At the height of the Second World War this small pocket-book was issued to all ratings on board ships of the Royal Navy. In straight period prose it outlines all the basic expressions and tasks a seaman needed to know to perform his duties efficiently. Chapters are broken down into: Sea Terms; Navigation; Steering the Ship; Rigging; Anchors and Cables; Boatwork; Miscellaneous (which includes details on uniform and folding a hammock, etc); and Ship Safety. Functional black line illustrations are used throughout, as well as a few pages of colour (used sparingly) for flag recognition.
Faithfully reproduced, with a short introduction by Brian Lavery, which explains the importance of a book like this to a navy that had to take on vast numbers of civilians or Hostilities Only men to meet the manning needs of the war, this volume provides a real mixture of wartime nostalgia and historical authenticity. It makes a world now lost to us accessible again, explaining as it does the terms, skills and conventions of ship board life, a life that required a common language, and where failure to respond to orders instantly could mean the difference between life and death.
The book is sure to appeal to those who served in the war as well as the current generation who are becoming increasingly interested in the role their grandparents, fathers and uncles played during that time.
Brian Lavery was, until recently, Curator of Naval History at The National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, and is a renowned expert on the sailing navy. He has written a number of best-selling titles on maritime history and his latest work - Churchill's Navy: The Ships, Men and Organisation
1939-1945. A Seaman’s Pocket-Book In his Introduction Brian Lavery refers to the Manual of Seamanship, a revised edition of which was published 1932-1937. I have a copy of Vol I reprinted in 1942, priced 7s 6d (38p). I also have Vol II which is BR 67 (2/51) reprinted 1956. My Royal Navy certificate of service records 15 March 1963, passed professionally for Leading Seaman and 19 October 1962
issued BR 67 (II). This is a little confusing as the dates are out of order. Why and how did this much smaller version come about? It seems it was because of the shortage pf
paper, plus the need to train up hostilities only seamen ratings. By the time I joined we all issued with
BR (1938) Naval Rating handbooks. I
have a 1965 copy, not the smaller one I was issued with in 1962. I suspect that the Seaman’s Pocket Book was
very welcome at the time because it is such a handy size - it really is for a
pocket measuring in old money, 49/10 x 74/10. I would have been very glad of a copy had it
been available for us in 1956. I want
to set you a test, can you describe or explain the following: Marry the falls? Enough, enough, perhaps it reminds you of
times gone that you would rather forget, I doubt it because we remember the good
times. If you still mess about in boats or love
to read Naval books this could be very handy.
I certainly like the quote on the rear cover, "Jumpers.... must be pulled
down to the full extent. Bulky things
must not be stored in the pockets: They
cause an unsightly bulge, and are apt to fall out". Presumably since females now go to sea this will need an
amendment! A super little book, a friend who was an
HO rating in 1944 said he not issued with one but always wanted one, perhaps at
80 it’s a little late! Rob Jerrard Churchill's
Navy The Ships, Men and Organisation 1939- 1945 Author:
BRIAN LAVERY ISBN:
1844860353 Publishers:
Conway, an imprint of Anova Books Price
£40 Publication
Date: 2006 Publisher's Title Information A
full account of all aspects of the Royal Navy - social and technical - during
the Second World War. Contemporary paintings, photographs and line drawings from naval manuals and Admiralty fleet
orders. Presented in full-colour throughout in Conway's large reference format. In this timely follow-up to his best-selling Nelson's Navy, Brian Lavery has turned his attention to the Royal Navy of the Second World War. Delving into all areas of the Royal Navy, Lavery casts a lucid eye over
the strengths and weaknesses of an organisation that was put under acute strain
during the war period, yet rose to the challenge with initiative and
determination. The merits of technological advances in ship design, armament
and sensors as well as the endurance of naval customs and tradition are all
discussed and set in context. Churchill's Navy is essential for anyone who wants to cut through the myth and propaganda to understand the reality of life in the Royal Navy during those crucial years. Part
1 The Navy in 1939 The Navy in 1939 Part
II The Background to Naval Power My Lords of the Admiralty Admirals
and Fleets Intelligence
and Communication The
Arts of the Seaman Logistics Part
III Enemies and Allies Enemies Allies
The
Merchant Navy Other
Services PART
IV The Ships Ship Design Shipbuilding
Engines
Armament
Sensors
Fittings V
The People The Administration of Naval Personnel Naval
Medicine Naval
Law and Discipline Naval
Custom and Tradition Part
VI Officers and Ratings Officers The
Higher Rates Jack
Afloat and Ashore Engineers
and Others The
Royal Marines The
Wrens Part
VII The Battle Fleet Ships in the Battle Fleet Life
in the Battle Fleet The
Fleet in Battle Naval
Bases Naval
Aviation Aircraft Carriers The
Personnel of the Fleet Air Arm Aircraft Aircraft
Techniques and Tactics Squadrons
and Bases Part
IX The Submarine Service The Organisation Submarines
Submarine
Techniques Part
X Escorts Escort Vessels Life
in the Escorts Escort
Techniques Escort
Bases Part:
XII The Coastal Navies Coastal Forces Mine
Warfare The Patrol Service and Harbour Defence Part
Amphibious Warfare Combined Operations Personnel Landing
Vessels Combined Operations Techniques Why Churchill's Navy? When
Churchill took office again as First Lord of the Admiralty on the first day of
the Second World War, a famous signal went out to the fleet: 'Winston is back'. Before I begin, let me say
that the title should read 'The Ships, Personnel and Organisation'. The Title is, inter alia, 'Men', yet it has
a chapter on 'The Wrens' and a photograph of one on the rear cover. Only yesterday I had a conversation with two
men, who said that both their wives had been WRN Boats' Crews in WWII. "Join the Wrens and Free a Man for the
Fleet" There were also the shipyard and
dockyard workers who supported them. Where would you begin to
review a book of this magnitude?
Whatever your particular interest you will find a section covering
it. Working through the main twelve
headlines, which are sub-divided up to a total of fifty, indicated the task
ahead of me, which pales into insignificance compared to that of the
author. We must of course start with
the navy in 1939, which had dipped somewhat since the beginning of the
twentieth century from being on the crest of a wave into the hard times of
1918-1922 and having the 1922 Treaty forced upon it at Washington. This didn’t end there, because the treaty
was reaffirmed in 1930. In 1931 the crew of several
ships of the Atlantic Fleet mutinied against pay cuts, which would bear hardest
on long-serving seamen. I well remember
discussing this with retired RN seamen in the pubs at Portsmouth in the late
50s and early 60s and they were still angry. Part 1 of this book explains
the lead up to WWII in some detail and it is worth reading thoroughly to
understand how the Royal Navy stood at the brink of war. So how was it? How stood Nelson’s Navy,
would he have been proud of what they had done to it? “The fleet that went to War in September 1939 consisted of 129,000
officers and men, supplemented by 73,000 reservists. Including Australian and
New Zealand forces it had 317 operational warships, consisting of 12
battleships and battlecruiser, 8 aircraft carriers, 58 cruisers, 100 fleet
destroyers, 101 escort vessels and 38 submarines. Its record in the inter-war
years was not one of failure. The enormous spirit of the Royal Navy had been
maintained through many tribulations. It was a much more flexible organisation
than in 1914, both tactically and in its ability to take new personnel and
ideas. All this would be reflected in its "-wartime performance”. As a member of the HMS ST
Vincent Association I found a reference to that Establishment in Part VIII,
“Candidates were selected by interview and stiff medical examination. They were
sent to HMS St
Vincent at Gosport for initial training, under the watchful eyes of
Chief Petty Officer Wilmott ‘of the yellow fangs’ and the bloodshot and
unremitting eye and a voice like a rusty winch, and Petty Officer Trim who had
been twenty years a postman and was not relishing his recall to the
colours. ( Sea Flight, Hugh Popham A
Fleet Air Arm Pilot’s Story William Kimber 1954) They learned naval discipline
in the same way as all new recruits, by foot drill. They were trained in a
certain amount of seamanship, for they had to co-operate with ships and report
on enemy activities. They also learned about the navigation and the theory of
flight before being sent on to flying training. They were also finally,
selected for further training as a pilot or observer”. This book really is a must
for anyone interested in the Royal Navy of this period. Rob Jerrard The
author Brian
Lavery was, until recently, Curator of Naval History at The National Maritime
Museum, Greenwich, and is a renowned expert on the sailing navy. He
has written a number of best-selling titles on maritime history including
Nelson's Navy, now in its twelfth reprint, the highly successful Jack Aubrey
Commands and The Island Nation. The Aircraft Carrier
Victorious Edition: 2004 Author: Ross Watton ISBN: 0851779964 Publishers: Conway Maritime Price £25.00 Publication Date: 2004 I served in HMS Victorious
from 2 April 1963 until 9 August 1964, so it was a great pleasure to receive
this book for review. The
purpose of the modernisation was to bring the carrier up to the required state
for operating the much faster and heavier jet fighters which were being brought
into service by the 1950s. It was
thought cheaper to modernise an existing carrier than to build from scratch.
The Admiralty instituted a 9-year modernisation plan in 1948. With the start of
the Cold War, Russia had become the main threat, but it seemed unlikely that a
war would break out before 1957. Victorious was chosen as the best candidate
from the Illustrious class for such a refit, although Formidable was originally
provisionally selected. Implacable and
Indefatigable were also scheduled for similar modification in 1953-55 and
1954-57 respectively, and Indomitable for conversion to a deck landing training
ship in 1957. With the new Eagle and
Ark Royal due for completion during the first half of the 1950s, the Royal Navy
would be equipped with five fleet carriers by 1957. Pilots joined with their
aircraft. I joined by a slightly slower
method. We did join for the same
reason; because of aircraft. I was
involved with controlling them. She was
the first ship and the only one of three to be fitted with the 984 3D Radar and
comprehensive display system (CDS) which revolutionised aircraft control. As an RP2 I was an 'Intercept Officer’s
Assistant'. We worked as a team of two
on these new displays and controlled one aircraft - a Buccaneer by my time, and
we would place the aircraft in a perfect attacking position. 984 was certainly ahead of its time and I
recall one conversation by radio with a US Navy pilot refusing to believe we
had him on radar at that distance and what’s more we knew his exact
height. It was only after he changed
height and we confirmed it that he believed us. Model makers will consult
this book looking for the finer details.
However, those who join a ship will immediately concern themselves about
the accommodation and food. On Page 86
at D6 a drawing of a ‘three-tier bunk’ fitted after modernisation is shown, I
occupied a middle section (some of the time).
However the messdeck number does not come to mind and I have been unable
to trace it from the very detailed drawings of the layout at D3 and D4. If only I could remember the number, was it
20? Catering is discussed. I recall it was of a very high-class in
Victorious with a cold buffet served at lunchtime, including whole dressed
salmon. Pages 16-19 give a career
summary. Needless to say this summary
is very brief – the period of my entire commission is summed up in a few words. There are some magnificent
photographs of Victorious (the Mighty V or Vic for short) and those on Pages 18
and 19 taken in 1959 are stunning, as is the 1966 shot of her arriving in
Valetta, Malta. The one of her in Fareham
Creek stripped of all fittings is very sad – the end of a long career. There are some photographs on my website at http://www.rjerrard.co.uk/royalnavy/vict/vict.htm The technical drawings are
in amazing detail. I could spend hours
trying to pinpoint certain parts of the ship which occupied my time
onboard. Even the boats are covered by
detailed drawings. She carried one of
my favourites, the 35-foot fast motorboat which I crewed and for which I was
later Coxswain, also the 27-foot whaler and the Pinnace. There have been other books
on Victorious eg 'HMS Victorious 1937-1969' by Neil McCart, which details each
commission with facts. However if it is
technical detail you seek, this Anatomy of the Ship Series’ will be the one you
want and Victorious does not disappoint.
Happy Days. Rob Jerrard The
44-Gun Frigate USS Constitution "Old Ironsides" Author:
Karl Heinz Marquardt ISBN:
1844860108 Publishers:
Conway Maritime Price
£25 RRP UK Publication
Date: 2005 'Old
Ironsides', as the USS Constitution is affectionately known, acquired her
nickname during the dramatic confrontation with HMS Guerriere in 1812, during
which the enemy's shot failed to penetrate her strong oak hull. By this time
she was already fifteen years old. As one of the six original frigates ordered
by George Washington on 27 March 1794, she and her sisters represent the birth
of the US Navy and she occupies a special place in its history. In
1954 President Eisenhower signed into law the repair and restoration of
Constitution as a museum vessel, and she has remained one of the major visitor
attractions of the Boston National Historic Park since its inception twenty
years later. In this brand new addition to the well-established and highly
popular 'Anatomy' series, the author has compared draughts from the
twentieth-century restorations with original plans from 1796 and drawings from
her major refit in the 1840s, to produce, for the first time, an accurate set
of plans for the frigate as she would have appeared during the Anglo-American
War. A
full description of one of the United States' most famous historic preserved
ships in her 1812-1815 appearance More
than 250 perspective and 3-view drawings, with in-depth descriptive keys, of
every detail of the ship - general arrangements, hull construction, fittings,
masts and yards, rigging and sails, and armament Pictorial section showing
full-view and on-board photographs One
large-scale plan on the reverse of the fold-out jacket A
complete anatomy of the ship in words, photographs and drawings. From
the Author’s Forward Putting
pen to paper to tell the story and explain the lines and details of all
existing ship might look like a breeze (and in some cases it is), but it
becomes an obstacle course when trying to envisage only the fighting 'teenage
years' of a ship. The period under
observation goes back to the years of opposition between the young United
States Navy and the British Royal Navy around 1812, when USS Constitution was a
glorious war-horse. Her 1812
appearance does not match that experienced by present-day visitors aboard the
surviving snip. Not only does her
exterior appearance differ, but also many of the 'original pieces' - pumps,
anchor-chains, capstans etc. - are from a later period of the ships life. Early
major overhauls were purpose driven to update fighting capacity, to turn her
later into a Navy Academy training vessel and at the end into a receiving
ship. The idea of reconstructing an old
pump, oven or capstan would have sounded absurd during that period; they were
replaced with available new and more modern items. It was neither practicable nor fashionable for a commissioned
ship to utilise a restored turn-of-the-century stern or capstan and our modern
desire of reliving history just did not exist.
In reality it would be much easier to reconstruct a complete 1812-1815
replica of 'Old Ironsides' from keel to
truck rather than trying to re-shape her many times-repaired surviving hu11
into that specific time-frame, but would it be the same, With
draughts only known from her planning stage of around 1796 and others from her
major overhaul before the 1844-45 circumnavigation, today's Drawings
were established in 1927 and later, in short during twentieth century
reconstructions. They provide the
actual lines of the ship and the status of stern and head as they appeared when
the new drawings were made. Every
additional part of the reconstruction of the ship in her sailing days must be
considered like any other restoration: it has to be seen as an individual
interpretation of known facts, whether general or specific, which means that
there are many possible interpretations. In this we have to include the current
sail plan, rigging arrangements, the boats and many other items. In
defence of the ship's current status as a museum ship in the Boston National
Historic Park, it must be acknowledged that it is much easier to bring
individual thoughts to paper than to apply them three-dimensionally to an old
hull. Even with the final goal being an
1812 likeness, what can be achieved is determined by construction and financial
restraints. Keeping the ship afloat has
priority- over any alteration of details towards a specified period. This should be understood when considering
why this jewel of the US Navy is still, even after the latest reconstruction
efforts, not a mirror image of her youthful years when she earned her popular
nickname 'Old Ironsides'. Karl
Heinz Marquardt is an internationally acclaimed draughtsman who contributes
regularly to Conway's modelling quarterly Model Shipwright and has written 18th
Century Rigs & Rigging and The Global Schooner, along with two other
Anatomy of the Ship volumes on Cook's Endeavour and Darwin's Beagle, for the
Conway list. This
highly acclaimed series aims to provide the finest documentation of individual
ships and ship types ever published. It
is a radical departure from the usual monograph approach, which concentrates on
either the ship's service history, its technical details or external
appearance. All of these aspects are
included in the Anatomy of the Ship', but what makes the series unique is a
complete set of superbly executed line drawings - the conventional 3-view type
of plan as well as explanatory perspective views with fully descriptive
keys. Although elaborate drawings are
extremely popular in aviation publications, this is the first attempt to
document ships in similar depth - literally down to the nuts and bolts. These
drawings are accurate, visually exciting and totally comprehensive, offering
ship buffs, historians and model makers a novel insight into the technicalities
of each ship type covered. The jail that went to Sea. Author: Peter Haining ISBN: 1-86105-561-7 Publisher: Robson Books Price: £16.95 Publication Date: Hardback, 2003 Fly sheet Summary In 1941 the British people
had their backs to the wall in their lone fight against the might of Hitler's
Germany. America was neutral and the violent and dangerous underworld of
Glasgow became the starting point for one of the most amazing and, until now,
untold episodes of the war. This is an extraordinary
account of the most unlikely crew ever to take a ship to war. Government
officials, desperate for men to sail merchant ships across the Atlantic to
collect vital equipment and supplies from North America, devised a plan to
enlist convicts from Barlinnie Prison and use them to crew a 25,000-ton
merchantman, the George Washington. This unprecedented and dangerous operation
was probably the nearest thing to press gang tactics since the days of Lord
Nelson. Quite simply a choice of death or glory, this book relates the
extraordinary story of a motley band of seaman through the accounts of two
survivors, the log and memories of Captain David Bone and documents finally
de-restricted by the Public Records Office in London. Reviewer's Comments Like many ex-navy people I
enjoy reading books about the sea, but with the emphasis generally being on
books about the Royal Navy. When asked to review this book I thought it would
prove to be very interesting, as it would give me more of an insight to life in
the merchant service during the Second World War. By the summer of 1941
Britain was suffering merchant ship losses at a rate of loss equivalent of 7
million tons/year - we were losing them at three times the rate we could build
new ones! Then Roosevelt came up with the Lend-Lease agreement but with proviso
that ships need to be manned by British crews. With our manpower losses
mounting the government surreptitiously began scouring the prisons to enlist ex-cons
to crew some of these vessels. Although I found the book to
be interesting reading it, sadly, failed to fully live up expectation. This was
because it dealt more with the onshore antics of the anti-heroes (a small band
of five Bridgeton, Glasgow hoodlums), rather than being a true seafaring story.
It also inferred that there were many other ex-cons recruited, but provides no
detail on any of these. The book covers the
activities of the five 'Bridgeton boys' from mid-August 1941 when they left
Barlinnie Prison and were coerced (press-ganged?) into joining the merchant
service - to mid-March 1942 when the George Washington, the ship they had
joined, was handed back to the Americans. During this period, the only time
they spent at sea was the few weeks on the voyage out to Halifax, Nova Scotia
on the Pasteur and two short 120-mile trips to New York — one to carry out sea
trails, the other to return the worn out liner back to the Americans. In between the five
hoodlums, on full pay from the British government, created mayhem in Halifax,
then Montreal and to a lesser extent in New York. While in New York, two of the
infamous gang of five, McCormack and McCourt, jumped ship - and were never
heard of again! The other three then caused so many problems on the return leg
to Halifax that they were kicked out of the boiler room and put on to other
duties. They also plotted to mutiny and take the ship to South America but the
skipper, aided by the crew (including some stokers from HMS Manchester) quickly
knocked this plan on the head. After the ship was handed back the other three
then disappeared and were also never seen again. The whole episode ended up
being a massive waste of British money! During the voyage out to
Canada the ship did have an amazing escape when, halfway across the Atlantic,
it came under surface gunfire from U402. It managed to evade the shelling
efforts of the subs gun crew and eventually the skipper gave up the chase and
turned away towards home - apparently the U-boat had used up all its torpedoes
on earlier victims. The story is based on
unfinished research carried out by a famous historian (W.O.G Lofts) and
completed by Haining, who seems to be better known for his editing of horror
anthologies and writing of Dr Who stories. The book dwells rather heavily on
some of this historian's research material and most of the onshore activities
of our ant-heroes are based on the recollections of a few of the other crew
members. Interestingly, Haining
mentions a British destroyer - HMS Manchester - that was being repaired at the
League Island, Philadelphia yard at the same time as the conversion work was
being carried out on the George Washington. As mentioned earlier Captain Drew,
the skipper of Manchester had loaned Captain Bone some of his engine-room staff
for the brief journey back to Halifax, but the ship in question must have been
the Southampton-class cruiser - not a destroyer. I had only recently finished
reading a super book - Destroyer's War by AD Divine - Footnote: The George Washington was
given a major refit by the Americans with new oil-fired water tube boilers and
converted to being a US troop carrier. Over the next three years she made
numerous successful runs to the Far East carrying up to 5,000 US troops. On one
visit to Bombay she was berthed near a British armed merchant cruiser - HMS
Circassia. The commander of this ship was none other than Captain Bone, who was
now nearing 70 but was still holding down a very senior position in the
merchant service. Mike Welfare Book Reviews Editor’s Note Mike is correct about HMS
Manchester, which was a Southampton Class Cruiser. She arrived in Philadelphia 23rd September 1941,
according to George Luscombe who served in the ship and wrote an account in
"Total Germany", Rob Jerrard The Age
of The Galley Edition:
Paperback 2004 Author:
William James ISBN:
0851779557 Publishers:
Conway Maritime Press Price
£16.99 RRP UK Publication
Date: October 2004 For
thousands of years organised naval warfare was the exclusive preserve of the
galley. Oars provided a level of control and manoeuvrability beyond the
capabilities of the contemporary sailing ship, and not experienced again until
the era of the screw propeller. Precise control allowed squadrons and fleets to
operate together, as a unit, which promoted the evolution of early fighting
tactics. However, for fleets to be more effective than collections of
individual vessels, they needed training and organisation, from which the first
state-funded navies were to develop. The
Age of the Galley charts this development from the earliest paleolithic craft,
some of which were paddled rather than rowed, to the classical trireme and its
Roman and Byzantine successors. However, as a warship the galley survived the
coming of the three-masted sailing ship and even adapted itself to gunpowder
artillery, so later chapters are devoted to the medieval and Renaissance fleets
that served the later maritime powers of the Mediterranean. The principal
historical chapters are backed by more general sections on the design and oar
systems of galleys, on the organisation and infrastructure of galley fleets,
and on non-military applications of the galley. This
volume includes: Paddled
and Oared Ships before the Iron Age The Ancestry of the Trireme 1200-525 BC The
Trireme Hellenistic
Oared Warships 399-31 BC Fleets
of the Early Roman Empire 31 BC-AD 324 Late
Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic Galleys and Fleets From
Dromon to Galea: Mediterranean Bireme Galleys AD 500-1300 Merchant
Galleys The
Naval Architecture and Oar Systems of Ancient Galleys The
Naval Architecture and Oar Systems of Medieval and Later Galleys Oar
Mechanics and Oar Power in Ancient Galleys Oar Mechanics and Oar Power in
Medieval and Later Galleys The
Geographical Conditions of Galley Navigation in the Mediterranean Economics
and Logistics of Galley Warfare Naval Installations The
Athenian Navy in the Fourth Century BC Title:
The Royal Navy Handbook Edition:
1st Author:
Produced by the Defence Procurement Agency ISBN:
0851779522 Publishers
Conway Maritime Press Price: £14.99 RRP UK Publication
Date: 2003 This
is the official MoD guide to the Royal Navy of today and tomorrow - the
definitive MoD Guide, with a foreword by Rt Hon Geoff Hoon MP and an
introduction by 1st Sea Lord Admiral Sir Alan West. Definitive
information on every type of vessel and aircraft and their weapons systems in
service with the Royal Navy around the globe. The
Guide examines strategic forces, the submarine and surface fleets, naval
aviation, the Royal Marines Commandos, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and support
forces, Joint forces, naval bases and future procurement projects. Full
specifications are given with colour illustrations and plans showing the UK's
maritime forces in unprecedented detail. This
is a complete work of reference for the professional and enthusiast alike. This
is a super little book - anyone interested in the Royal Navy will want a copy,
the colour photographs are of a very high quality and it is full of information
about today’s Navy. Highly recommended. To
find out more about this and other Naval books; and to purchase a copy, go
online to www.rjerrard.co.uk and
follow the Royal Navy link, or E-mail robjerrard@aol.com HMS
St Vincent, Duncan 972 Class Nov 1956-Dec 1957 RN
1956 - 1968 Title: Nelson's Navy: The Ships, Men and
Organisation 1793-1815 Author:
Brian Lavery ISBN: 0851775217 Publishers
Conway Maritime Press Price: £35 RRP UK Publication
Date: Reprinted 2000 Cover
illustration: An original painting by Geoff Hunt depicting the Hard at
Portsmouth. The
popularity of sea-stories set during the Napoleonic Wars bears witness to the
great romance associated with the sailing navy at the apogee of its success. Of
course, these accounts are fiction and accurate descriptions of either the
technicalities or contemporary social conditions are not their main aim, but
they whet the appetite for more information. For
all those with this deeper interest in the workings of a great fleet, Nelson's
Navy will prove the perfect guide. The book is divided into fourteen thematic
sections which deal with the design and construction of ships; with the Navy's
central and local administration; with the training and organisation of
officers, seaman and marines; with ship administration; and with life at sea.
By means of dispassionate descriptions and personal accounts the author reveals
a world far removed from the popularly depicted poverty and cruelty of life in
the Royal Navy. Brian
Lavery - one of the world's leading authorities on the sailing navy - has
produced a book which is truly encyclopaedic in its scope and at the same time
eminently readable. Derived from considerable original research, Nelson's Navy
is the first single-volume work to cover in such depth this vast and complex
subject, and give a clear and authentic picture of the Senior Service as a
whole. It will become an important source book for the naval historian, a
valuable reference work for the enthusiast, and a revelation to the general
reader. Patrick
O'brian, says of the book, ‘There is no royal road to a knowledge of the Navy
of Nelson's time ... but Brian Lavery's book is the most nearly regal that I
have come across in many years of reading on the subject ... you name it,
Nelson's Navy has it.' THE
TIMES says of it, ‘A masterpiece on life in the Senior Service under England's
favourite seafaring son.' Your
Reviewer certainly agrees- this is a magnificent book about these times, packed
with information and illustrations. You
may read, Alexander Kent, Dudley Pope, C S Forester and others but this is the
real thing. The frontispiece is a
detail of Nicholas Pocock’s Nelson’s Ship’s, an imaginary composition depicting
five of the ships Nelson distinguished himself in. THE AUTHOR Brian
Lavery is one of the world's leading authorities on the sailing warship. Apart
from contributing numerous articles to magazines and journals, he edited and
introduced Deane's Doctrine of Naval Architecture 1670, the earliest full
treatise on the subject in English. He is author of the two-volume Ship of the
Line, The Arming and Fitting of English Ships of War 1600-1815 and of two
`Anatomy' volumes, The 74 gun Ship Bellona and The Colonial Merchantman Susan
Constant 1605. Nelson's Navy is the culmination of many years of research. He
is currently Curator, Ship Technology, at the National Maritime Museum,
Greenwich. Title:
The Cruiser Belfast, Anatomy of the Ship Series Edition: Publishers
Conway Maritime Press Price: £25 RRP UK Illustrations
20 b&w photos & 8pp colour Publication
Date: 2003 HMS
Belfast was the last ship I served in - she was not seagoing at that time in
1967/8, but I am still glad for that brief period in a great ship HMS
Belfast was the largest British cruiser of the Second World War and saw
distinguished service throughout the conflict, including playing a major part
in the destruction of the German battlecruiser Scharnhorst. Today she is preserved
as an historic monument on the River Thames in London. The
'Anatomy of the Ship' series aims to provide the finest documentation of
individual ships and ship types ever published. What makes the series unique is
a complete set of superbly executed line drawings, both the conventional type
of plan as well as explanatory views, with fully descriptive keys. These are
supported by technical details and a record of the ship's service history. This
volume features a full description of one of Britain's historic preserved
Ships. A veteran of the battle of North
Cape in 1943 With
over 100 perspective and 3-view drawings. Accompanied by in-depth descriptive
keys. The
Author Ross
Watton has also written the Anatomy of the Ship on HMS Warspite. The
Floating Prison Author:
Louis Garneray Translated from the French by Richard Rose ISBN: 0851779425 Publishers
Conway Maritime Press Price: RRP UK £17.99 Publication
Date: 15th October 2003 Louis
Garneray (1783-1857) is famous as one of France's greatest marine artists. He
went to sea at the age of 13, served on board privateers in the Indian Ocean
and was captured by the British in 1806. He was confined until 1814 amongst
thousands of prisoners o£ war in the hulks, the floating prisons, of Portsmouth
Harbour. Richard
Rose is the author of the acclaimed social history Pembroke People. He has done
extensive research into Napoleonic prisoners of war. The material he has included
with The Floating Prison is the first serious and accurate study of life on the
hulks to have appeared for many years. Boy
Seamen who joined the Royal Navy and Trained at HMS St Vincent, Gosport,
Hampshire, (Turk Town), will remember their Training Establishment’s link with
the Hulks. Behind St Vincent was an
area known as the "French Cemetery".
The following description is given by Tom Robson in his book "Boy
Seaman RN" "In
1908 a battleship of 19,250 tons was built at Portsmouth to become the next HMS
St Vincent, until she was scrapped in 1921. The
first Boys Shore Training Establishment, HMS Ganges, had been operating
successfully since 1906 so it was decided by the Admiralty to open a second
establishment. This was to be HMS ST Vincent at Gosport. The Barracks at Forton
was thus designated. Forton Barracks
had been built in 1713 as a Naval Hospital.
At the outbreak of the Seven Years War in 1756 it was converted into a
Prison Camp for prisoners of the French and American Wars. The graves of the
French prisoners were behind the new Seamanship Block of 'Hawke Division'
and a detail of Boys were ordered to remove the Headstones and place them on
the perimeter wall to allow cultivation of the land. Forton
then became the home of the Royal Marine Light Infantry for many years until
1923. The official commissioning, for the new role of Boys Training, took place
on 17th May 1927 under the command of Captain P L H Noble CVO RN " A
Summary of the book It
is an extraordinary account of nearly 9 Years captivity on the British prison
hulks during the Napoleonic Wars. A
dramatic narrative of the author's captivity on board the prison hulks in
Portsmouth Harbour from 1806 to 1814. The
book contains a Foreword, Epilogue and notes that illuminate the history of the
hulks and complement the narrative. It
contains 16 pages of plates in colour and black and white, including.
unpublished examples of Garneray's art, with over 50 illustrations in total The
Floating Prison, Garneray's unique account of his captivity during the
Napoleonic wars, is the remarkable record of a young man, captured at sea by
the Royal Navy in 1806, who was confined for nearly nine years with hundreds of
others in the prison hulks moored off Portsmouth. Garneray's
lucid and sometimes grimly humorous narrative is the longest and most detailed
of the few memoirs that chronicle the world of bizarre contrasts that existed
in these hulks. Prisoners gambled, starved, fought duels, forged banknotes and
made desperate attempts to escape; they also studied, made exquisite ship
models and wrote and performed plays. Garneray began a career as an artist in
the almost impossible conditions on board, pursued his art with astonishing
determination and after his release in 1814 went on to become one of France's
greatest marine painters. The
Floating Prison was first published in France in 1851 under the title Mes
Pontons and has ever since been accepted as an accurate account of conditions
on the hulks and of Garneray's early life. In his commentary Richard Rose
examines the story for the first time against contemporary records and reveals
unknown facts and an enigma behind the artist's narrative. "Remember this well; on board the hulks a
prudent man never lets himself be carried away by generosity nor by any other
feeling whatsoever. You must get used to shutting your heart, your eyes and
your ears to all pity." This
bleak advice was given to Louis Garneray in 1806 on his first day as a prisoner
of war in one of the British hulks, the former warships used as floating
prisons in Portsmouth Harbour. The
Floating Prison is Garneray's unique account of his captivity during the
Napoleonic wars. Original woodcuts
designed by Garneray, colour reproductions of his paintings, and illustrations
of life on the hulks introduce the reader to a great artist who was also a
notable writer. The foreword, notes and appendices by Richard Rose are
complementary to Garneray's text, reveal the true stories of French prisoners
in Great Britain and are an outstanding contribution to an unknown aspect of
maritime history in the Napoleonic era. Rob Jerrard Destroyer An
Anthology Of First-Hand Accounts Of The War At Sea 1939 - 1945 Author:
Edited by Ian Hawkins Foreword
by Len Deighton Introduction
by Rear Admiral John Hervey, CB, OBE, RN, Retd ISBN:
0851779476 HB & 1844860086 Paperback 2005 Publishers
Conway Maritime Press Price: £19.99 HB & £9.99 Paperback Publication
Date: HB 9th January 2004 PB June 2005 The
Publishers say "No ships of the Second World War Royal Navy were embroiled
in a wider range of tasks than its destroyers. At the heart of many vital
operations, they were required to do the 'dirty work' of the navy time and time
again. From shepherding Britain's convoy lifelines across the Atlantic, to
fighting tooth-and-nail against E-boats in the Channel; from courageous inshore
work in support of beleaguered troops, to capturing the keys to hitherto
unbreakable German codes, the destroyer was always 'in amongst it' and
frequently the first into, and last out of, action." This
is probably true, it would certainly be backed up by any "Destroyer Man" Having
served in a Battle Class Destroyer HMS Aisne I suppose I can claim that right,
however it was Peace Time in 1967 at the end of Her life. This
isn’t the first book to be given the title "Destroyer", Ewart Brookes
published one under that title in 1962, Arrow issued it in paperback in 1973
and 1977, this is a good read if you can find a copy, this latest
"Destroyer" is the observations of the men who served and, as such,
will provide a much more in depth study of the WW2 operations and is highly
recommended, purchase of it will also help to preserve HMS Cavalier. Anthologist
Ian Hawkins has drawn together numerous stories from the officers and crew who
served on 'B' class destroyers and others. These, together with excerpts from
official reports and speeches, news articles, books and his own explanatory
notes, combine to produce a wide-ranging anthology whose pages bring vividly to
life the courage, stress, danger and hard routine of going to war in a
destroyer. Whether
describing how it felt to man an antiaircraft gun against relentless aerial
assault, to race at full-speed to the aid of a blazing merchantman, or to
penetrate far up enemy-held rivers on special service, each account brings
sharply into focus many memorable personal experiences of major events at sea,
including such actions as the Battles of Narvik, Channel evacuations, the
capture of the Enigma machine, convoy JW 51 B, the sinking of the Scharnhorst,
D-Day patrols and Pacific operations, and many others. Also included are rare
insights into less famous but equally fascinating episodes, and grimly humorous
observations on the daily life and conditions endured by the destroyer crewman.
As Len Deighton states in his foreword, "If you want to know what that
generation of matchless heroes were like, Ian's book will show you." The
result is a valuable work that fills a gap in the recorded history of the war
and unforgettably impresses upon us the Ian
Hawkins became interested in the history of the Second World War as a boy
growing up in East Anglia; his father, a Royal Navy destroyer commander, and an
uncle, a Royal Air Force squadron leader, were both killed in action. A former
civil engineer, he sustained very severe head injuries in an attack in Saudi
Arabia in 1976 and was left paralysed down one side of his body. He is now
confined to a wheelchair as a result of his paralysis. This is his fifth book. All
royalties from the sale of this book are being donated to the Cavalier (Chatham) Trust, a "registered UK
charity" whose objective is the restoration of HMS Cavalier, the last
remaining Second World War British destroyer, currently berthed in Chatham
Historic Dockyard, as a lasting memorial to all destroyers and the special men
who served aboard them. They are called the
"Greyhounds of the Sea". Destroyers, fast and lethal, the protectors of
the fleet. Ian Hawkins has collected the personal recollections of those who
served in B Class Destroyers Keith,
Blanche, Boadicea, Bulldog, Beagle, Brazen, Basilisk, Brilliant, and Boreas between
1939 and 1945. There are many other ships
mentioned both Allied and Axis and additional reminisces from members of the US
and German Armed Forces. The Merchant Navy is well represented in the
narrative, the gallant seamen who manned ships, in many cases well past their
sale by date, loaded with all the requirements of war, food to sustain us and
weapons to execute the war. The book takes each year in
turn and leads the reader through an almost diary-like replay of events as they
occurred month by month. The experiences of the men who manned the ships are
the book, they were there and saw it all happen, additional information is only
used when necessary to make the overall picture complete. Rear Admiral John B Hervey RN
Retd provides a prologue for each year which gives an insight to the war
situation and an introduction to the main players and the ships on which they
served. Iain Nethercote DSM leads off in 1939 by describing his days at HMS
Ganges and first ship HMS Keith and the commencement of hostilities. His
account of his time at Ganges will bring back memories to many a sailor who
passed through its gates over the years. Reminisces of 1940 cover the
Norwegian Campaigns, operations from Dunkirk, Boulogne and St Nazaire and the
evacuation of the Expeditionary Force from France. We follow the fates of the
convoys both on the East Coast and Atlantic, the magnificent defence of
Glorious by Ardent and Acasta. Our tremendous losses at sea, both of Merchant
and RN ships did not bode well for us in the first year of the war. If 1940 was bad, 1941
started off horrifically and our losses at sea rose sharply. We stood alone
fighting on two fronts, at home and in the Mediterranean. Seven Destroyers were
lost in a week during the evacuation of Crete and another 16 during convoys and
actions in the Med. As we progress through the
year three significant events happened. Germany invaded Russia, Japan attacked
Pearl Harbour and HMS Bulldog captured and boarded U-110 retrieving an Enigma
machine and codebooks. The first two can be considered as the first steps to
victory, though the cost of aiding Russia as it turned out was high in ships
and men. The capturing of an Enigma machine can be thought as the turning point
in the Battle of the Atlantic. For the first time we were able to outwit the
enemy by reading their signals. Other memories of the year include working up
at Tobermory, the sinking of HMS Cormorin and a tribute to our submarines. The beginning 1942 was not a
success. The term World War meant just that. Our ships were in action in every
ocean in the world. Our losses of destroyers rose to 48 the highest of any war
year, 26 in the Med, 8 in South East Asia, 10 in the North Atlantic and 4 in
home waters. The losses of Merchant ships
became frightening. Convoys to home ports and Russia, often in the most savage
of weather are well documented including the tragedy that was PQ17. Not to be
forgotten are the convoys to Malta.
Beleaguered by constant air attacks, this tiny Island so necessary to
our efforts towards North Africa, almost starving and low on fuel and
ammunition continued the fight regardless of the cost. The escape of Scharnhorst
and her sister Battle Cruisers from Brest up the Channel to Germany is retold
by John Beeley. He recalls the brave efforts to stop the enemy by MTB’S,
Swordfish and Destroyers, with attacks pressed home as close as 3.000 yards.
The bad news did not end there, the loss of HMS Curacoa when overrun by RMS
Queen Mary did nothing to help morale at the time. The year did close on a
better note, only three days after the success of El Alamein the Allied
landings in North Africa seemed to indicate that things were beginning to
change. Change they did, for 1943
could be considered the turning point of the war. At last enemy submarines were
being sunk at a rate that was unacceptable, 41 in May alone. This was due to
the valuable information we were receiving from "Ultra", having five
superb Support Groups to bolster the convoy escorts. Additionally, we had at
last "Closed the Gap." Long range
maritime aircraft from both sides of the Atlantic could now give air cover to
the convoys. The Mediterranean dominated
the news for most of the year. The Axis
were finished in North Africa, our landings in Sicily and then on the Italian
mainland, led to their surrender. On a lighter note a wonderful description of
"Crossing the Line" ceremony aboard Boadicea certainly bought back
memories to me. The arrival of
1944 certainly saw the pace hotting up. The preparations for D-Day was foremost in the planner’s minds for
the first half of the year. This was marred by
the tragedy of Slapton Sands, when a practice landing by LCT’S was attacked
by nine E-Boats sustaining heavy loss of life. Elsewhere
things were at last going our way. Convoys to Russia, some made up of forty or
more ships were getting through. In February, Convoy JW47 delivered
250,000 tons of war material to Russia with one casualty, an escort. In the Far
East the allies were making inroads towards Japan. Italy was now the
springboard into southern Germany. As D-Day arrived and the biggest Armada the world had
seen, crossed the Channel to France, the general consensus was that the end was in
sight. Recollections
of this year are many and pay tribute to the heroism of our ships and the men
that manned them. We hear of the rescues of downed pilots, attacks on ships
during and after D-Day with radio controlled glider bombs and V1 Rockets. By the end of
the year it seemed that our enemies knew they were beaten, but would not lie
down. So we arrive
into 1945. The war in Europe ended on
the 8thMay and in Japan
Review
What is a Lug-less joining shackle?
What is a Blake Slip?
Where would you find a Fairlead?
Where would you have found Robinson’s
disengaging gear?
How many bells would have been rung at
0300 hrs? What are rowlocks and crutches?
Answers are not required on a postcard,
talk amongst yourselves at 'Stand easy'!
Review
She had a long and
distinguished career starting on 4 May 1937 when she was laid down until
1969. Having survived WWII,
modernisation began on 23 October 1950 but was not completed until January 1958
when she appeared with the familiar 984 radar that was to figure largely in my
life aboard as an RP2 (Radar Plotter 2nd Class).
The Series
which covered the exploits
of HMS Firedrake and the other destroyers of the 8th flotilla. She
sustained severe damage to her boiler room from a 500Kg bomb while involved in
the same Malta convoy as Manchester. They accompanied each other across to the
US for repairs - Firedrake to Boston and Manchester to Philadelphia.
published in 1999 by The Pentland Press Ltd. Manchester’s repairs finished 27th
Feb 1942 and she returned in March to Portsmouth Dockyard to finish
repairs. She was sunk 13th
August 1942.
Rob Jerrard
IF YOU SERVED ON BELFAST YOU WILL WANT A COPY OF THIS BOOK
Author: Ross Watton
Edition Revised 2003
ISBN: 0851779565
Review
REVIEWS
Review by John Whatling