HMS Ardrossan (J131) was a Bangor-class minesweeper launched in July 1941 by Blith Shipbuilding Company in Northumberland. These Minesweepers were small enough to be built by the smaller yards all around the country being only 174 feet long with a crew of 60 officers and ratings. On one tank of fuel, she could travel a maximum of 2,800 miles.

She had a “quiet war” although we know she served in The North Sea during 1942 and was involved in Normandy in 1944. It is almost certain that on the 5th and 6th June 1944 she would have been serving in the 15th Flotilla made up of up to nine Bangor class ships tasked with sweeping for mines along Chanel 10 leading to Sword Beach, the most easterly and closest to the German batteries at Le Havre.

Each beach, including Sword was designated two channels from the open sea, one to allow fast moving boats to reach the beach quickly and the other for the larger slower moving vessels.

At that time, she was under the command of Guy Alderson-Smith RNVR

She was sold for scrap in August 1948.

THE PRINT
This edition print recorded on fine art stock via a large format mimeograph and generally referred to as Giclée prints of premium quality. The paper is white 100% a-cellulose with a distinct textured surface and the premium matt inkjet coating more than meets the highest industry standards vis-à-vis density, colour gamut, colour graduation and image sharpness, while preserving the extraordinary touch and feel of genuine art paper.

The editions depicted on Iconic Reserve are not representative of scale and solely for the purpose of suggestive display and not supplied framed.

STERLING SILVER 925
The edition comes with a Sterling Silver anchor (with a minimum millesimal fineness of 925) which is not pierced through the print but is available on request.