AFTER seven months of painstaking restoration work the last surviving war boat of its kind is ready to be displayed at Bridgwater Docks.

The “colossal” rebuild of the 72ft, 1941 Motor Torpedo Boat 219 has cost £60,000 and hundreds of hours of work but for enthusiast Paul Childs it has all been worth it.

Mr Childs told the Mercury: “I’m relieved it’s finished but it’s been a privilege to work on it for me and my son, Simon and also everybody else who’s contributed.

“It’s been a huge effort from everyone involved and all the Bridgwater businesses that have helped.”

The restoration of the oneof- a-kind boat has been anything but straight- forward for Mr Childs as they initially struggled to gain funding for the work.

Mr Childs and his organisation, Militaryboats.org, managed to raise £8,000 to buy the boat, which was then being used as a houseboat in Chelsea, but its hull had been condemned, meaning it had to be removed.

The boat was then transported to Bridgwater where the ship’s hull and deck were carefully restored in a temporary ‘berth’ at Durleigh Design on Symons Way.

Paul and his family then secured £2,500 from Sedgemoor District Council to build the wheelhouse and replica torpedo tubes and assist with moving the boat to water.

In February 1942 the boat was part of an attack on the ‘Channel Dash’ German battle cruisers, Scharnhorst, Gneisneau and Prinz Eugen, as they sneaked through the English Channel to avoid the bombing in Brest.

Mr Childs now hopes the ceremony to put the boat back in water on Saturday, January 31 will be a fitting occasion.

He said: “We’ll be having a bit of a coffee morning at Durleigh Displays before the boat’s loaded on to the transport and then we’ll go at snail pace down to the docks.

“We’re hoping to have the sea cadet band playing and the Mayor of Bridgwater will be there so we’re hoping it’ll be a bit of an event.

“We’ve had so many people already who have come down to see it telling us of their memories and so we’re hoping that the ceremony to put it back in to water will be fitting for them.

“There’s one woman who’s been down a few times who said she’s saving a bottle of champagne for when it goes back in to the water at the docks.”

The boat will then have the finishing touches applied before being moved again to the Military Boat Museum in Torquay.

Mr Childs is still looking for donations to help finish fitting the boat out while it is housed at the docks.

Anyone who wants to make a donation can visit www.militaryboats.org or contact Mr Childs directly on 01278-429233.