It made a huge contribution to the war effort in training naval gunners on armed merchant and Royal Navy ships as well as being a part of the Tyne defences in it's own right.

"It's in memory of this that the Blue Plaque is important not only to us but the maritime heritage of South Shields."

The plaque unveiling coincided with a special service led by Father Mark Mawhinney which saw the blessing of its new safety board 'Satellite' and sailing boat 'Lilian' - named in memory of one of T.S Collingwood's main benefactors, Lilian Lightfoot.

A new tractor used for boat launching was also blessed and officially named 'James'. Itcommemorates the son of two of TS Collingwood's staff. He tragically died last year aged three.

South Tyneside's Blue Plaque scheme recognises people and places that have made a significant contribution to the history, heritage and culture of the Borough.

There are more than 30 blue plaques sites in locations across South Tyneside. More recently plaques have been raised in honour of educator and first wife of George Orwell, Eileen O'Shaughnessy, photographer and historian Amy Flagg and South Shields showman, Gary Gillespie Davison.

For further information about South Tyneside blue plaques visit the Council's website at www.southtyneside.gov.uk/blueplaques