[1] During the early parts of the war, the Royal Navy not only had lost many capital ships but was facing increasing pressure to provide escorts for convoys in the Atlantic.
[3] A level of savings would be set to raise enough money to provide the cost of building a particular naval ship.
The aim was for cities to raise enough to adopt battleships and aircraft carriers, while towns and villages would focus on cruisers and destroyers.
[4] Local charity organisations, churches and schools would provide the crews of the adopted ship with gloves, woollen socks and balaclavas.
[2] The ship's commanding officer would exchange plaques, objects and photographs with the city or town that reached the target set, and an adoption would begin.