The National Maritime Trust (NMT), a new charity, is spearheading a campaign to buy the redundant destroyer HMS Edinburgh, sister ship of HMS Coventry and HMS Sheffield, both lost in the Falklands campaign, with a view to having the ship moored at Falmouth docks as part of a Falklands Memorial Fleet museum.

A spokesperson for the charity said: “A more ambitious, long-term proposal as part of the NMT is to create a small fleet of warships and other vessels to commemorate the Falklands War, and the sacrifice of all those who served on those ships. Suitable bases and funding is being sought at a number of sites including Falmouth Docks in Cornwall, which has a strong Royal Naval history, suitable related events such as the Tall Ships, and appropriate dry dock facilities.”

However this is news to A&P Falmouth port operations director Drystan Jones who said: “I can confirm that I have not had any enquiries regarding the HMS Edinburgh or Conqueror. “

The scheme is the brainchild of David Campbell Bannerman, MEP, patron of the NMT.

The MEP said he was motivated to start the charity after the Ministry of Defence sold HMS Plymouth, a frigate that took part in the Falklands campaign, to Turkey for scrap.

“No British warships have been preserved since the Second World War, nothing to commemorate the Cold War, the Falklands War or the Gulf War.”

The NMT is understood to be bidding to acquire HMS Edinburgh which is on the disposal list. The charity has ambitious plans to acquire HMS Conqueror (the nuclear submarine that sank the Argentine cruiser General Belgrano in the Falklands conflict), the former aircraft carrier HMS Hermes (now serving with the Indian Navy), HMS Bristol and possibly other vessels as they come up for disposal.