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The
Royal Naval Patrol Service or Harry Tate's Navy, as
it was more popularly known, was a very special service
indeed with its own rules and regulations and the unique
distinction of having its own exclusive Silver Badge,
worn by sea-going officers and ratings alike. Its headquarters
were at Sparrow`s Nest, the municipal pleasure ground
at Lowestoft, and its fighting fleet consisted of hundreds
of requisitioned trawlers, whalers, drifters, paddle
steamers, yachts, tugs and the like 'Minor War Vessels'
as the Admiralty called them.
Armed with ancient and
out-of-date weaponry, they set out from Lowestoft to
fight the Second World War in every corner of the globe.
This is their story.
It cannot be complete because no one man can ever know
the whole story of Harry Tate`s Navy but it may at least
convey some of the atmosphere of those daring days when
men came to Lowestoft from all over the world to join
Harry Tate`s Navy. |
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An extract from a rare film entitled 'Close-up for Action Stations!' This was made as a feature about the Royal Naval Fleet during WW2.
Narrated by Roland A Smith, this section features the recruitment of fishermen as volunteers into the Royal Naval Patrol Service. Film footage also shows the methods of sweeping enemy mines plus scenes at HMS Europa, Lowestoft, Grimsby docks and minesweeping off the southern coast of England.
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| My father served from 1941
to 1946 and was known as 'Geordie' due to being
from Newcastle! his name was Alf Turnbull, some
of the ships he served on as an AB were: The Solomon,
The Achroite and the Gooseander and the Grenadier. I would
be interested to hear of anyone who was on the Kurd as he was picked up when his ship was sunk. My father
was also in the depot at HMS Europa in 1946' - Please contact Yvonne Bragg by leaving a message on the forum |
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| My father Thomas ("Tom")
Kennedy (1913-70), a naval wireless operator iwith
HMS HAMLET, from October 1941 to December 1943,
as a Telegraphist on ML 1375 and MM 143. I would
like to know more, if possible, about his service
in the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean, life
and conditions aboard HMS Hamlet, ML 1375 and MMS
143 (plus photographs). Please leave a
message on the forum or contact : harrytates@hotmail.com |
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I have found some photos of
my uncle during the war, one is of the crew of the mine
sweeper h,m,s,cailiff he said it was in Newfoundland
Canada, any information of crew or ship would be most
grateful. - Please leave a message on the forum or contact
: harrytates@hotmail.com
Posted: 4/5/06 |
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My Father (picture attached) served aboard the HMT Oku and at the age of 17, in 1943, transferred to I believe to BYMS 2055. I am looking for any photographs related to this vessel (i.e. BYMS 2055) as I have basic plans to construct a scale model. I have manged to find a very grainy picture of BYMS 2055 when it served in the Korean Navy as the Ko Yung (YMS515)
Will be pleased to pass on any messages from his former shipmates or any other info./photographs related to this. Thank you Malcolm Bowstead - Please leave a message on the forum or contact : harrytates@hotmail.com. Posted: 18/10/06. |
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