Efforts to safeguard the future of the last remaining World War II motor boats have been successful after Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust (PNBPT) received a £580,000 grant.

The National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) investment means that both the MGB 81, which saw action during D-Day, and the HSL 102 - stationed at RAF Calshot during the Battle of Britain, have been saved for the nation. In addition to the NHMF funding, the £750,000 acquisition of the boats was financed through private donations (£90,000), fundraising (£50,000) and a £10,000 contribution from the Coastal Forces Trust, as well as £20,000 from the Preservation of Industrial and Scientific Material (PRISM) scheme.

PNBPT, which owns the Historic Dockyard and Portsmouth Harbour, hopes that people will be given the chance to charter the vessels and get a feel of what it would have been like for wartime crews travelling at full speed. Peter Goodship, the trust's chief executive, said: "These unique craft are a legacy to the heroism of those who crewed them during World War II. Both boats made significant contributions to the war effort and saved the lives of many sailors and airmen."