82 The Newsletter of the SOUTH WEST MARITIME HISTORY SOCIETY ` ISSN 1360-6980

CONTENTS –NO. 82 – April 2011 Edited by Jonathan Seagrave

EDITORIAL 2

REPORTS OF MEETINGS Aylesbeare 4

REVIEWS William Strike rev. David Clement 8 Down rev. Roger Bunbury 9 Admiral Philip rev. Michael Pentreath 11 Books Noted 13

LETTERS NOTES AND NEWS 14

WEBERY 20

UPCOMING EVENTS 23

OFFICERS and COMMITTEE back cover

WEBSITE. www.swmaritime.org.uk

Individual contributions © Individual contributors. Entire journal © South West Maritime History Society 2011

1 EDITORIAL

Firstly, a very warm welcome to recently joined members. We hope you will enjoy belonging to the Society, and that we will have the chance to meet you at a meeting . If you feel like contributing to Soundings or the Journal, or reviewing books, do not hesitate to get in touch, and we are always looking for speakers.

It is time to restate how membership is handled. New members should send their application and cheque/SO mandate to our new Membership secretary, Britt Zerbe. Thereafter, changes in contact details should be notified to him, but queries on payment should go to the Treasurer, Philip Northcott. To obtain your password to the members side of the website, contact Dave Hills, the Webmaster. As well as the extensive public material, much further information lies inside, as well as the contact details of all members. This is easy to search, and thus to find others with common interests.

The most recent back number of Soundings will be sent to new members, and older ones are available if you send me an A5 s.a.e. All contacts are on the back cover. Emails are best sent via the form on the website, which ensures the correct person receives the message.

We have a growing membership directly involved with heritage boats, and welcome news from all of them. Those relying on charter and public sailing all have to work very hard, and deserve our support, not only for ourselves , but also for family and friends. A gift of a sail may be just what is needed to really fire up one of the younger generation’s interest in our maritime history and heritage.

Let us hope the celebrations for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee on the 3rd June next year, with the proposal for a massive procession of vessels down the Thames, awakens greater interest from the wider public. Any thoughts on how we as a Society might participate would be very welcome -- perhaps even charter a vessel ?

Note this is a slimline edition to go out with calling notices.. There are some good articles in the pipeline for future editions.

Jonathan Seagrave

Next copy date: June 1st 2011

Membership Secretary 6 Beare Square Beare Broadclyst Mr Britt ZERBE Exeter EX5 3JZ Email [email protected]

2 FUTURE MEETINGS AND OTHER EVENTS

21st May Swansea. Waterfront Maritime Museum. See calling notice. ffi Dale Thomas

June 4th Seas, Seamen & Shipping Meeting at SS Great Britain ffi see end

June 11th AGM, Topsham Exeter

June 20th AFW Admiralty House, Mount Wise, Preparation .for the Falklands War ffi Martin Hazell

July 6th RM Barracks Plymouth see calling notice. Ffi Martin Hazell

September 9 th to 11th Maritime History Conference, Exeter ffi Helen Doe

8th October Lyme Regis details tbc

20th November Clovelly Herring festival

(Italics indicate an event of interest but not organised directly by the Society) . Confirmation of events will be published either in the next edition or in calling notices for bookings, which will be sent to members at the appropriate time.

3 REPORTS OF MEETINGS

SWMHS – Members’ Interactive Meeting – Aylesbeare – 12th March 2011.

David Pulvertaft – Figureheads

David’s slot was intended to summarise the research that lay behind his next book – Figureheads of the – being published in September by ‘Seaforth Publishing’.

Showing examples of the what artefacts and drawings he had found over the years, he listed the main sources at The National Archives (ADM 87 & 106); the fruitful areas within the National Maritime Museum (Figureheads, Ship Plans and Ship Models collections); other Ship Model collections (Science Museum, Annapolis Museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Kriegstein Collection); the Imperial War Museum’s photographic archive; the collections at the National Museum of the Royal Navy and finally the previously unpublished Dickerson Archive privately owned in Australia.

His hope was that, by explaining how these sources could be used, other members of the Society could enhance their own research.

The Dutch Fleet At Sidmouth

There are 10 ships in designs on handmade tiles in a fireplace in Knowle, East Devon District Council’s Offices, Sidmouth. Some tiles have other designs. However, of the Sidmouth ship tiles, the Dutch Tile Museum, Otterlo near Utrecht has written that:

“no other examples are known to have survived” and that “they provide a brief illustrated Dutch maritime history”

The Amsterdam Ship Museum has concurred.

The Fleet – three examples A boeier appears on one tile. Boeiers were inland waters & coastal vessels, functionally similar to Thames spritsail barges, though they were larger, of 50 to 100 tons burden. They traded from late 16th c to 20th c. This is one of the larger boeiers, designed for the Rouen trade. It has luff poles at the bow rather than a bowsprit suggesting an early form.

4 An armed merchantman commemorates the Battle of the Sound in 1658 when Dutch and Danish allies repulsed Sweden’s attempt to seize the Danish side of Øresund to control traffic into & from the Baltic. The ship has a combination of Danish and Dutch flags; the spritsail topsail is of the period.

A technologically advanced Schooner is depicted. It is a Grand Banks fish-hunter of the late 19th c.

The Fireplace

There are 47 tiles. Several designs appear in more than one version. Because they are hand- made, each version is slightly different. As well as ships, the fireplace also has designs of children’s play & adults’ leisure.

Knowle’s history & change of use has led to a loss of any record of the tiles’ purchase. It was built in 1810 and had a succession of private occupants until 1882, when it was sold and redeveloped as a luxury hotel. After 2 years profitable operation, a substantial rebuilding programme was planned. This occurred at various times between 1889 to 1904. From 1940 the Air Ministry used it as a nurses’ training facility until 1945, when it was sold to the Southern Railway, again as an hotel. This was unprofitable and from 1950 there were several attempts to sell it. It has continued as local government offices from 1964 to the present.

Folk memory of the fireplace’s existence was lost with Knowle’s varied incarnations and reconstructions and it was not “rediscovered” until 2005.

It is sited obscurely in a corner of a committee room, where I had seen it several times, when using the room as an artists’ retiring room for Sidmouth concerts, but initially I took no notice of it. However an interest in maritime history eventually led me to scrutinise it more thoroughly. It was obvious that it was an object of value worthy of research.

Provenance: steps towards attribution 1. The Schooner would not have sailed before the late 19th c and therefore dates the tiles to this period at the earliest.

2. Hand-made tiles require use of a design template on which transparent paper is laid and pin-pricked. The paper is then placed on a glazed tile blank and dusted with charcoal. Blue glaze is applied, guided by the charcoal outline and the tile is fired a second time. Collections of past designs bound into model books were sold on to successive potters. One template, Kinderspel, known to have been used by the Utrecht potters Brothers van Ravesteyn, was clearly used in making the Sidmouth tile, Bird-snaring.

5 3. To conclude, the Sidmouth tiles measure 6” x 6” and the only Dutch tile potters making tiles of this size were the Ravesteyn Brothers. Encouraged by William Morris’s interest, they saw an opportunity to export to England. The Sidmouth tiles are undoubtedly Ravesteyn tiles.

Danger Proper care of the tiles is problematic for East Devon District Council. Knowle is unprotected and would be demolished if the council were to relocate to a cheaper office. This may be enforced by the need to economise and is under current consideration. Furthermore, though the tiles are a public asset, the public is denied access to them.

My project, therefore, is to identify a suitable new home for the tiles, to persuade the council to agree to their removal and reinstallation, and to identify sources of finance to pay for a specialist conservation tiler to undertake this.

David Jenkinson [email protected]

A longer article, with pictures, on the ship tiles may be published in Maritime South West 2012.

6 The Career of Thomas Saumarez

James Saumarez gave a summary of the research he had recently completed to write the book on the naval career of his great-grandfather, Thomas Saumarez. He started with a synopsis of the man’s career, starting as a Midshipman during operations against Argentina (1845-6), and then as a Lieutenant in the Slavery Suppression Squadron and the attack on Lagos (1851); next in command of the HMS Cormorant he sailed to China to take part in the 2nd Opium war, but his career came to an untimely end following an appointment as Flag Captain on the South American Station. (1861-2).

James explained that his main source was Thomas’s ‘Private and Public Journal’ and several letters and documents that had been happily preserved, but he had also used The National Archive Centre and Maritime Museum to retrieve log books, senior officers’ reports and ships’ plans, and had used the internet to download service records and pages from the London Gazette.

7 REVIEWS

Captain William Strike Of Porthleven Neil Hawks .ISBN: 978-1844-860-630 Published by the author, 12, Islington Place, Brighton, BN2 9XH (tel:01273 694126) £3.00 including post and packing

This work represents the author’s labour of love, which has now been produced as a first class 29 page booklet of octavo size with seven illustrations, all in a card cover. The booklet covers the life and times of Captain William Strike from Porthleven. It starts with Porthleven in the 19th. Century, examining the development of this south-west facing artificial port, which readers may have seen featured on the television with huge waves breaking spectacularly on the pier in times of bad weather. The author traces the development of the harbour from the Act of Parliament in 1811, to its initial completion in 1818, followed by its rebuilding following severe storm damage in 1824, and the eventual construction of a wet dock or inner harbour in 1855 which is essentially as it appears to this day. This latter work was undertaken by Harveys of Hayle, who had purchased the harbour. Whilst Porthleven had its ups and downs, given local economic features, it did became a centre for fishing. Also, a number of prominent merchants were based at the port, such as the Cudlips, Holmans and Soloman Rowe, who all operated trading vessels, with copper being taken to South Wales and coal brought back.

Sections 2 and 3 deal specifically with Captain William Strike and his life, initially in the coastwise trade, but becoming involved in foreign trade from 1841 to Newfoundland and the Iberian Peninsula, before applying for recognition as a ‘Master’ in 1850 “by experience”, which was agreed. This was at about the time examinations for competence became necessary. In 1855 William Strike became master and part-owner of the Jane, built in Garmouth in 1838. In June 1860 he purchased with other partners the new schooner Ready Rhino.

Section 4 looks at William Strike’s family, from his fisherman father to his six sea-going sons who all followed in his footsteps. Hannibal, the eldest, commanded the schooner Brothers;William, dying in Naples aboard the Cambria; John owned the Elizabeth Stevens, wrecked in South Africa, and the steamship Marquis of Lorne and the Woolwich Infant. The fifth son, Samson, was lost in the schooner Victory; and Edward ended up as master of the Hain steamship Trevelyan. The final son, Thomas, commanded the Hain steamships Treverbyn and Treloske.

8 Section 5 examines the Ready Rhino and its trading years, which included the Argentine trade, and trips to to Galatz, in Romania on the Black Sea, from where a regular trade in grain was carried, and later to Rio Grande, Brazil. Captain Strike eventually retired from the sea in 1881. The final section covers the crews who sailed with Captain Strike, their recruitment, discipline and desertion.

Altogether this is a most fascinating account of the development of localised ship ownership and operation during the period to the 1880’s when wood construction gradually gave way firstly to iron and later steel, but a period when the local ports and their facilities had a strong part to play. This is an excellent overview and one that should be in every maritime historians wish list.

David B. Clement

Destroyer Down An Account of HM Destroyer Losses 1939-1945. Arthur S Evans Pen & Sword 1st 2010. 216pp ill. ind. 164x240 h/b ISBN 978-1-84884-270-0 £19-99.

The Royal Navy's had a hard war. For example, of the 8 'L' class Flotilla Leaders 4 were sunk, 3 became constructive total losses as a result of action damage, and only one survived the war. Destroyer Down gives an account of these losses and the many other HM destroyer sinkings in World War. The book is divided into 7 chapters, one for each of the years of the Second World War, and each chapter is divided into sections headed by the name of the destroyer lost. Each entry comprises an account of how the destroyer was lost (caused in the majority of cases by bomb, mine or torpedo), the damage that resulted, more often than not a broken back, with the halves often sinking separately, sometimes in minutes, although some destroyers survived long enough to be taken in tow, succumbing later in many cases to the sea, or having to be sunk by our own ships as a liability. Most entries are supplemented by detail such as, for example, the U-boat responsible, the name of its commander, his place of birth and his and the boat's subsequent fate. The length of entries ranges from 5 lines to 5 pages, the longer entries being extended by the inclusion of survivors' reports. Although the book confines itself to HM Destroyers not all of these were British manned, some ships' companies being Greek, Norwegian or Polish. The index lists in total 154 losses, although more are discussed in the text, but because there is some inconsistency in the definition of a loss not all are included in the index. In some instances destroyers survived being sunk as a result of action damage and were successfully towed to a port only to be written-off subsequently as a constructive total loss. Some of these instances are treated as war losses, some not, for no obvious reason.

A publisher's note explains that "the manuscript for this book came to light as a result of a visit to the author's widow in connection with the republication of his much acclaimed record of wartime losses entitled Beneath the Waves." This suggests that Destroyer Down may have been work in progress when the author died and this suspicion is hardened by a reading of the text.

9 The book is riddled with typos. The text appears to have been subjected to a spellchecker but never proof read. Spellcheckers as we all know often make suggestions which are nonsense in the context in which the word appears, so where the intended word is clearly 'was' it is not infrequently replaced by 'as', and 'galley' by 'gallery'. Mounting' is replaced by 'monitoring' (p46), and so on. On pp32/33 there is an entry about 'HMS Port Fairy' (not a destroyer loss) and this entry is indexed under that heading. In fact as the text explains the Port Fairy was a merchant ship which was in collision with the destroyer Margaree causing the loss of the latter. Port Fairy rescued the few survivors and landed them at Bermuda.

Extraneous pieces of text appear where they were never intended. We are told (p70) that after one ship took station on another 'No damage or casualties resulted' (one would hope not!) and on p71 gunfire was opened from 'Fearless and adjacent destroyers Fearless and Faulknor'. On p206 reference is made to Rockingham. The subsequent text (which clearly belongs elsewhere) says "Although one of the eight L class destroyers in commission at the outbreak of war....." but as her name would lead one to assume Rockingham was not of the British built L class, she was in fact an ex-USN destroyer. Ship names are not infrequently misspelt, which could make their identity uncertain if the reader has no other reference sources to hand, and the spelling of ship names is inconsistent. HMS Berkeley is frequently mentioned in the text but as often as not with the second 'e' omitted.

The foregoing are only examples of the innumerable errors which inevitably make the book suspect as a source. Moreover the lack of any source notes, bibliography or acknowledgments leave the reader in the dark about where the data was obtained, not helpful to readers wishing to follow up entries of particular interest to them. Notwithstanding this there is a lot of accurate information , the problem for the reader not equipped with a well furnished library, and thus able to cross-check, is to know what is true and what is not.

Before the prospective reader passes the book by, or having purchased it hurls it in the bin, it should be said that the book is not devoid of merit. The survivors' reports bring vividly to life the vulnerability of destroyers to mine, bomb and torpedo, and the appalling experiences the survivors all too often suffered. One unfortunate Commanding Officer (Burnell Nugent) had had no less than 3 destroyers sunk under him by the end of 1940. Not all survivors' accounts are horrifying, there is an amusing one by a former Commanding Officer of the reviewer. Such human stories highlight the lack of an index listing anything other than ship names. An index listing the individuals mentioned in the text and place names would make the book a more useful reference.

As implied earlier, this book can only be read as work in progress. It could be made more worthwhile if it was re-published with the innumerable printing errors corrected, the sources identified insofar as possible, and a more wide ranging index provided.

Roger Bunbury

10 Admiral Arthur Phillip RN, Founder and First Governor of Australia: A British View

Sir Roger Carrick, London Papers in Australian Studies No 17,Menzies Centre for Australian Studies, King’s College London, Strand Building, Strand Campus, London WC2R 2LS. 48 pp. £5 incl.p and p.

This is the little known story of Arthur Phillip RN, Commodore of the First Fleet who took 760 convicts to the new colony of Australia –between May 1787 and January 1788-a voyage of 15,063 miles in 11 small ships .It was a feat of considerable seamanship and navigation, and the author of this book, Sir Roger Carrick, describes Phillip as a quiet hero.

Sir Roger is a former British High Commissioner to Australia and president of the West Country branch of the Britain-Australia Society. This book is based on talks he has given on Admiral Phillip to audiences in this country, Australia and cruise ships.

After outlining Phillip’s background – a relatively obscure officer with little patronage - Sir Roger describes how he made his mark on secondment to the Portuguese navy where he was known as “an officer of truth and very brave, saying what he thinks, but without temper or want of respect.” In 1787 as Commodore of the First Fleet he remained at anchor in Spithead for two months while arguing with the authorities for proper rations including limes, lemons and vegetables and the right equipment. Later one of the convicts wrote: ”it would not be doing justice to Governor Phillip’s humanity….was I not to mention particularly the manner in which he treated us, allowing us every indulgence which prudence and discretion would authorise.”

The fleet arrived at Botany Bay, recommended as an anchorage by Captain Cook, but Phillip soon moved his ships a few miles north to Port Jackson, which he re-named Sydney Cove after Viscount Sydney, the Home Secretary responsible for the new colony. There on 26th January 1788, the Commodore led the Founding Ceremony –the first Australia Day.

Sir Roger explains how in this Age of Enlightenment Phillip believed the convicts should be fairly treated, and given a second start in life. He detested the slavery he had witnessed in Portuguese territory, and declared there would never be any slavery in Australia. The convicts’ punishment was banishment from Britain, and by means of pardons, land grants, responsibility and earned rewards he hoped to turn them into valuable citizens of the new colony.

11 But life soon became very difficult for everyone .Crops failed , provisions from the ships ran out ,and food had to be severely rationed. Ships bringing re-supplies sank en route, and Phillip even tried to buy supplies in China and Java. Despite all his problems, the Governor remained hopeful, and did his best to encourage good relations with the local Aboriginal people .One day an elderly tribesman thrust a spear through his shoulder but Phillip would allow no retaliation.

After four years the Governor’s never very robust health began to suffer ,and in December 1792 he sailed for England, hoping to return to Sydney when his health allowed. But it was not to be. He did recover, but went back to active service in the Navy, commanded several ships in the Mediterranean, and was eventually put in command of the Sea Fencibles Force, a coastal militia.

In 1814 at the age of 75 he died at Bath, where there are memorials to him in the Abbey and on his former home ,19 Bennet Street. The West Country branch of the Britain-Australia Society is planning a new monument in the grounds of the Assembly Rooms at Bath ,hopefully in 2014 (details are on www.britozwest.org.uk).

Sir Roger is an admirer of Phillip, pointing out that the notoriously brutal treatment of convicts who re-offended only took place after Phillip had left the colony. In his account Sir Roger says that modern Australia’s debt to Arthur Phillip as the founder of the country is immense and widely known and acknowledged. Sir Roger is determined that Phillip will receive the same recognition here.

Michael Pentreath .

12 Bristol City Docks Through Time Brian Lewis Amberley Publishing Cirencester Rd Chalford Stroud Gloucestershire 96 pp.£ 12.99 Available from SS Great Britain, City Museum and other specialist outlets.

The regeneration of the Bristol Docks has created the opportunity for this interesting ”then and now” picture book. The brief texts are informative. For Bristol dwellers, it is a worthwhile browse, but it would have been better in a larger format- the photos lose some detail.

Bristol Channel Shipping The Twilight Years and Bristol Channel Shipping Remembered. Both 128 pp p/b Chris Collard Tempus

These two books were published a few years ago , and cover the Channel in the 1950’s and 1960’s when author Chris Collard, after a very brief spell on the ships, became a photographer. Fascinated by ships since boyhood, he snapped most things that moved, including the workboats, barges and tugs, as well as the deep sea vessels. These will certainly bring back memories for those who lived along the estuary in those years.

Not Enough Room To Swing A Cat - Naval Slang and Its Everyday Usage. Martin Robson, Conway, 2008 176 pp hardback, £7.99

This interesting little book, illustrated by member Mike Myers, is not a dictionary, but as described by its subtitle, is a guide to the nautical origins of many everyday phrases. It is interesting to dip into, but I suspect that some of these vivid phrases are fading from everyday speech, along with the passing of Britain’s maritime industry. I wonder, are there new phrases coming into use from oil rigs and wind turbines ? Language is never static. Comments from working members are very welcome !

Elders and Fyffes – a Photographic History Campell Mc Cutcheon Amberley £ 19.99.

We don’t have a review of this ourselves, but detailed articles appeared in the Bristol Evening Post on January 3rd 2011, and a personal account on Feb 26th, , prompting an extended correspondence from readers with memories or family who worked on the banana boats. http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk

13 LETTERS NOTES AND NEWS

Heritage Ships

The Irene and Joanna Lucretia have spent time in Bristol, a pretty pair moored next to each other. Ruth of Penzance is no longer offering charter sails but will be at some festivals. .Morwenna has a South Coast programme leading up to the Fastnet race.

Provident is offering a programme in the Western Isles. Also in the Classic Sailing stable, Bessie Ellen has returned to the UK after a warm winter in the Canaries and Azores. Your Editor managed a pleasant week on her in the Azores, where we met that that other West Country stalwart, Earl of Pembroke, which had just finished a film charter in Puerto Rico. Bessie has a full summer programme in the Western Isles and West Country, and Nikki Alford also expects to repeat the winter sun venture this year. Bessie is probably the oldest ocean certified ship afloat and regularly sailing on full ocean passages.

Shieldhall. The Trust says it now has £64,000 (80%) in the dry dock kitty so they have booked this year's dry-docking, and say thank you to all those who have contributed in whatever way. But - we still have £16k to go!! The provisional sailing programme is at the end of the magazine, but do check directly. Waverley/Balmoral has a full programme too. http://www.classic-sailing.co.uk

14 The Liberty 70 Project: The Liberty ship James Eagan Layne March 2015 is the 70th anniversary of the sinking of the US Liberty ship James Eagan Layne. The ship was beached in Whitsand Bay near Plymouth in March 1945 after being torpedoed by a U-boat off the Eddystone reef. To celebrate the anniversary, the Liberty 70 Project aims over the next 4 years to document all aspects of the life of this vessel - wartime transport, shipwreck, commercial salvage job, the classic UK wreck dive and artificial reef. The Liberty 70 Project will record the history of the ship from the time the keel was laid in the shipyard in New Orleans to the present day. The story includes the part she played in the Battle of the Atlantic, her sinking by a U-boat, beaching in Whitsand Bay and early attempts at salvage. The results of this history project will be published in a book and a web site about the James Eagan Layne, with other events planned for the anniversary itself. The work is being done by a mixed team of amateurs and professionals so we need volunteers with a range of skills to help pull this together in time for the 70th anniversary in 2015. The project is designed to be inclusive to all so offers of help are welcome. We are looking for volunteers who are interested in researching maritime history, co-ordinating research, writing, diving and survey or simply just interested in helping out and are able to devote some free time.

The Liberty ship James Eagan Layne was launched from Way #6 at the Delta Shipbuilding Company’s yard in New Orleans on 2nd December 1944. By the beginning of March 1945 she had crossed the Atlantic, eventually joining the eastbound convoy BTC-103 on heading up the English Channel from Milford Haven in Wales to Southend on the east coast of England. The final destination for the James Eagan Layne was Ghent in Belgium where she would deliver 4,500 tons of US Army Engineers equipment for Patton’s third army. At 1:30pm on 21st March the convoy was sighted sailing 12 miles off Plymouth by Commander Heinz Buhse in the type VIIC U-boat U-399. A torpedo fired from the U-boat hit the starboard side of the ship just aft of the bulkhead between #4 and #5 holds. After fifteen minutes the crew abandoned ship and most were picked up by the British steamship Monkstone, while the remainder were taken aboard the Favourite class rescue tug HMS Flaunt. The James Eagan Layne was the only vessel lost in convoy BTC-103 and there were no casualties amongst her crew of 69; she joins the list of over 200 Liberty ships lost during the war and 50 lost on their maiden voyage.

15 There are a wide range of aspects of the life and sinking of the James Eagan Layne to be researched, documented and written up. They range from small, fairly limited topics to much wider ones, perhaps best tackled by a small group. We have more than enough research work to satisfy all tastes and degrees of commitment. Much of the research is UK based but other parts could involve research in the U.S. and Canada. The SWMHS has very kindly agreed in principle to support the project and we are aware that SWMHS members have skills which are very relevant to the project. For example, one of the first research topics is to ascertain which vessels were escorting convoy BTC 103 and to trace their logbooks and reports from that period. These reports will give us more detailed information about the events surrounding the torpedoing of the James Eagan Layne and the actions of the convoy and escorts shortly after. We are also seeking a volunteer to assist in co-coordinating the research efforts. If any SWMHS members feel they may be able to help, be it in a small way or more extensively, we would welcome your involvement.

For more information about the Liberty 70 Project please visit our web site at: http://www.promare.co.uk/liberty70

The Liberty 70 Project is a joint project organised by Promare UK and the Nautical Archaeology Society.

Contact: Peter Holt Email: [email protected] Telephone: (UK) 07813 018588 Address: 6 Honcray, Oreston, Plymouth, PL9 7RP, UK

Nautical Archaeology Society web: http://www.nauticalarchaeologysociety.org

Awards scheme for volunteers

Martin Heighton Director of National Historic Ships, said: 'This exciting award is a new development which will allow us to recognise and thank outstanding volunteers from our sector, without whom many of our most significant vessels would no longer survive for members of the public to enjoy'. Applications for the award will be judged against specific criteria, looking at the ways volunteers have contributed to historic vessel conservation projects, the development of conservation skills and techniques or the long-term operation and maintenance of historic vessels. Entries will be judged by an expert panel and nominations should be submitted by application form (available on-line) between 1 May and 31 July 2011.

A monetary award of £1,000 will be given to the successful nominee(s) in recognition of their achievement and this will be presented at the National Historic Ships prestigious national awards ceremony, to be held in October 2011. For more information, or to nominate an individual or group of people, please visit the NHS website.

16 Replacement for Advisory Committee on Historic Wreck Sites A new Historic Wrecks panel has been created within English Heritage which has taken over the English functions of the Committee. The new Panel will provide advice to English Heritage staff on policy and practice with respect to historic wreck designation in UK Territorial Waters surrounding England. The Panel will also be able to advise on the protection and management of marine historic assets in UK Controlled Waters around our shores.

Further details about the new Panel will be available on the ‘Committees and Panels’ page of the English Heritage website in due course. In addition, the archive of the ACHWS, which comprises Committee Minutes, Papers and Annual Reports, has been collated and deposited in English Heritage’s public archive at the National Monuments Record.’

[Members might wish to note that The Railway Heritage Committee, which to some extent had parallel functions, has also been relocated, but has retained its statutory status and powers .Ed ]

17 Peter Foston writes :-

James Saumarez’ story about the Picket Boats ( South West Soundings 81) is not apocryphal.

I was serving in Duke of York as a Mid’ in 1947 and drove one of the two that she had on board. They were stowed abreast between the funnels and handled by cranes to port and starboard.

There were four KG V class battleships (King George V, Duke of York, Anson, Howe – the Prince of Wales had been sunk by the Japanese). As they all had two Picket Boats there should therefore, barring accidents, have been eight.

Due to the elevated steering position and round bilges they had a strong tendency to roll. This meant that one needed to approach a gangway with some delicacy in order to avoid catching the boats own wake.

The crew was usually one Mid’, a Leading Hand coxswain, stoker mechanic, and two seamen as bow and sternsheetsman. Senior officers were carried in the forward “cabin”, and junior officers aft.

We were at anchor off Madeira when the weather deteriorated badly and so had to recall all libertymen. On coming alongside the starboard gangway all the senior officers disembarked from forward, and the juniors started to walk forward along the port side deck until the boat gave a violent roll and a Canadian Mid’ got his head caught between the superstructure and the heavy teak handrail of the gangway, cracking his jaw.

After that the boats came up astern and secured to the port and starboard boat booms and one boarded the ship via the rope ladder suspended from the boom!

American Sailduck from Mount Vernon Mills

Hermann Ostermann writes :-

The association GRAF SHIP at Nordhorn in Germany has purchased an old Dutch sailing vessel, which is now being restored as a museumship, her name is Jantje.

Among a lot of equipment, found in the hold, there were several sails, made up from linen and cotton respectively. Because the building year of Jantje is 1923 those sails must been made up at this times (further information on the ship and the sails you will find on the English website IN THE BOATSHED under JANTJE / JANTJE's SAIL).

One of the sails has a stamp "Mt. Vernon Extra Cotton Duck 84 yds No. 1", as visible on the photo ( see forum entry on website ). The Mount Vernon Company is still in business and once operated the No. 1 Cotton Mill at Baltimore, Maryland, where cotton sail ducks have been woven.

18 Having collected much information on sails and sailmaking, we realize American cotton duck has been not common in Europe.

Have you any information on Mt. Vernon Cotton Duck or is there anywhere an old sail, made up from this cotton farbric?

The association of Graf Ship will be interested and thankful for any information concerning this.

Thank you very much in advance.

Contact : [email protected]

More on the in WW II

Martin Hazell writes :-

Scot Shan Wasik's proposed dive on ORP 'Grom', c100 metres down off Narvik in Rombaksfiord, was OK'd by Polish authorities but they were not able to mount the project in 2010. Survivors from 'Grom', including Shane's grandfather were drafted into ORP 'Piorun' [ex HMS Nerissa], and were in the famous action against the German battleship 'Bismarck'. However in August 2010 a Polish team from the Baltic, sponsored by the mayor of Gdynia, the Polish President, and a TV company, did dive on the 'Grom'.

In Dec. 2010 I visited Stefan Nahorski in North Cornwall . He is sorting out his late father's archive of photos & documents, including captain's logs [in Polish!] His father once commanded 'Burza' and 'Blyskawica' and then was i/c Polish navy southern command at Plymouth. He will share records for education & research. Also in Plymouth Richard Sroka, the son of the last Chairman of the Plymouth Polish Naval Association has some family archives which he will investigate with me. Antony Cunningham Kozlowski contacted me from in Scotland. His father served the Polish navy in 'intelligence'. He has archives as well (including an account of escape to freedom from Lwow at the start of the war.) In the spring of 2011 hopefully the Polish Naval veterans' standard [not the official naval one] from Plymouth will be returned (with military honours) to Gdynia.

I have met with a young Polish teacher & historian living in Plymouth & hope to assist with teaching material for young students - both English & Polish. It is hoped that I shall be able to produce an updated presentation and display relating to the Polish navy in Plymouth during WW2 to co-incide with Plymouth Armed Forces Week in 2012. SWMHS member Cdr. Charles Crichton, RN, [recently retired from running the Devonport Navy Base Museum and Navy Days] is project manager for this annual event and is enthusiastic about the city again celebrating it's WW2 links with the Polish navy whose headquarters were, and are, in Gdynia - a city until recently twinned with Plymouth.

I have received so much extra information worldwide that I now need to update my 'Poles Apart' book, and issue a new edition - perhaps in 2012 when I will be fully retired!

19 WEBERY

Website Updates

Holywell House Publishing the publisher of “HMS Venomous a hard fought ship” now has a website www.holywellhousepublishing.co.uk maintained by SWMHS member Bill Forster. This has been added to the links section of our website under the heading SWMHS members’ sites.

Rame History Group has an excellent website www.ramehistorygroup.org.uk which although covering local history in general has much of maritime interest. This has been added to the links section of our website under the heading Societies and Organisations.

Graham Farr Photograph Collection The Friends of Purton have made available an updated version of the Graham Farr photographic collection catalogue. This is on our website as an Excel spreadsheet at www.swmaritime.org.uk/farrcatalogue.xls It is also on our links page under the heading Archives and Finding Aids.

Requests for Information

HMS Excellent Gunnery School SWMHS member John Seagrove is seeking any information about this HMS Excellent, her staffing, gun equipping and training operations in her early years in this role, 1832-1850s. At that time the Portsmouth Harbour establishment was a converted ship-of-the-line and was commanded by Sir Thomas Hastings. Any information would be appreciated to assist in his researching of HMS Excellent in this period.

Hotchkiss Cone Restoration This topic refers to the following: Donald Vivian Hotchkiss, Marine Architect ( Letter in SW Soundings No.57, June 2003) “For Every Craft of Every Draft” The Hotchkiss Cone Propeller (Maritime South West No. 19, 2006, pp 4-51).

Non-member Sean Wiles has been reporting on his project to fit a Hotchkiss Cone drive into a small craft. The current state of play is that he has acquired a cone drive and is restoring it to fit into a 16 ft aluminium boat. . He would appreciate any advice on the cone, especially from David Wheeler (the author of the above articles). Sean is happy to discuss it with anybody interested, he gives two email addresses: [email protected] or [email protected]

20 Heritage News

Forum contributors have provided the following information

Training Ketch TECTONA Is now at Cremyll Sailing.

A Brave Attempt (Article from SW Soundings No.44, Feb 1999) The Marguerite (Bristol pilot cutter) is now moored up the river Fal 0.5 mile past the King Harry Ferry and is owned by Bob & Anna Brunyee.

Bridge Disaster remembered SWMHS member Paul Barnett gives a detailed account of the memorial ceremony for the 50th anniversary of the Severn and Wye Bridge Disaster.

“Sunday the 17th October 2010 saw early morning river fog roll up the Severn estuary almost in serene remembrance to similar conditions some fifty years ago the night of 25th October 1960 the night the river burned to snatch five lives and alter the course of Gloucestershire history forever.”

“The event, orchestrated by the Friends of Purton, was the first of several tributes to mark the 50 years since the partial destruction of the Severn and Wye Railway bridge by the fully laden John Harker tankers Arkendale H and the Wastdale H, which came together in a ball of flames killing five of the eight man crew.”

The above is just an extract from Paul’s account, the full text can be seen on his forum posting at www.swmaritime.org.uk/forums/thread.php?threadid=1580.

[I have added the Severn and Wye Bridge Disaster to the “On This Day” panel which appears on the website Home Page so that it will appear every October 25th.]

Polish Navy - WW2, ORP Grom addendum SWMHS member Martin Hazell tells us that divers from have photographed the wreck of the Grom in August. A video from this dive can be seen on website http://vimeo.com/groups/hdtdv/videos/14634933

A British team, to be organised by the grandson of a survivor from the Grom has permission to dive from Polish and Norwegan authorities, but has yet to do so.

Dave Hills [email protected]

21 IN MEMORIAM

The Society regrets it has to record the passing of John Beck, author of the Society’s Falmouth Packets monograph, and John Naylor. We are the poorer for their passing.

We send our condolences to their families and friends on their loss.

22 UPCOMING EVENTS

WORLD SHIP SOCIETY MEETINGS

BRISTOL

27 May: Branch AGM, members’ presentations and buffet

CORNWALL

13 May: Around the coast in 80 minutes – David Parsons 10 Jun: Salvage at Suez – Dave Sowdon 8 Jul: Cruise on ‘Orpheus’ (1981) – Bill Mayes

DORSET 7 May: Round the Horn - Ken Dagnall

GLOUCESTER

9 May: Branch AGM and members’ shipping ephemera

PLYMOUTH

3 May: Royal Maritime Auxiliary Service – Dave Sowdon 7 Jun: Plymouth, Maritime City - Nigel Overton 5 Jul: Passenger cruise experiences – David Pollard 2 Aug: Cruising on ‘Ocean Countess’ – Ian Denton

SWANSEA & WEST WALES

6 May: Rotterdam 2010 – Des & Derek Davies 3 Jun: Favourites from Chairman Ken Watson’s collection

TORBAY

10 May: Reminiscences 1978/79 – Roger Musselwhite 14 Jun: Members’ short presentations 12 Jul: Baywatch – John Eaton 9 Aug: Annual Quiz plus Society events:

13/14/15 May: WSS AGM in Cobh, County Cork, Ireland 4 June: Annual Naval Meeting – Hawthorns, Bristol BS8 1UQ (10.30am to 5pm)

23 SS Shieldhall

Below is a summary of the provisional programme. As many members will know, Shieldhall needs to raise funds for docking, so please confirm with the trust first

June Sat 4th 11:00 Friends and Families. An introductory excursion to welcome people that are special to us, on board. 15:00 £22.00 Sun 5th 10:00 Western Solent to view Old Gaffers as they make their way up The Solent. 16:00 £33.00 Fri 24th 19:00 Music Cruise. A short evening cruise with our resident Jazz Band, the Shieldhall Stompers. 22:00 £22.00 Sat 25th 10:00 Cruise Round the Isle of Wight. A chance to see parts of the Island rarely seen. 19:00 £43.00 Sun 26th 11:00 Excursion eastwards towards Ryde and Bembridge. (5 hours) 16:00 £29.00

August Thu 11th 11:00 Cowes Week 16:00 £29.00 Fri 12th 18:30 Cowes Fireworks. View the spectacular firework display and listen to our resident Jazz band, the Shieldhall Stompers. 22:59 £33.00 Mon 15th 10:00 Southampton to Poole. 16:00 £22.00 Fri 19th 10:00 From Poole Town Quay to view the spectacular Bournemouth Air Festival. 19:00 £36.00 Sat 20th 10:00 From Poole Town Quay to view the spectacular Bournemouth Air Festival. 19:00 £36.00 Sun 21st 10:00 From Poole Town Quay to view the spectacular Bournemouth Air Festival. 19:30 £36.00 Mon 23rd 10:00 Poole to Southampton. 5 Hours 16:00 £22.00

September Sat 3rd 12:00 Merchant Navy Day cruise. Celebrate our Merchant Navy that made Britain Great. Old seadogs can bring along their discharge books for signing.17:00 £29.00 Sun 4th 12:00 Memorial cruise for those Merchant seamen that gave their lives for our country, in peace and war.17:00 £29.00 Sun 18th 11:00 A gentle cruise down the Eastern Solent towards Ryde and Bembridge. 16:00 £29.00 ffi http://www.ss-shieldhall.co.uk For all bookings call 0844 357 2329 and leave a message or send an email to [email protected]

The Cornish Maritime Trust will visit many festivals this summer with its flotilla of small craft. Public day sails in Softwing will again take place from NMM Falmouth on selected days. http://www.cornishmaritimetrust.org

24 ‘Seas, Seamen and Shipping -A One-Day Conference Held at the SS Great Britain, Bristol 4th June, 2011 10am-5pm

The Centre for Maritime Historical Studies was the first of its kind in a British university. It seeks to promote research into economic, social, political, naval and environmental aspects of the British maritime past from the earliest times to the present day, drawing also on European and international experience. ‘Seas, Seamen and Shipping’ will showcase the latest research from members and associates of the Centre. This will be an opportunity not only to hear cutting edge research papers from the University of Exeter, but also to hear about the work of the Brunel Institute at the SS Great Britain, to see their recently opened library and research facilities and to admire the iconic SS Great Britain.

Papers include: Dr Laura Rowe: ‘Lionel Yexley and the Lower Deck Reform Movement, 1900-1918 Dr Duncan Redford: ‘The Royal Navy and British National Identity after 1945’ Dr Roger Morris: ‘The British State and Maritime Ascendency, 1750-1820’ Dr Maria Fusaro: ‘Public Service and Private Trade, English Sailors in the Seventeenth Century Mediterranean’ Dr Helen Doe: ‘Women Shipbuilders of the West Country in the Nineteenth Century’ Dr Alston Kennerly: ‘Home, the Shore, and the Merchant Seafarer: Abs 1895-1970’

Keynote Speaker: Dr Mike Duffy: ‘The great naval arms race of the second half of the eighteenth century’

Cost £30 (inc. refreshments & lunch)

Further Details: Further details can be found at http://centres.exeter.ac.uk/cmhs/ Or please contact Dr Laura Rowe ([email protected]) for any other queries’

25 SOUTH WEST MARITIME HISTORY SOCIETY Registered Charity No. 289141

OFFICERS

Chairman Dale Thomas ` 4 Clear View, The Narth, Monmouth, NP25 4QH Tel: 01600 860311 Email: [email protected]

Vice Chairman Martin Hazell 24 Molesworth Road Stoke Plymouth Devon PL3 4AH Tel. 07941 603097 E-mail: [email protected]

Editor Maritime S.W David Clement & Monographs The Holt, Exton, Exeter, Devon EX3 0PN Tel. 01392 875604. E-mail: [email protected]

Secretary Helen Doe Penolva, Mixtow Lanteglos by Fowey Cornwall PL23 1NB Tel 01726870094 [email protected]

Editor Jonathan Seagrave S.W. Soundings 10 Woodlands Rise, Downend Bristol BS16 2RX Tel: 0117 9566127 Email: [email protected]

Treasurer Philip Northcott 7 Canberra Close Pennsylvania Exeter Devon EX4 5BA Tel 01392 437543 Email: [email protected]

Membership Britt Zerbe 6 Beare Square Beare Broadclyst Exeter EX5 3JZ Email [email protected]

COMMITTEE Julia Creeke, Michael Duffy, Maria Fusaro, Peter Ferguson, Colin Green, David Hills (webmaster), Chris Penn, Mike Bender

Annual Subscriptions Due 1st April. £14.00 or £12 if paid by Standing Order. Students can take advantage of our special annual subscription of £7

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