ayy News Museums Guide 1998 - Part 2

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10 NAVY NEWS MUSEUMS GUIDE 1998

'Sailors on a Cruise', a cartoon of 1825. lam-pooning the more boisterous temperament ofsailors on a run ashore. From the Royal NavalMuseum's collection.

Making greater senseof theNelsondecade

ROYAL NAVAL MUSEUM

FIRST FRUITS of a E10 million redevelopmentplan are starting to be seen at the Royal NavalMuseum which this year celebrates its 60th

anniversary. Central to the changes is a plan toengage more of the visitor's senses: a 'see it, hear it,smell it' presentation of the Battle of Trafalgar willtruly convey a whiff of gunsmoke, and give theobserver as close as possible an experience of seawarfare in Nelson's time.

• ABOVE: Some typical, hand-made sailors' mementoes - a boatmodel, a woollen embroidery, and decorated oranges and ostricheggs.• ABOVE RIGHT: One of the diorama models at the museumwhich depicts boats from a British squadron in the Mediterraneancarrying seamen and Royal Marines for a raid on a French fishingport, a regular feature of the Napoleonic Wars.

FRONT COVERFrom a magazine issued for the Coronation Fleet Review of1937. A copy is held by the Royal Naval Museum.

Now part ol' PortsmouthHistoric Dockyard, ihc estab-lishment was built as VictoryMuseum by the Society forNautical Research in 1938. Thebuilding, near Nelson's flag-ship, was incorporated into theRoyal Naval Museum with theopening of the McCarthyGallery in Storehouse No. 11 in1972.

The new redevelopment project,aided by Lottery money, marks themuseum's greatest milestone inrecent years. It is in two phases -one focusing on Nelson and IheSailing Navy and the second on the20th century role of the Service.

In i t ia l redevelopment work onStorehouse 11 is being completed,and the new, appointment-onlylibrary, now incorporating theAdmiralty Library from London,was opened in April. It contains

18,000 volumes including impor-tant reference material not oilier-wise available outside the capital.

A glass l if t and reinstated mainstaircase l inks a new reception areaon the ground floor with a newresearch ecnlre. Later in the sum-mer, high quality storage wil l beready in the upper floors for publicdisplay of a varied collection ofphotographs, letters, journals,paintings, artefacts - and WorldWar II relics which have so farbeen hidden away from view ondusty shelves.

In all , the museum holds 25,000documents and 50,000 pho-tographs dating from the 1860s, aswell as an important collection ofuniforms, British Naval medals andthe WRNS Historic Collection

Under the £5 mil l ion Phase I ofthe redevelopment, there wi!! be anew exhibition on Victory fromconstruction to the present day,

HMS UNICORN

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oaynisnt car be made by Cheflut. Internatior-a! Monty Order in • Sterling a,-c c-2---on UK bank Or for payment fay crtdii card switch (UK or abroad)p'ease Lie the coupon on page 4. Please- al'-ow '$ days for deJivery

Britain'swarshipWHILE Portsmouth has its

Victory and Greenwich itsCutty Sark, Dundee lays claim

to having the oldest British-built war-ship afloat - the Unicorn.

Immediately after being launched atChatham in 1824, HMS Unicorn was placedin storage and roofed over - the standardmethod of 'mothballing' ships at the time.

She was subsequently used as a powderhulk on the Medway and the Thames, andin 1873 made her only sea voyage whenshe was towed to Dundee to become theNavy's training ship for the area.

Unicorn wax coinmixsioned a.v an RNR drillship in 1874. In 1906 she became par! of theDundee sub-division of Clyde Division RNR,then in 1926 she was incorporated into theEast Scottish Division of the Reserves.During both World Wars Unicorn was HQ

for the Senior Naval Officer for the port ofDundee, and was also used as a localreception centre for prisoners of war.

During 1939-45 her name was changedto HMS Cressy to avoid confusion with theaircraft carrier named Unicorn. She did notrevert to her original name until the carrierwas scrapped in 1959.

She remained part of the RNVR until1968 when she was replaced by the newshore base HMS Camperdown. Plans toscrap the ship were opposed by some ofher former commanding officers support-ed by Lord Reith. In the face of that, thethen First Lord of the Admiralty, LordCarrington, was persuaded to save theship.

The vessel was handed over to theUnicorn Preservation Society in 1968,accepted on their behalf by the Duke, andberthed at her current location in VictoriaDock. The Queen Mother agreed to becomepatron of the Society which set about rais-ing funds to mast and restore the ship,working to recreate a warship of theNapoleonic period.

Unicorn was opened to the public in1975 and although shortage of funds hasslowed the restoration, she received fullmuseum status in 1992, and has about12,000 visitors a year.

DATA FILE

• The figure-head of HMSUnicorn, undercontinuingrestoration atDundee.

OPENING TIMES: 10am-5pm daily until Oct. 31 (lastadmissions 4.30); Nov. to mid-March, 10am-4pm (lastadmissions 3.30).

ADMISSION CHARGES: Adults - E3; children 5-16,senior citizens, students, etc. - E2, family ticket (twoadults, two children) - £8. Group rates available.

FACILITIES: Ship for hire for functions. Souvenirshop. Car parking close to ship.

ACCESS: Unicorn is close to Dundee city centre andonly a few minutes' walk from bus and train stations.

INFORMATION: 01382 200900.

NAVY NEWS MUSEUMS GUIDE 1998 11LANCASTER MARITIME MUSEUM

MODELS of Royal Navy vessels are included inLancaster Maritime Museum, run by the local author-ity. The collection reflects past and present affiliations- with HM ships Lancaster, Lancaster Castle,Morecambe Bay, Dreadnought and Trafalgar.

Recent alterations, partly financed by the HeritageLottery Fund, include a new main entrance to improveaccess for people with mobility problems, and amarine art gallery. Visitors number 30,000 a year.

DATA FILEOPENING TIMES: Dally except Christmas and New Year.

Easter-Oct. 1lam-5pm, Nov.-Easter 12.30-4pm.ADMISSION CHARGES: Adults £2, children and all conces-

sions E1.FACILITIES: Audio-visual show, shop, cafe, car parking.ACCESS: Close to M6 junctions 33 & 34, Lancaster bus and

railway stations.INFORMATION: 0152464637.

HMS GANGES ASSOCIATION MUSEUM

Those years beforethe mastMAST-MANNING at one ofthe most famous Navaltraining establishments -HMS Ganges - representsthe most vivid recollectionsof the base held by themany thousands of RNrecruits.

The 200-year history of thename Ganges in the Royal Navy- particularly the establishmentat Shotley, Ipswich, whichtrained raw recruits between1905 and 1976 - is recorded atthe HMS Ganges AssociationMuseum.

The famous mast still standsand is a listed building, but thesite of the establishment itselfis now Shotley Marina, in whichthe museum occupies the oldsail loft. On display are manyartefacts, memorabilia and pho-tographs - including the oneshown here, copies of whichare sold by the museum in aidof their funds.

All the staff are voluntaryworkers and are members ofthe HMS Ganges Association.

DATA FILE

• King Charles ll's barge, used to carry Nelson's body on the Thames in 1806, will be restored to its17th century livery.

including a vivid presentation ofthe Battle of Trafalgar combiningsound, lighting, special effects andeven smells to create a realisticsense of what it was like to be inthe thick of a naval battle.

In November a wholly new lookat Britain's greatest Naval leader -Nelson - will open in the Lambert-McCarthy Gallery, and in the fol-lowing spring the renewal ofStorehouse II will be completedwhen The Sailing Navy exhibitionis opened.

Exhibitions will include hands-on displays, allowing - amongother things - children and adultsto search for the cure for scurvy.

There will be a new treatment ofmarine artist William Wyllie'sPanorama of Trafalgar; KingCharles ll's state barge - used asNelson's funeral barge - will bedisplayed in its original 17th centu-ry livery; and a covered viewingplatform will allow visitors a viewof the working dockyard and pass-ing naval ships.

In Phase II of the redevelop-ment, space will be made availableat last for further coverage of theNavy's achievements throughoutthe century, with the emphasis on

200 yearsof charityrecorded

KEY RECORDS of theRoyal Naval BenevolentSociety, dating from 1791,are being conserved atthe Royal Naval Museumwith the help of C7.000from the British Librarythrough its scheme ofgrants tor cataloguingand preservation.

The archive consists of80 volumes of letters,minutes, membership rec-ords and petition hooks,built up since the forma-tion of a committee to"provide relief to dis-tressed of f icers of theNavy and to the widowschildren, mothers and sis-ters of such .

The documents weredeposited with the RNMuseum in 1992 and willbe available to research-ers in the future.

the human side of the story.In addition, a new gallery will

tell the story of the Navy from KingAlfred's time to the present. And alecture theatre, classrooms andmeeting room will enhance the

DATA FILE

museum's educational work.• As a result of the redevelop-

ment, the Lambert-McCarthyGallery is closed until Novemberand the Douglas-Morris Galleryuntil the following month.

OPENING TIMES: Each weekend andbank holiday, April-Oct. 11am-5pm.

Other visits by appointment. Groupswelcome.

ADMISSION: Free, donations welcome.FACILITIES: Nearby - free parking,

restaurant and bar {wheelchair-friendly).

ACCESS: Down Bristol Hill to seafront. The museum is in the marine's mainbuilding - Victory House.

INFORMATION: 01473 664749 or787291. Brochures available - send sae toMr George Athroll, Museum Secretary, 20Flint Close, Ipswich IP2 8PU.

COMBINED OPS MUSEUM

OPENING TIMES: 10am-5.30pm dally,but closed on Christmas Day and BoxingDay and early closing Christmas Eve.

ADMISSION CHARGES: Adults £3,senior citizens £2.50, children £2.Combined HMS Victory and RN Museumticket - adults £5.75. senior citizens £5,children £4.25. Free to Service personnelon production of identity card.

FACILITIES: Souvenir shops, licensedrestaurant, cafe (open during summer In

Storehouse No.9), picnic area, children'splayshlp in Boat house No.7, toilets,Including special facilities for disabled,and baby changing facilities. Car parkingfor visitors to Historic Dockyard oftQueen Street.

ACCESS: Through Portsmouth NavalBase Victory Gate at The Hard, a shortwalk from Portsmouth Harbour rail andbus station.

INFORMATION: 01705727562/3.

THE STORY of 250,000 Alliedtroops who passed through theCommando Training Centre atInverary, Argyll, during World WarII, is told at the CombinedOperations Museum in thegrounds of Inverary Castle.

Among the exhibits are battleplans, photographs and scale mod-els of ships and landing craft. Themuseum is visited by 5,000 people avcar.

DATA FILEOPENING TIMES: Mon.-Thurs. 11am-

6pm, and (April-Oct.) the first and secondSundays in the month 1pm-6.00pm. Lastadmissions 5.30. Researchers welcome.

ADMISSION CHARGES: Adults - £2,children and senior citizens - £1.50, fami-ly ticket - £6.50.

FACILITIES: Souvenir shop, refresh-ments available at Inverary Castle.

ACCESS: Via the A83.INFORMATION: 01499 500218.

HARWICHLIFEBOATMUSEUM

VISITORS to Harwich LifeboatMuseum can go on board a 37ftOakley-class lifeboat which formsthe museum's main exhibit,housed in an 1876 lifeboat house.

The lifeboat was brought fromCromer and the museum openedin 1994. It welcomes 2,0<X) visitorsa year.

DATA FILE_____OPENING TIMES: May-Aug. dally

10am-5pm.ADMISSION CHARGES: 50p (children

- must be accompanied - free).ACCESS: Situated at Harwich Green In

the old town.INFORMATION: 01255 503429.

Getting a feel for the modern NavyTHE YEAR 2000 will bring the modern, hi-tech Navy within reach of the publicthrough Action Stations, a £13-millionattraction planned for Flagship PortsmouthTrust in the Historic Dockyard.

Partly funded by the Millennium Commission,the development will be housed in a handsome,Victorian brick-and-stone boathouse and willfeature the biggest screen in the south ofEngland - 16m by 7.27m and with '3D sound'.

A large-format, 24-minute film made on loca-tion with a £3-million budget will feature a Type23 frigate in an action-packed drama combiningexcitement, danger, intrigue and romance.

A 'pre-show experience' will mix audio-visualdisplay, flat graphics and models to give reveal-ing glimpses of life at sea. And on the groundfloor an interactive exhibition will be structuredaround seamanship, damage control, a heli-copter flight, a ship's bridge, an operations roomand ships weapons.

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THE ROYAL NAVAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY FOR OFFICERS

PATRON: HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN

Founded in 1739, the Royal Naval Benevolent Society for Officers provides financial assistancewhen in need co officers of the Royal Navy. Royal Marines, the QARNNS and their Reserves andto their spouses, former spouses, children, mothers and sisters.

Membership of the Society is open to any commissioned RN, RM or QARNNS officer (male orfemale), who has service on the active list, on payment of £50 for life membership, which given thepossible benefits is remarkable value for money.

Hie Society's aim is to provide financial assistance to its members and their families; but officerswho are qualified to join but: who have not done so, and their dependants are also helped, but toa lesser extent than for members. The Society has recently extended its scope, throughsupplements to its Royal charter, to allow Reserve and former Reserve Officers and theirdependants to receive the Society's help and to take on the responsibilities of the RN & RM Branch& SD Officers Benevolent Fund, which has now ceased to exist as a a separate charity.

For over 250 years the Society has been caring for less fortunate officers and their dependants.The Welfare State today cannot cover some of these needs and in recent years the Society hasdisbursed between £100,00 and £130.000 each year to meet them. In 1997 this figure rose [o£168,000 and the Society was able to meet this increased need. In 1997 this rose to £168,000 andthe Society in generous supporters wills, a practice the Society is very keen to encourage since itdoes not raise funds publicly.

If you are not a member, please consider becoming one. Membership is an excellent investmentfor one's family, and is also a way of helping others in less fortunate circumstances.

Applications to join or for assistance should be made toCaptain I B Sutherland RN

The Royal Naval Benevolent Society for Officersdo Child & Co (Bankers)

I Fleet StreetLondon EC4Y IBD

Telephone No.0171-353-4080

11%,"

Options NAVY NEWS MUSEUMS GUIDE, 1998

FLAGSHIP

Portsmouth Trustat the Historic Dockyard ishome to three vessels

which tell a unique story of theRoyal Navy spanning 500 years.Together, the Tudor warship Mary

Rose, Nelson's flagship HMSVictory,and Britain's first ironclad, HMSWarrior, help to make Portsmouththe only place in theworld where it is

9ssibleto experience so much

0aval history in one area.Offering the best natural shelter on the

South Coast, Portsmouth harbour hasbeen a key site for defence and tradesince the time of the Ancient Britons.The Romans built a fort at Portchester

- now PortchesterCastle -to help defendBritain's shores against maraudingSaxons; and It was from there that theNormans controlled the harbour afterWilliam the Conqueror's Invasion in 1066.

Portsea Island - on which most ofPortsmouth was built - was in earlymedieval times used as a gathering placefor English armies bound for the wars inFrance, but by the end of the 12th centu-ry Richard I had granted Portsmouth acharter and ordered the building of adock. Throughout the following centuries

Portsmouth grew in-raplaly eclipsing

i T1r-l / '-

-1

. rr-

_HMS Warrior, pride of the mid-Victorian Navy, under steam and sail.

'The Black SnakBritain's fFINTED in the livery of the

Ictorian Navy, HMSWarrior rep-resents a transitional period

between the years of sail and steam,wood and iron, when technologicaland industrial advance was revolu-tionising the Royal Navy and its ships.

Warrior was the product of a naval race,almost 50 years before that more deadlyscramble between Britain and Germany tooutdo each other's warship strength. In1860, when she appeared, she was the firstiron-hulled battleship - the largest, fastestand most heavily armoured afloat.

At Trafalgar, Britain had put paid to anambition Napoleon may have had to dom -nate these islands, but by the middle of thecentury, a new Napoleon had appeared inFrance - Napoleon Ill, nephew of the greatman and intent on making his mark in theworld.

Britain entered a new period of uneasypeace with her old enemy across theChannel. Ships such as the Warrior werethe deterrent of their day, and the ship'sImportance in that role was emphasised bythe words of Napoleon Ill himself whodescribed the new vessel as "a black

e-irst ironclHMS WARRIORsnake among rabbits". Among other thingsit was a reference to the colour and extra-ordinary length

- forthe day -of her hull. Itwas six-and-a-half times her beam so thather broadside would consist of as manyheavy guns as possible.

Unlike wooden ships, whose size wasgoverned by the length of timbers thatcould be used, Warrior's iron hull ensuredthat the only limit on her proportions wasthe size of dock available to take her.

The measure ofthe success ofany deterrentis that it should not need to to be used - and inthat sense it seems Warrior wastruly successful.There wasno war between Britain and France,and in 1883 the ship was removed front tireactive list without firing a single shot in anger

In 1904 she was converted Into a powerplant for the RN Torpedo School, and in1929, reduced to a hulk, she became a jettyfor ships refuelling at the Milford Haven oildepot.Decades later her true historical Impor-

tance was realised, and In 1979 she was

-,------. i,. .

rescued \. .jj . -.

by theWarrior

Hart-lepool,

ation Trust.In 1987, after

elightrajearsof

restoon at Hart-she was looking

her old self, and with greatpride and ceremony was brought toPortsmouth and opened to the public.

Visitors can roam through the ship,which has been carefully restored inside aswell as out. They can see the machineryreplicating the ship's original, 855-ton5,500hp engine which gave hera top speedof 14.5 knots - very fast for the time.

They can also tour the gun deck and liv-ing quarters of officers and men, all refur-bished in contemporary style with artefactsand equipment.One of the present ship's company of

quartermasters, dressed in the uniform ofthe period, Is at the brow to welcome visi-tors, while trained volunteers are to beseen throughout the ship

- and they wel-come the opportunity to answer questions.

0 How they lived in Warrior - on the lower deck (left) and in the Captain's night cabin, photographed after restoration.

World-beaufor Naval I'

Portchester as the gateway to the har- Today,bour and, under the Tudors, moving into Portsnothe forefront of shipbuilding technology Wate'

(the world's first dry dock was construct- buildnged there in 1495). trail.

Throughout tile 17111 and 18th centuries,There

exhibticPortsmouth navalbaseandtown qrewapace, and oafland during the late 18(11 and eary 19:!: cen-

years oftury was a linchpin in Britain's long struggle accessitagainst Napoleon.

There was further dockyard and urban

expansion throughout Victoria's reign,and with the age of steam Portsmouthbecame the world's largest and mostmodern naval facility.

In the early years of the 20th centurythere was more innovation: theestablishment at Gosport of the çTsubmarine service, and the launchin 1906 of HMS Dreadnought, thefirst all big-gun battleship whichmade every other capital shipobsolete.

1-.--

Time capsulefrom the timeof Henry V111

N JULY 1545, Henry Vill's A!I favourite warship, the MaryRose, sank In the Solent during a

THE MARYnaval operation to fight off French Among the items found ii

raiders. time capsule, were cannon

Henry watched horrified from the bows, thousands of arrowsthe everyday objects of lifeshore at Southsea, as the great vessel

capsized taking most of her crew with century - tankards, jugs, v

her. Mary Rose was named after Henry'spame,tat plates, spoons, ccbles, coins, pens, shoes a

beautiful younger sister and had beenin service for 37 of the first

instruments.years, one

ships to carry cannon as well as tradi-Swift burial in soft silt e

preservation of materials sutional longbows. leather, silk, wool and boniFour centuries later a sonar search

objects made of those matepinpointed her resting place, where a

of the hull16th century rarely survive 1

and thou-shipslarge part Many finds were tiny. Thsandsof artefacts were buried and pre- peppercorns (used to relievserved in the mud of the seabed. as well as to spice the toThe hull was raised In 1982 and now remains of insects and a ta

occupies a building near HMS Victory. pens, inkpots and pins.There, new, air-conditioned galleries If all goes well for thegive a cross-section view of the Mary Trust, plans to rehouse theHose, still undergoing a 15-year unite it under one roof withprocess of being sprayed with special should result in the openirchemicals to prevent the timbers disin- museum near HMS Warrioitegrating. An audio commentary about five to six years time.describes the process to visitors. The initial plans are beincAn exhibition of many of the artefacts and will this year be subni

found in the ship's hull are on display at Heritage Lottery Fund whthe first large building visitors see on asked to help meet the £29their right as they enter the dockyard. of the project.

FLAGSHIP PORTSMOUTH

-. -_,

NAVY NEWS MUSEUMS GUIDE, APRIL 1998 .1. 0

DATA FILE

ng siteGreatest of them all still-. ADMISSION CHARGES: Entry to Portsmouth Historic

Dockyard (8 tree. P8$sporf tickets (vatidadmission1.1.111.

twoyears) allow

"

"istory in service after 200 yearsthe cost is £33.

for £14 foradults, £12 forsenior citizens and £10 f r chil-

SIngle-shIp/attractIOn tickets: Adults

for I_I£5.75, senior citizens £5, and children £4.25. MS VICTORY will forever, famously,be linked with Lord

I

years costs £17 for adults, £14.50 for senior citizens, £12 Nelson's crushing triumph over a larger Franco-forchildrenand £4oforafamily(two adults andchhld). On I h fleet U 1'

Trafalgar.I.

Ivisitors can see the sights of the famllyseasonticket,anaddltlonalchlldneedonlypay pans 0.. ape But y thetime of the

uth harbour on a 'Warships b£6 and a grandparent £7.25. Guided tours of HMS victory

battle In 1805, Victory had already been service for almostI last 45 mInutes and are timed. Last tickets sold one hour half a a I. .

flagship5 .

our, and discover the graceful before closing,a ccentury and had

n the ..agsu.Ip of many other ulS-

s of the dockyard on a heritage FACILITIES: Coach and car park nearby In Queen St. tinguished admirals.Licensed restaurant, cafe, children'sayshi In She was built at Chatham in 1759 and Is still in service with the

'

educational visits (call 017 W97 ).is also a dockyard apprentice

Boathousey'road Follow Ships sins.

Royal. Navy as flagship to the Second Sea Lord, making her then which demonstrates the skills From MV or A27: M275, Mile End Rd. Commercial Rd, worlds oldest commissioned warship.ts which existed there in the early Mantel Wa Alfred Rd, Oueen St Portsmouth harbour

To prepare her for the bicentenary of Trafalgar in 2005, the ship isthus century. Both attractions are INFORMATION:01705 861512

ate

undergoing an extensive programme of restoration to return her to(24 hours).

lie to people in wheelchairs. For details of special facilities -01705

her appearance as Nelson s flagship.At that time she had over 100 guns

and a ship's company of 800 - fourI 1-7 ,:..Fr times the number required on board a

modern frigate, due mainly to the edfor several sailors to man each gun.Guided tours of the ship vividly recap-

lure the harsh conditions endured by-- --'" '1j"1i ordinary seamen who lived, worked and

slept on the crowded gundecks for. -- ....ii ---j-'

l:_.:

. months onend.end.Their living quarters contrast starkly

with the relative opulence of the Great

,4 ..4 - --' J - - - --'

Cabin where Admiral Nelson planned his

-- - --

i-i-

:--- j,, --

-I

strategy to defeat the enemy."r

The tours also visit the spots where hewasmortally wounded by aFrench sharp-

-

shooter at the heht of the battle and the" . -- . " - _.--. - "., - - - "--, cockpit on the o op deck where he died

three hours later, knowing that victory was

"

/

ever fought. hIS9S

his. Nineteen of the 33 French andSpanishi ships surrendered or were destro ed. It

was one of the most decisive sea rattles ViceAhT:MOS

and (below)

- --- - -

-i -r

___-

/

rn!! \"

-

"

NAVY NEWS MUSEUMS GUIDE 1998

• 7/76 A-class submarine HMS Alliance in which visitors tothe Submarine Museum are given guided tours - includingchildren's parties (right). The Alliance, built in 1945, wasone of the first of a class of post-war submarines whichincorporated all the advances made in design and equip-ment during the conflict. She remained in service until1973. She was acquired by the museum and put on displayin 1981, looking exactly as she did when she was paid off.

HMY BRITANNIATo commemorate The Royal Yacht, Willraynes was exclusivelycommissioned to design and supply to the Yacht a very limitededition of special Port presentation boxes containing a bottle of

Personal Reserve Port. The design which includes the Royal Yachtinsignia and pictures of the Yacht was approved by The Queen and

Willraynes supplied these Port presentation boxes for the decommissioninglast year. Each Port presentation box has a numbered certificate recountingthe historic voyage made via Hong Kong. A small edition of these boxes isnow available to the public. If you would ^17 • 11like more information, please telephone: " H" aynCS

01386 - 555528 The Wine Company

Take your imagination toa new depth...

Enjoy a guided tour of HMS Alliance, a post warsubmarine and discover the stories of lives dedicated toservice under the seas, through fascinating exhibits and

crew members personal effects.

Take advantage of ourSpecial Family Ticket for

only £10(up to 4 children and 2 adults)

^Pi^T•Free Parking »Jolly Roger Cafe

•Picnic Areas "Gift Shop

<& Royal Navy gjjjiSubmarine Museum

Haslar Jetty Road, Gosport, Hampshire. Tel 01705 S >').! 1'E-mail rnsubs@submarine-museum.deinon.co.uk

,

NORWICHAVIATIONMUSEUM

Inside viewof V-bomber

THE ONLY museum in EastAnglia where you can get inside aVulcan bomber - that's the City ofNorwich Aviation Museum'sclaim.

Run by volunteers, the museumis on the northern edge of NorwichAirport - formerly RAF HorshamSt Faith - and displays eight air-craft, including a DassaultMystere, as well as a number ofengines and an Austin World WarII fire tender.

One unusual exhibit is an (asyet) unrestored SupermarineScimitar cockpit procedural train-er. Last year there were 6,500 visi-tors.

DATA FILEOPENING TIMES: Aprll-Oct. - daily

10am-5.00 except Mondays; Nov.-March -Sat. & Sun. 10am-4.00. Closed Dec. 21 toJan. 5. (May be open at other times - tele-pohone to confirm). Last entry 30 min-utes before closing. Access to Vulcanbomber subject to availability of staff.

ADMISSION CHARGES: Adult - £2,concessions, and children over 5 andunder 15 - £1. Vulcan access 50p extra(25p for children and concessions).Parties and educational visits welcome -special rates on request.

Facilities: Car park, souvenir shop, tearoom (open subject to availability ofstaff).

ACCESS: Two miles outside Norwichoff the A140 Cromer road.

INFORMATION: 01603 625309.

THE ROYAL NAVAL SUBMARINE MUSEUM

Underwatertreasuresthat revealan epic tale

.;

NORTH EAST AIRCRAFT MUSEUM

Growing collection at Sunderland

THIS de Havilland Sea Venom is one of the40 exhibits on display at the North EastAircraft Museum at Sunderland.

Other former Royal Navy aircraft on showthere include Whirlwind and Dragonfly heli-copters. The museum was founded in 1974, andthe first aircraft to be acquired were a LutonMinor and a Brown helicopter.

The Dragonfly joined the collection soon after,followed by a Gloster Meteor. In 1977 the muse-um moved from Lambton Lion Park to its presentlocation at Sunderland airport - formerly RAFUnsworth - and continued to grow with thearrival of a Hawker Hunter, an American F100, a

Lockheed T33 and its largest exhibit - an AvroVulcan bomber.

Work has gone on improving the site and in1993 a new display hangar was built which nowhouses most of the collection. This year facilitiesare being greatly improved with the completionof a new visitors centre.

DATA FILEOPENING TIMES: Daily 10am-S.OO except Christmas and New

Year.ADMISSION CHARGES: Adults - £2, children - El.ACCESS: On Old Washington Rd off the A19 next to the

Nissan factory.INFORMATION: 0191 266 0386.

NAVY NEWS MUSEUMS GUIDE 1998

HMS DOLPHIN atGosport was thebirthplace of the

British Submarine Ser-vice. Sadly, submarinesare no longer basedthere - but the heritageand tradition lives on atthe Royal Naval Sub-marine Museum whereexhibits range from theRN's first submarine to a(disarmed) Polaris mis-sile.

Although the operationalboats are missing, onereminder of the heyday of theService remains in the form ofthe preserved vessel HMSAlliance.

She and the first British subma-rine, Holland I, have recently beenoffically recognised by the NationalHistoric Ships Register as impor-tant national maritime treasures.

HMS Alliance, which isopen to visitors who canenter with ease through adoor cut into her hull, wasone of a large number of A-class boats built in theimmediate post-war years,and is probably theyoungest vessel on theRegister.

Her design owes much to thetechnology which surfaced in thelater U-boats produced by theGermans. She is also linked to thebasically similar Oberon-class ves-sels, the last type of conventionalsubmarines built by Britain in anynumbers, and which were paid offin the 1980s and 1990s.

Holland I was the first trulypractical submarine, the forerun-ner of all the submarines in theworld today. She was acquired bythe museum after being salvaged in1982, and is undergoing chemicalpreservation to prevent her disinte-grating after almost 70 years on theseabed (she sank while under towto the breakers).

The four-year process is beingcarried out in a fibre-glass tank fit-ted with portholes through whichvisitors can view her.

Besides those two vessels, themuseum has German, Italian,British and Japanese human torpe-does of World War II - the lastexample intended to be guided by asuicide pilot.

Exhibits range from the bizarreto the poignant - a blunderbussused in the World War I submarineEl 2, and a bottle of whisky won ina raffle by a World War II sub-

mariner, but which remainedunopened after he and his boatfailed to return to collect it.

There is a representative collec-tion of uniforms of all ranks andrates, and worldwide submarineinsignia. Other items include paint-ings, over 100,000 photographs,models, 2,000 works of reference,25,000 documents, 600 submarinehistories, 40,000 Service record

Crew members of Holland I, Britain's first submarine, on theboat's casing as its steered on the surface by the cox'n. From thecollection of the Royal Naval Submarine Museum.

DATA FILE

cards, and medals..The museum has a significant

collection of Jolly Rogers-worn bysubmarines returning from success-ful patrols - and the hydroplaneconsole and periscopes from HMSConqueror, which during theFalklands War became the lastBritish submarine to sink an enemyship.

As well as the galleries and aguided tour of Alliance, visitors aretreated to an audio-visual presen-tation on the Submarine Service inan atmospheric 'control room' cin-ema.

Since its beginnings in1963, the museum hasexpanded steadily and hasfurther development planswhich will improve disabledfacilities, and add anothergallery, a fine art and func-tion room, a new ticketoffice and cafe extension.

A heritage centre and new HQ isplanned to house the archives, asare an education and lecture room,and an atmospherically controlledgallery to house the museum'sPolaris missile.

One of the newest exhibitions,which opened on April 8, featuresthe World War II diving exploits ofCdr Lionel (Buster) Crabb whosedisappearance in Portsmouth har-bour in 1956 is still shrouded inmystery.

In March work began to improvethe museum access and car parkareas as part of the MillenniumPromenade Scheme, a plan linkedto Portsmouth Harbour Millen-nium Project.

The work is being carried out byHampshire County Council inpartnership with Gosport BoroughCouncil, and in conjunction withother planned developments, willtransform the historic area.

OPENING TIMES: Daily except Dec. 24to Jan. 1 inclusive. April-Oct. - 10am-5.30,Nov.-March - 10am-4.30 (last tour onehour before closing).

ADMISSION CHARGES: (IncludingHMS Alliance and audio-visual show).Adults - £3.50, children (5-18) and seniorcitizens - £2.50, family ticket (two adults,two children) - £10. Schools and othereducational groups - £1.50 (teachers,ratio 1:15 free); additional teachers -£2.50. Other groups and overseas school

groups (at least 12): Adults - £3, childrenor overseas students - £2 (teacher 1:15ratio, free), senior citizens - £2. 'Followthe Drum' frequent user card for Individu-als and families. (Surplus profits donatedto Naval charities).

FACILITIES: Car and coach park, cafe-teria, toilets, picnic area, gift shop, freeeducation pack on booking visits, harbourboat trips to Portsmouth HistoricDockyard.

ACCESS: By road -M27 to junction 11;

THE INTERNATIONAL HELICOPTER MUSEUM

Lynx ison showTHE WESTLAND Lynx whichin 1986 set up the world heli-copter speed record of almost250mph (an event captured bythis painting) is among the 50-plus aircraft on display at TheInternational HelicopterMuseum at Weston-super-Mare, Somerset.

Celebrating its 40th anniversarythis year, the museum lays claim tobe the largest of its kind in theworld. Also among the exhibits area Russian Mil-2 transport heli-copter - believed to be the first atany UK museum - and a RussianHind attack helicopter.

One display hall traces the histo-ry of the helicopter from Leonardoda Vinci's airscrew design of 1489to the development of conventionalhelicopters in the post-war years.

The museum is planning a£250,000 project which wouldextend its present undercover facil-ities for its 16,000 visitors a year.

This year 'open cockpit days' willbe held on May 10, June 14, July12, August 9, September 13,October 11 and December 27.Restoration and engineering bankholiday weekends are on May 24-25and August 30-31.

DATA FILEOPENING TIMES: April-Oct. - daily,

10am-6.00; Nov.-March - Wed.-Sun. 10am-4.00 (last admission one hour before clos-ing).

ADMISSION CHARGES: Adults - £3,children (5-16) - £2, senior citizens -£2.50, family (two adults and two children)-£8.

FACILITIES: Cafeteria, gift shop, freeparking for cars and coaches.

ACCESS: By bus - (discountedfare/admission offer) Services 126, 826 or827 from Grand Pier, Weston. By car -Turn off M5 at junction 21 and followbrown propeller signs.

Also signposted from A370,Bridgewater Rd, Weston seafrpnt andLocking Rd. Museum at Weston Airport onA371.

INFORMATION: 01934 635227

MUSEUM OF D-DAY AVIATIONVISITORS to the Museum of D-Day Aviation at Shoreham can seehow the cockpit of a Spitfirelooked from the pilot's view.

Aircraft engines on displayinclude a Rolls-Royce Merlin,which powered Spitfire andHurricane fighters during WorldWar II. There is a Hawker Typhooncockpit section, and a collection ofrare fire crash rescue vehicles usedby the Fleet Air Arm and RAF.

The museum also has a rare

Copps canoe and an air-sea rescuelaunch. This summer it opens aRoll of Honour of test pilots killedin the course of their work.

DATA FILEOPENING TIMES: April-Oct. - daily,

11am-5pm. November - weekends, 11am-5pm.

ADMISSION CHARGES: Adults - £2.50,children - £1.50, senior citizens - £2.

ACCESS: A27 to junction at ShorehamAirport, W. Sussex.

INFORMATION: 0374 971971.

follow A32 through Gosport, pass Gosportferry terminal and turn left at pub; followHaslar Rd over Haslar Bridge. Museum carpark second left.

By public transport - Frequent ferry toGosport operates from Portsmouth har-bour rail/bus interchange. At Gosport,pedestrians follow signs for museum, ortake No.19 bus or taxi from bus stationnext to ferry terminal.

INFORMATION: 01705 510354 or765250.

RAFMONTROSE

MUSEUM

UK's 'firstoperationalair station'A NAVAL Seahawk fighterand Fleet Air Arm memorabil-ia are among the exhibits atRAF Montrose Museum inAngus - which claims to besited at the first operational airstation in Britain.

Established in 1913 for theRoyal Flying Corps, the station isin the process of being restored byvoluntary workers.

The museum itself is housed forthe time being in an original RFCbuilding until there are enoughfunds for a purpose-built structure.An annual 'wings and wheelsextravaganza' is held there whichincludes flying and static displaysinvolving vintage aircraft and cars.

DATA FILEOPENING TIMES: Every Sunday 12

noon to 5pm. Appointments can be madeto view.

ADMISSION CHARGES: Adults - £1,concessions - SOp. Parties by arrange-ment.

FACILITIES: Car parking, toilets, sou-venir shop.

ACCESS: North end of Montrose at theCoronation Ave. A92 junction besideKeyline & Drexel yards.

INFORMATION: 01674 675401, 674210or 673107.

Unsolved mysteryof HMS Totem

VISITORS to the RN Submarine Museum admire the totem polewhich was once the trophy of the submarine HMS Totem (picturedtop left, late in her career). Interest in the object is heightened bythe mystery which surrounds the boat:

Built during World War II, Totem served in the post-war Navyuntil, in the mid-1960s she was sold to Israel and renamed Dakar.In 1968 the Dakar disappeared in the Mediterranean without trace,along with her 69-man Israeli crew.

Successive attempts to find the boat have drawn a blank, thelatest search being carried out by Israel in 1992.

COMBAT STRESS

Bringing peaceto minds at warThey used to call it 'Shell Shock'. Now it's called 'Combat Stress'. For Able

Seaman, Paul Morris, an Exocet in the Falklands meant that he may never againfind the will to face the noise of the outside world.

For many veterans of that conflict - Korea, the Second World War and nowBosnia too - the story is the same. 'Combat Stress' can shatter a life forever.

Today Paul is looked after by the Ex-Services Mental Welfare Society. Withover 4,000 men and women to care for and who knows how many more, we needevery penny you can spare. Psychiatric care, nursing and the management of ourhomes costs money that will only come from people like you, people who careabout those who gave more than they could spare.

Please do help. We have need of every penny urgently.

They tried to give more than they could.Please give as much as you can.

To protect those concerned this is an amalgam of case histories in our care.

EX-SERVICES MENTAL WELFARE SOCIETYDept.NNS. Broadway House. The Broadway, Wimbledon SW191RL Telephone: 0181-543 6333

_ Reg. Charity No. 206002 |Please find enclosed my donation lor E50/E20/E10/E5/E.or charge my Access/Visa/Charitycard No.

| M I IExpiry date of card

Please send me further details about the Ex-Services Mental Welfare Society

Name (BLOCK LETTERS)

Address

_Signature_ NNS

Data Protection Act: We may occasionally wish to contact you with news of our work. If you would preferthat we do not, please tick the box QJ

16 NAVY NEWS MUSEUMS GUIDE 1998

THE GOLDEN HINDE

Drake'sshipsails onTHE GOLDEN Hinde isa full-size sea-goingreconstruction of theElizabethan vessel inwhich Sir FrancisDrake circumnavigatedthe world in 1577-80.

Launched in 1973, thereplica repeated Drake'sworld voyage and in 1981was established as aneducational museum, vis-iting more than 300 portsworldwide and sailing atotal of 140,000 miles.

The ship is now perma-nently berthed on thesouth bank of the Thamesnear London Bridge, andthe crew - dressed in 16thcentury costume - guidevisitors around her.

OPENING TIMES: Daily exceptChristmas Day, 10am-6.00 in sum-mer (April-Oct.)- 10-5.00 in winter.Ship closed during educationaland private functions (call 0171403 0123 to check).

ADMISSION CHARGES: Adults- £2.30, children - £1.50, senior cit-izens and concessions - £1.90,family ticket (two adults, three chil-dren) - £6. Schools field trip - £2per student.

Daytime living histories for chil-dren 6-12 - £20 (£30 with overnightstay). Fun and educational work-shops (four hours with lunch forchildren 6-12) -£12.

FACILITIES: Function venue.Shop selling gifts, hot and colddrinks, ice-cream, snacks. Closestcar park on Southwark St. Parkinglimited on weekdays.

ACCESS: Underground - twominutes walk from London Bridgestation, and five minutes fromMonument. Buses - several routesto London Bridge. Car - eastwardson Southwark St from SouthwarkBridge Rd. Enter Borough High Stheading towards London Bridge.Left into Bedale St oppositeBarclays Bank.

RN PATROL SERVICEASSOCIATION MUSEUM

LOWESTOFT in Suffolk wasthe central depot of the RoyalNaval Patrol Service which,during World War II operated1,637 ships, including mine-sweepers, corvettes, fuel andwater carriers, motor launchesand seaplane tenders.

Now, in the former HMSEuropa, HQ of the RNPS atSparrow's Nest, the Royal NavalPatrol Service AssociationMuseum exhibits medals, uni-

forms, flags and photographs. Alsodisplayed is a detailed scale modelof on-deck activity.

,•11 S: Mon.-Fri. 10pm-12noon and 1.30pm-4.30pm from May 11 toOct. 9.

ADMISSION: Free.FACILITIES: Guided tours by arrange-

ment.ACCESS: Off the A12 Ipswich to Gt

Yarmouth road, near the lighthouse andseafront.

INFORMATION: 01502586250.

PLYMOUTH CITY MUSEUMTHE CITY and the Sea' exhibi-tion at Plymouth City Museum andArt Gallery traces the maritimehistory of Plymouth, and will rununtil the autumn of 1999. It pre-sents the legacy of celebrated fig-ures, including Drake, Cook andScott.

The display includes bone mod-els made by French prisoners ofwar in the 19th century, intricateship models, and marine paintings.

Since 1915 the museum has heldthe collection of DevonportMuseum - formed in 1883 - andthe Cottonian Collection.

Satellite museums include theElizabethan House, theMerchant's House Museum of the17th century, Plymouth Dome - aninteractive visitor centre, andSmeaton's Tower, an historic light-house. Last year the museum hadover 90,000 visitors.

DATA FILEOPENING TIMES: Tue.-Fri. - 10am-

5.30pm, Sat. & bank holiday Mondays -10am-Spm.

ADMISSION: Free.FACILITIES: Access for disabled,

shop, refreshments.INFORMATION: 01752 304768.

FELIXSTOWE MUSEUMA NAVAL Room in FelixstoweMuseum contains exhibits, printsand models from the World Wars,including models of tank landingships and landing craft that sailedfrom the area to the D-Day beach-es in 1944.

There are also paddle steamermodels, and items connected withthe town's Landguard Fort - sceneof a Dutch attack in 1667, andwhere the museum is situated.

DATA FILEOPENING TIMES. Weds.-Sun. 2pm-

5pm, May-Sept. Out-of-hours visits byschools, clubs, associations, by arrange-ment.

ADMISSION CHARGES: Adults £1,children 50p

FACILITIES: Car park near, hot andcold drinks and biscuits, souvenir shop,disabled access.

ACCESS: In Ravelin Block, LandguardFort, at Landguard Point on the seafront.

INFORMATION: 01394 277985.

GOSPORT MUSEUMGOSPORT Town defences and military transport is dealt with by GosportMuseum, run by Hampshire County Council. Sailmaking and boatbuild-ing also feature among the exhibits.

DATA FILEOPENING TIMES: Tue.-Sat. 10am-5pm,

Sun. (May-Sept, only) 1pm-5pm.ADMISSION: Free. Groups welcome by

appointment.FACILITIES: Resources room and

meetings room available for schoolgroups and researchers. Coffee shop.Free parking within five minutes' walk.

Assistance for wheelchair users availableon request. Audio-tape guide to geologygallery available for visually impaired.

ACCESS: At the corner of Clarence andWalpole Roads a short distance from bus,station and ferry terminal (fromPortsmouth).

INFORMATION: 01705 588035.

.<*--•

Retirement • PromotionAnniversary

ft. speciaC way to rememberyesterday while Sleeping in

touch with the navy of today

'Tliis beautiful miniature Vase is chosen

from our (atest range of glassware,

'Please phone, for details of other items

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Please send the completed order form with remittance to:

THE BUSINESS MANAGER, NAVY NEWS, HMS NELSON, QUEEN STREET, PORTSMOUTH POI 3HH.

TEL: 01705 826040

EACH ITEM PACKED IN A MAROON, SATIN LINED PRESENTATION BOX

DESCRIPTION QTY UNIT PRICE TOTAL PRICE

1 Lead Crystal

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Oval Decanter in presentation box

Port Decanter in presentation box

3 Lead Crystal Mini Sovereign Decanter in presentation box

4 Clear Crystal Water Jug and Glass in presentation box

5 Clear Crystal Claudia Goblet in presentation box

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Ipt. Star Tankard in presentation box

l/2pt. Torro Tankard in presentation box

Chateau Whisky in presentation box (pair)

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