HMS Leigh

Thank you to everyone who came and walked the boards from the 23rd-26th September 2021 to celebrate WW2 Southend.   
  

Southend Pier is an icon with a past, a true survivor with an incredible history that makes it the perfect backdrop to bring all ages together to revel in the crucial part it played in WW2 where it became the Guardian of the Thames.     

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HMS Leigh is a community led heritage and arts project that aims to connect people of all ages with the history of Southend Pier, also known as HMS Leigh, during WW2.  Supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Arts Council and Southend Borough Council, this project was created as part of the VE 75 celebrations in 2020.        
                  

​Please sign up for our newsletter or visit our Facebook page or Instagram where details of all the ways that people can be involved can be found.

Otherwise, to find out more about the HMS Leigh project please explore the website, it will be updated regularly.  

   
The story of HMS Leigh is the story of the people and events around Southend Pier from 1939 to 1945. This was a time of everyday heroes and heroines who worked tirelessly to protect the community they were proud to be a part of and the families they loved. HMS Leigh was the departure point for thousands of convoys during WW2 and played a truly remarkable role in the defence of Britain.