A LONG-forgotten trawler which played a heroic role in the First World War could soon be returning to British shores.

Currently a rusting hulk beached on an island in the South Atlantic, the Yorkshire-built Viola was converted into an armed trawler in 1914.

She and her civilian crew saw action throughout the war and in 1916 was transferred to the Tyne where she was among the first to be issued with depth charges.

In 1917 she was involved in the rescue of the crew of a coal barge driven ashore at Scarborough and the next year, together with another armed trawler, she sank a submarine, the UB-30, off Whitby. The sub had sent at least 17 Allied ships to the bottom.

Just a month later, off Northumberland, an airship spotted another U-boat and again Viola sent it to the bottom after dropping depth charges over her.

Now she is the last of her kind and a group of MPs are backing a campaign to repatriate her from her current resting place on South Georgia.

Dr Robb Robinson of the Maritime Historical Studies centre in Hull is leading the team behind the plane, which could cost up to £6m to achieve.

“For me it represents a forgotten dimension of the Great War,” he said.

“Much of the war was fought to keep the sea lanes open, combating mines, U-boats and torpedoes. A lot of that was undertaken by working fishermen from all the ports around Britain.”