Out and About 1

Some Recent Past Presentations. “The Admiralty in Bath – they came in 1939 and stayed… and stayed” David Verghese Naval Researcher and Biographer October 13^th 2025 A sizable part of the Admiralty moved from London to Bath as a planned precaution when war broke out in 1939. The move was envisaged only to be for the duration of hostilities, but the Admiralty ended up staying until 1964 …. And then continued in Bath as part of the Ministry of Defence until 2011. The author covered the following aspects in a well-illustrated account: Pre-war considerations by the government as to why Bath was chosen for this important assignment. The reaction of some local people to the process of accommodating the large influx of civil servants who were allocated at initial sites across Bath. The operational part of the Admiralty which remained in Whitehall. A particular focus on the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors and the Hydrographic Department. The defence of the Bath sites against possible enemy incursion and the effect of the Luftwaffe Bath blitz on such buildings. The three Admiralty hutment sites across Bath from 1942 onwards …. Foxhill, Ensleigh and Warminster Road. The Foxhill sites – with a focus on three major Directorates, namely i. that of the Engineer in Chief of the Navy ii. That of Naval Ordnance iii. That of The Ships department, this latter included the huge reorganisation of 1958. The site functions at Ensleigh and Warminster Road across the years. The impact of the Admiralty on the citizenry of Bath. The formation of the MoD Departments at Bath 1964 onwards The move to Abbeywood in Bristol 1995 to 2011 The legacy, or lack of it, of the Admiralty on the social fabric of Bath. An impeccably researched and clearly presented talk which was very well received. The Mighty Vic: The Life and Times of HMS Victorious November 25^th 2024: Dave Markham, Pete Stickland, Charlie Cooke and Nigel Edgell Nigel Edgell presented a Power Point account of the history of the iconic Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Victorious. He detailed the ship’s illustriousrecord in the Second World War which included operations against the mighty German battleships Bismarck and Tirpitz, extensive service in Northern waters, service as part of the US Navy and numerous actions against the Japanese . . Following World War Two the ship underwent a massive, controversial, long running, reconstruction which resulted in HMS Victorious emerging as the most modern aircraft carrier in the World incorporating British innovations including the angled flight deck, mirror landing sight and steam catapult. Several more commissions followed including service in the Far East, participation in the Indonesian confrontation, intervention in the Kuwait Emergency and exercises with NATO . The meeting was privileged to be treated to accounts of their time onboard by three former crew members of HMS Victorious who served at different times in the ship’s post war history. Dave Markham recalled time in sweltering onboard conditions in the Gulf area, the Kuwait operation and the coup he enacted in securing a much prized job in the ship. Pete Strickland worked on the massive “dustbin “ Type 984 radar which could detect incoming aircraft threats at long ranges from the ship. At the time the most effective air warning radar in the World. Charlie Cooke, a gunnery rating, joined the ship in Singapore as an eighteen year old and was plunged into an intimidating environment dominated by the Indonesian confrontation with the potential enemy in close proximity across the sea from the naval base. Numerous “Mighty Vic” memorabilia, brochures and newspapers were on show, commemorating foreign visits, commissions and notable events. A scale model was also on display. The former crew members fielded a number of questions relating to their service from a well entertained audience. X-Craft midget submarines: Op. Source 1943 & The Vanguard of Operation Neptune: June 1944 David Verghese 14th October 2024 The early 3-4 manned X-craft midget submarines which appeared in late 1942 were originally intended to sail to and penetrate guarded enemy waters and attack enemy vessels lying in such protected harbours. The speaker gave a thorough overview of these ‘boats’ focussing initially on the early subs designated X-3 to X-10. He went on to describe the daring attack (Operation Source) by six of these subs on the German battleship Tirpitz which was lurking in the inland waters of Altenfjiord in Norway. Four of boats, being initially towed by ‘parent’ submarines did not reach their target, with two of the crews paying the ultimate price. X-6 and X-7 successfully laid charges which subsequently exploded causing significant damage to the Tirpitz. The captured 4-manned crews were highly decorated on their eventual return from enemy incarceration – with two Victoria Crosses reflecting the pinnacle of their success. By early 1944 brave X-craft midget submariners of the Combined Operations Pilotage Parties (COPP) had carefully surveyed, within a short distance of enemy fortifications, the physical topography of what would become three of the D-Day Normandy landing beach areas. The speaker then outlined the training for Operation Gambit (eventually) 2-6 June 1944 by the 5-manned crews of X-20 and X-23. The sequence of events during the operation were covered in detail. It was a high-risk but successful venture which enabled the Landing Ships and Landing Craft to disgorge their Duplex-Drive tanks and assault infantry accurately on Juno and Sword Beaches. A personal view was brought to the Talk in that the speaker knew (2016) one of the Coppists aboard X-23. David Verghese Walker Wing Sail Roger Francis 25th March 2024 Our chairman Roger Francis presented a fascinating series of videos chronicling the history of the Walker Wing Sail concept pioneered by the English designer John Walker.. Roger was forced to cope with an intensely frustrating technology glitch (which turned out to be a faulty VGA lead ) which prevented the videos being projected onto the big screen. Nevertheless, aided by his expert commentary, the audience were able to learn how the Walker Wing Sail was successfully trialled on Roger’s ship, the Stephenson Clarke bulk carrier Ashington, in the late 1980s, resulting in fuel savings of 8- 10%. The videos, a mixture of contemporary TV news reports, some including Points West features on the Ashington and publicity material from Walkers, revealed the considerable interest taken in the Wing Sail project by the late HRH the Duke of Edinburgh. The Duke was presented with a model of the Ashington, built to a very high standard by Roger himself. HRH was apparently much taken with it and had it on his display in his own office for some time. Roger explained why, despite its obvious energy saving advantages and ease of use, the Walker Wing Sail was not universally adopted by the World’s merchant fleets. The low oil price at the time deterred shipping companies, including Stevenson Clarke, from committing to the technology. Roger explained that a new trimaran design using the same technology failed to deliver on its immense promise of much simplified leisure sailing due to its ungainly dimensions and poor hull design. Now, with the very high price of oil, Wing Sail technology is once again an attractive prospect for shipping companies HMS Sheffield. by Geoff Naldrett. March 11th 2024 This talk was presented by Geoff Naldrett, a member of the crew of the Type 42 destroyer, HMS Sheffield, the sinking of which during the Falklands Conflict was a major shock to the nation and one of the most tragic episodes in Royal Navy history. The talk painted a picture of life onboard HMS Sheffield, the lead ship in a new class of air defence destroyers, both prior to and during the Falklands War. A picture emerged of a happy ship lead by a popular and very highly regarded Captain, later Rear Admiral, Sam Salt. Having been expecting to return to port and give leave to the crew following a lengthy commission, the ship was instead deployed to the South Atlantic following the invasion of the Falkland Islands by Argentina. As hostilities commenced, HMS Sheffield was selected to play a crucial role in the defence of the British Task Force. Having no airborne early warning capability within the Task Force, the protection of the two invaluable aircraft carriers, HMS Invincible and HMS Hermes relied on a multi - layered defence system. The outer layer comprised Type 42 destroyers, including HMS Sheffield, with their Sea Dart anti -aircraft missile systems. They were positioned “up threat “ as radar / air defence picket ships to detect and repel Argentine air assaults. The most potent menace being air launched Exocet Missile attacks. Whilst so employed, the ship was itself struck by an Exocet missile which penetrated the ships’ hull 6ft above the waterline and exploded inside the ship immediately damaging the ships’ electrical system and putting the fire main out of action. This rendered the ship unable to defend itself or fight the resulting serious fire. Geoff described graphically the nightmare conditions experienced by the crew in trying to escape the main working area of the ship which filled with toxic black smoke within seconds of the missile hit, making it nigh on impossible to navigate through the narrow confines within. Forward escape hatchways were so small that men were forced to remove their life jackets and any other bulky clothing before trying to scale ladders and had to hand them up to sailors who had already escaped. All this took an inordinate amount of time, prolonging exposure to the harmful smoke. Having reached the upper deck the crew were subjected to freezing cold conditions in a shocked and disorientated state for the 5 hours during which a gallant but vain attempt to fight the conflagration within was made. During the attempts to save the ship Geoff was involved in trying to get her underway again and spent several hours in the emergency steering position aft but to no avail. He was full of admiration and gratitude for the crews of HMS Active and HMS Yarmouth whose ships stood alongside the stricken Sheffield risking their own demise due to the likelihood of the detonation of Sheffield's gun ammunition and missile magazines as the fires raised temperatures onboard the ship to sky high levels such that the decks became hot under foot and paint began to peel from the ship's sides. Captain Salt gave the order to abandon ship when it became clear that the ship could not be saved. 20 crew members lost their lives following the missile hit and a large number sustained injuries, mainly due to burns and smoke inhalation, Geoff talked about the sinking of his ship, which would have involved the loss of friends and shipmates, in an understated and factual manner avoiding any reference to the controversy surrounding the apportioning of blame for any shortcomings which may have contributed to it. It was a rare privilege to be able to witness this account of a landmark event in Royal Navy history delivered by one of its participants. An Artist View : Flower Class Corvettes by Pat Shipsides February 24th 2024 Pat presented a talk on Flower Class Corvettes which fulfilled a pivotal role in the Battle of the Atlantic during the Second World War and were immortalised in the classic war film, “ The Cruel Sea”, based on the book by Nicholas Monsarrat. Pat presented the story of these ships in a very entertaining and informative manner. Aware of the need for large numbers of escort vessels to defend Britain’s lifeline in the event of war, the North Atlantic supply route, the Admiralty conceived the idea of mass producing a simple warship based on a commercial whaling vessel design pioneered by Smiths Dock, Middlesborough. Hence, in 1939, the building of a large number of Flower Class Corvettes, small vessels of around 1,000 tons, equipped with a 4inch gun and anti- submarine weapons was ordered. Crucially, the simple design meant that small shipyards could be used to build the ships, including Charles Hills of Bristol. Altogether, a total of 294 ships of this class were completed in Britain, Canada and France.. During the war the ships were operated by the Royal Navy, Royal Canadian Navy, the USN and other allied navies. Four vessels were seized by the Germans whilst in build in France and later served in the Kriegsmarine. Although slow (16 knots) and with relatively poor sea keeping qualities, reputedly the ships would, “ roll on wet grass” , these ships gave sterling service in fighting North Atlantic convoys through and were responsible for the destruction of a large number ~ 50 German U Boats during the war. In heavy seas, conditions onboard for the crews were extremely harsh and messdecks were often awash with up to 6 inches of sea water. Crews could go without hot food for days at time when rough seas made any attempt at using the galley impossible. Even in more benign weather conditions life onboard was tough. The ships were overcrowded and uncomfortable carrying significantly larger complements than those for which they were designed. HMS Clematis, a Bristol built ship, achieved lasting fame by confronting and driving off the vastly superior German heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper when it was poised to attack a convoy. The talk emphasized the value of the contribution of these little ships towards the ultimate victory in the Battle of the Atlantic. Without them the outcome could have been very different. Lundy Island Presentation : September 26th 2022: Andre Coutanche entertained a very well attended meeting with his eagerly anticipated account of the Harman family’s long stewardship of Lundy Island the delightful wildlife haven off the Devon coast. The talk chronicled the history of Lundy from the early years of the century until 1969. It was augmented by a fascinating film blending archive material and recent footage of the island. Martin Coles Harman who first declared that he would eventually own the island ,when still an office boy in London in 1903, went on to eventually realise his dream in 1925, having since become a very successful businessman. Harman made Lundy his personal kingdom, emphasizing his absolute authority by minting the island’s own currency and issuing its own stamps. Several grand but ultimately unsuccessful ventures were embarked upon, including the establishment of a sizeable hotel and creation of a short lived, 9 hole golf course. Presided over by the loyal, friendly and enthusiastic land agent, Felix Gad.“Gi” and his hospitable wife, “Cheerful”, the island welcomed thousands of visitors from excursion steamers, early on by landing them by small boat directly onto the beach and in later years onto a mobile landing stage. After disembarking, a steep, 300 ft. ascent from the one sheltered landing beach in the South East of the island awaited. Accommodation was provided by the hotel, until its demise and also a number of houses around the island. Spiritual needs were met by the presence of an impressive church dating from 1897. The Marisco Tavern was the social hub of the island and was much enjoyed by visitors and residents, including off duty light house keepers from the two Trinity House light houses. The keepers would often help out with farming activities when their shifts permitted. This typified the islander’s willingness to multi-task, so valuable in such a small and isolated community, which relied on farming, fishing and tourism to survive and is often beset by harsh Atlantic storms which prevent re-supply from the mainland. The island was not untouched by the Second World War. Two Heinkel 111 bombers crashed onto the island with the surviving crew taken prisoner. An RAF Coastal Command Whitley bomber also came to grief with no survivors. The Harman family suffered their own tragic loss when Martin’s son John was killed fighting the Japanese. He was awarded a posthumous VC for his heroic actions. After Martin Cole Harman’s death the family continued to run the island until the death of his son Ablion when financial pressures forced them to put it up for sale. Lundy was saved for the nation by the intervention of millionaire Jack Hayward who bought it and then gifted it to the National Trust who appointed the Landmark Trust to administer the day to day running. Lundy relies heavily on the services of the supply/ passenger vessel MS Oldenberg. Hosting numerous visitors in self - catering accommodation, Lundy still attracts large numbers of day trippers, many of whom being wildlife enthusiasts. To their delight, recent eradication of rats, an invasive, non- native species, has resulted in the restoration of thriving populations of the iconic Puffin and also the Manx Shearwater.

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