LORD HOWE ISLAND, Australia -- A British warship that hit rocks off a remote island in Eastern Australia over a month ago headed towards the Australian Mainland on Tuesday, with tugs pulling the crippled destroyer backwards.

The HMS Nottingham had been anchored about 100 meters (yards) off Australia's resort Island of Lord Howe, 780km (480 miles) northeast of Sydney, since it ran onto the well-charted rocks in stormy weather on July 7 and almost sank.

The type 42 air-defense destroyer is now being towed backwards at a speed of about three to four knots, the ultimate ignominy for a state-of-the-art warship.

"She is now finally on the move," navy spokesman Lieutenant Commander Mike Souter told Reuters. "Most of the island came out onto the cliffs to watch and there was cheering and flag waving. It was very emotional."

Work to strengthen the punctured and partially flooded vessel for towing through open seas was completed several days ago and the navy was waiting for suitable weather to begin the three to four day journey to Newcastle on Australia's east coast.

Gale force winds delayed the operation on Monday but conditions were calm on Tuesday with winds of 10 to 15 knots.

Souter said if the ship encountered further bad weather during the journey, it would simply stop and wait it out.

Three tugs from Australia, New Zealand and Singapore are involved in the operation, with one pulling the stricken destroyer, one at the rear to help steer and one on standby.

Five forward compartments, including missile stores, were flooded when the ship was damaged and pulling the vessel backwards will help prevent more water rushing into the ship.

Most of destroyer's 249 crew had been flown home but 37 sailors and a 14-strong Ministry of Defense salvage team were on board for the 400-500 nautical mile trip to Newcastle, a port city 130km (80 miles) north of Sydney.

The Nottingham would then be prepared for a passage home, probably aboard a heavy lift ship, with additional strengthening and removing ammunition, some of which remains in flooded holds.

Souter said the Nottingham was not expected to leave Australia until late September or early October and might not be back in Britain until early December.

The navy was still uncertain about the extent of the damage and whether the Nottingham would ever return to sea.

"Until she's in dry dock we won't really know how bad the damage is," Souter said.

The Nottingham's commanding officer, Richard Farrington, faces a possible court martial over the grounding even though he was not in charge of the vessel at time, having just returned from flying an injured crewman to the Island.

A three-man royal navy board of inquiry is investigating the incident.