Royal Navy
Index
Introduction
The Royal Navy is the oldest of the British armed services. From the early 18th century to the middle of the 20th century, it was the largest and most powerful navy in the world, playing an instrumental role in establishing Britiain as a leading world power.
Although perhaps not so obviously associated with the Royal Navy as Portsmouth, Plymouth or Chatham, East Anglia does have numerous Naval connections.
It was the mid 17th century Dutch Wars that fully established the East of England’s links with the Royal Navy. Many of the Royal Navy’s ships were built in Woodbridge and Harwich in Essex. The 17th century Mayor of Harwich, Sir Anthony Deane, trained as a shipbuilder and went on to write important Naval texts such as ‘Doctrine of Naval Architecture’. He and his patron Samuel Pepys became MPs for Harwich and went on to have imortant Naval careers.
This period also saw two important battles fought in our waters, the Battle of Lowestoft (1665), which remains the worst naval defeat in Dutch history, and the Battle of Solebay (1672).
With the importance of the fishing industry and our long coastline the East of England has always acted as a nursery for great seamen. The 18th century was no exception and produced great Naval leaders and seamen such as Horatio Nelson, the Parkers of Melford Hall, Captain Vancouver of King’s Lynn, Philip Vere Broke of Ipswich and William Fisher of Yarmouth.
The fleets which fought at the Battle of Camperdown (1797) and Copenhagen (1801) sailed from Yarmouth waters.
Admiral Duncan returned to a heroes welcome after his victory at Camperdown against the Dutch Navy led by Admiral De Winter. Letters written by Admiral Duncan reveal a great level of professional respect between the two Admirals and it was said that Duncan and his Dutch captive De Winter were seen walking together on the streets of Great Yarmouth. The two men would certainly have appeared conspicuous characters in Yarmouth, both being exceptionally tall men for their time, standing 6ft 4 inches and 6ft 2ins respectively.
In 1915 Yarmouth and Lowestoft received visits from German battle-cruisers and during World War II the East Coast convoys, the lifeblood of London, were dependant on the protection from minesweepers, motor gun boats and torpedo boats based at Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft and Harwich backed by destroyers from the Nore in the Thames estuary.
Royal Navy
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Royal Naval Patrol Service
The Royal Naval Patrol Service was formed in 1939 from the members of the Royal Naval Reserve. Based at Lowestoft many of the peacetime fishermen and merchant seamen formed the backbone of the new service.
Two major aspects of service was in anti-submarine and minesweeping duties. During the six years of WW2 about 70,000 men served with the RNPS in some 6,000 ships. In the early years of the war the casualty rate was very high until more successful mine counter measures were developed.
In 1940 the service was called on to supplement the Royal Navy's presence in the Norwegian campaign. It was during this campaign that the one single Victoria Cross was awarded to a member of the service.
Lt. Richard Stannard VC, the winner of that award, was a peacetime merchant officer and in command of HMT Arab, part of the 16th A/S Flotilla sent to Norway in April, 1940.
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Appeal to find Royal Naval Patrol Service veterans ‘Navy within a Navy’ set to commemorate fallen WWII comrades with memorial dedication on 23 August 09 The Royal Naval Patrol Service, the ‘Navy within a Navy’, who cleared the seas of devastatingly effective Nazi mines during World War II, is appealing to former sailors to attend a special dedication event at the National Memorial Arboretum near Lichfield. Established in August 1939, with an initial fleet comprising 6,000 fishermen and 200 requisitioned trawlers, drifters, pleasure steamers and whaling vessels, the Royal Naval Patrol Service played a key part in the war effort. Growing to a force of 66,600 men and women, with 2,000 ships, and operating from the Arctic to the creeks of South East Asia, they worked tirelessly to keep lanes open to ports and were instrumental in enabling the successful D-Day Landings. Over 125,000 mines were laid in Europe alone during WWII and the impressive new memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum features a replica of the type that the Royal Naval Patrol Service had to clear. The memorial commemorates the 13,890 men who were lost, of whom 2,385 have no known grave. The sailors were drawn from fishing ports and other towns and cities across the UK. They were stationed at HMS Europa, a base erected on the municipal gardens in Lowestoft. Former members are urged to attend the dedication of the new memorial at midday on 23 August. John Hodge, Birmingham branch secretary for the Service’s veteran’s association, said: “We played a uniquely valuable and dangerous role during the War and suffered enormous casualties. This memorial, which is situated at the centre of the Arboretum, is a fitting tribute to all of our brave comrades that didn’t make it home. “We’d encourage all former members of the Royal Naval Patrol Service to get in touch and attend the event.” John Hodge can be contacted on 0121 308 4596Andrew Baud National Memorial Arboretum
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Theme: Royal Navy
Theme: Defence of the Nation
Photograph of The Duchess of Kent
The Commanding Officer HMS Ganges greeting The Duches of Kent on arrival at HMS Ganges in 1942
