The HMT Windrush which brought Commonwealth citizens from the Caribbean and arrived at Tilbury Docks in Essex in 1948v – before the vessel sank off the coast of Algeria in 1954
A shipwreck hunter who plans to recover the anchor of the HMT Windrush at “the bottom of the Mediterranean sea” has been appointed an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) in the New Year Honours list.
David Mearns, a marine scientist in West Sussex, has been honoured for his services to locating and retrieving historic shipwrecks.
The 66-year-old who has recovered 29 wreckages including the plane that disappeared over the English Channel carrying footballer Emiliano Sala in 2019, said he plans to find the HMT Windrush’s 1.5-tonne anchor after it sank off the coast of Algeria in 1954.
The HMT Windrush brought the first Windrush generation to the UK to help rebuild the country as it faced labour shortages following World War Two.
As part of the Windrush Anchor Foundation, David told PA he aims to use the anchor as a memorial to celebrate the contributions of the Windrush generation and their descendants who were a “positive force for multicultural Britain” adding that he hopes that his OBE and the recognition would uplift the mission.
Speaking to the Mirror, Windrush campaigner Patrick Vernon who is part of the project said: “That was the ship that the passengers [arrived in].
“The anchor is from the ship itself. This is not an artist impression of it, or a sculpture and I think that would resonate not just with the Windrush community but the whole population of Britain.”
Former RAF officer, 89-year-old Sidney McFarlane MBE who launched the Justice 4 Windrush campaign along with his son, Colin Mcfarlane and singer and activist Annie Lennox OBE, told the Mirrror he applauded David for his endeavour.
He said: “Any opportunity to highlight the immeasurable contribution of my generation, who were invited here to rebuild the mother country, will always be warmly welcomed.
“As King Charles said ‘diversity is our greatest strength’, and the anchor is a potent reminder of our past and a wonderful legacy for future generations.
“I applaud Mr Mearns for using his award to highlight this and I hope it acts as a catalyst to hasten payment of compensation and put right the continuing mistreatment of my generation who are still being wrongly categorised as illegal immigrants rather than as British citizens which we are and are very proud to be”.
The recovery of the anchor is said will cost £2million but that campaigners say they are hoping to raise the amount without help from the government and to retrieve the anchor in the next year or so.