THE REVIEW - PAST TOPICS - 2004

  • Spring 2004 (Vol 16.4)
    Naval Activity in the Vicinity of Wei-Hai-Wei, Northern China, Part II
    David Wright continues his story of the Royal Navy's at Wei-Hai-Wei, taking the story as far as the 1950s. This issue of The Review also includes a photgraphic follow-up by Richard Taylor to David's article in the previous issue

    HMVS Cerberus - The First Sailess Battleship
    Association member Kevin Patience tells the fascinating story of the Cerberus, now no more than a wreck in Half Moon Bay off the coast of Victoria, Australia. He describes the ship and the dive he did at the wreck.

    Documents Recall Yorkshire Seaman's War
    A discovery of documents and photos relating to the naval career of Stan Iredale illustrates the story of the aircraft carrier Hermes' collision with an armed merchant cruiser off the coast of South Africa in 1940

    Minelaying off Texel
    Lieut-Cdr T H Waterhouse RN (Retd) is the author of a six-page illustrated article about the hazardous work of the 20th Destroyer Minelayer Flotilla based at Immingham in the early years of the Second World War.
     

  • Summer 2004 (Vol 17.1)
    19th and 20th Century British Troopships
    Graham Knight has produced a generously illustrated ten-page article about the troopships which became so familiar to generations of our soldiers. The Ministry of Defence took the decision in 1961 to end the movement of troops by sea, bringing to an end a 300-year tradition. An article that is both informative and nostalgic.

    Service with the Royal Navy - 200 Years Ago
    Dee Helmore delves into naval, social and family history to tell the story of one of her husband's family who experienced the rigours of life afloat in the early 1800s. Illustrated.

    The International Conference of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, 1897
    A couple of years ago Bernard Austerberry, a keen collector of medals with naval and maritime associations, bought a medallion at one of his local militaria fairs. It was issued to mark the 1897 conference and led Bernard into an unusual area of research, as he recounts in this article.

    HMS Cricket, Sixty Years On
     HMS Cricket was a stone frigate at Burseldon on the River Hamble in Hampshire. Commissioned in 1943, she was used to train crews for landing craft in preparation for the Normandy landings. The approach of the 60th anniversary of D-Day was a spur to the provision of a memorial to this RN establishment, as John C Welch reports in this illustrated article.
     

  • Autumn 2004 (Vol 17.2)
    British Hospital Ships, Part 1
    This heavily illustrated 18-page article is the first of two on the subject by A J Smythe, who takes the story from the early years through to the end of the First World War. The article is rounded off with a useful list of hospital ships employed in 1914-18.

    RN Submarines Sunk in the Mediterranean during WWII
    R J McGarel-Groves provides a summary of the 45 submarines lost in this war theatre, with causes and dates. There are five photographs of boats that failed to return.

    The Royal Yacht Association at War
    The late Commander John Lewis, RD**, RNR, details the role played the Royal Yacht Squadron during the Second World War

    HMS St Christopher - A Short History
     From a wide range of sources, Derrick Warner pieces together the stories of the two ships that bore this name - one from the Napoleonic period, the other the Second World War Coastal Forces Training Base at Fort William. In 1942 there were up to 90 boats at the base, including motor torpedo boats, motor gun boats and high-speed anti-submarine boats. Few of the original buildings remain today.
     

  • Winter 2004 (Vol 17.3)
    British Hospital Ships; Part 2
    A J Smythe completes his marathon with another 17 pages, during which he covers the vital contribution made by these ships during the Second World War. Those that served from 1939 to 1945 are listed.

    The Story of Royal Naval Surgeon Charles Shephard (1821-1882)
    In this article - which includes an 1875 photograph, among others, of Shephard and his family - Richard Taylor recounts the fascinating tale of a surgeon who served under the famous Captain (later Admiral of the Fleet, Sir) Henry Keppel, earning medals for service in both the Baltic and Crimea during the war against Russian.

    Sergeant James Jones, RM
    Tony Perrett tells the story behind the Naval General Service Medal awarded to Sgt Jones and now held in the Royal Marines Museum at the former Eastney Barracks. His first bar was for Trafalgar, making his award one that would be much sought after in the unlikely event of it coming on to the market.

    HMS Niobe and the Diadem Class
     Described by author John Welch as 'probably the worst class of cruiser ever to enter service in the Royal Navy', many of these ships nevertheless had long careers. Niobe was a depot at Halifax, Nova Scotia, when an explosives ship was in collision in December 1917, creating the biggest man-made explosion before the atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Niobe survived the devastation and continued serving until June 1920.