NAVY NEWS, AUGUST 2007 45
Loch, stock and barrels
READERS may
of the Admiralty’s mind but that time ago I read some early drafts
remember my favourable
at Rosyth was never completed of parts of the book in order to
review of Brian Lavery’s
The Grove Review to the extent originally proposed give advice on the periods with
and it never became a base port which I was more familiar than
recent book on
alongside Portsmouth, Plymouth Brian, particularly the 20th
Churchill’s Navy. and Chatham. Century.
Naval hero...
Now he has rapidly followed more so given Scotland’s more Impressment, dubious Much of the book covers the This advice was duly given
it with another important work, extreme protestantism. in Scots law, was period of both World Wars. In – and I can see echoes of it in
Shield of Empire: The Royal One of the cruellest and not resorted WW1, the Grand Fleet operated the fi nal product – but the book
and conman?
Navy in Scotland (Birlinn, £30 most infamous suppressors to in Scotland from Scapa Flow, Cromarty and has developed much since and I
ISBN 978-1-84158-5130), of the J acobite highlanders until 1755 Rosyth, while the Clyde became feel able to approach it with as
writes Eric Grove, Professor of in 1746 was Captain and in Brian’s a key base area for shipping much objectivity as I can, given
AFTER Nelson, Thomas, Lord
Naval History at the University John Ferguson RN – a words “it never protection in WW2. my long and happy professional
Cochrane is one of the best-
of Salford. Scotsman. really worked Scapa was crucial again but relationship with its distinguished
known personalities of the early
As a Scotsman, there is no- It was after the fall as a means of a terrible price was paid for the author.
19th-Century Royal Navy, writes
one better placed than Brian to of the Stuarts in recruiting there”. neglect of its defences with the The blemishes in this book
Dr Colin White of the Royal Naval
tell the story of the often uneasy 1696 that Scotland Indeed he argues: loss of the battleship Royal Oak to are all small and niggling.
relationship of the northern
Museum.
commissioned “It contributed to a Gunther Prien’s U-47. Engineering training was at
kingdom with what, since 1707,
Highly controversial and
a small fl eet of feeling that the Royal The book is noteworthy for its Keyham in Plymouth before
has been its navy as well as
colourful, he was not only a
its own to defend Navy was a predatory sketches of signifi cant events, such it went to Manadon. The little
England’s.
distinguished naval commander,
its merchant shipping English institution.” As
as Prien’s successful attack. suburb of Aberdeen at the mouth
Even before full union in 1707,
but also an ingenious inventor
against the French guerre de a result Scots were under-
The description of Invergordon of the Dee mentioned as being
the Union of the Crowns in 1603 course. represented in Nelson’s
and a freedom fi ghter who played
is one of the best brief accounts assessed for seamen in the 17th
and the Cromwellian conquest There were three small Scottish navy.
a leading role in the emancipation
available. One aspect Brian brings Century was indeed ‘Futtie’ (or
meant that Scots were caught warships Royal William, Royal The Royal Navy’s connections
of Chile from Spanish rule.
out is how the enforced return to ‘Fittie’); the name came from
up in English Royal maritime Mary and Dumbarton Castle. with Scotland atrophied post-
So renowned was he for
home ports completely disrupted local Saint Fittick. Its translation
affairs. The trio passed into the newly- 1815 with a service based in
recklessness that when, aged
offi cers’ plans to have time ashore as ‘Footdee’ in Victorian times is
Scottish seamen had been formed British Royal Navy in the South of England and with
79, he applied to command the
with their families, as had become probably an error.
called upon by Charles I to 1707; Dumbarton Castle kept important cultural differences
British fl eet at the outbreak of
the custom. Some, like arming HMS
man his ships against Spain in her name, one that has been used unrecognised (RN Church of
the Crimean War in 1854, he
The book comes up to date with Harvester with “four 4 to 7in
the 1620s. In the 1630s when since by HM ships, the other Scotland Chaplains were only
was turned down because his
a slightly patchy and unbalanced guns”, are clearly misprints.
Charles’ ecclesiastical reforms two became HMS Glasgow and fully accepted in 1943!).
“adventurous spirit might lead to
account of the post-war period Some of the pictures might have
caused much of Scotland to HMS Edinburgh, precursors of The tide began to turn in the
unfortunate results”!
with a great deal of detail about been better captioned. It ought to
revolt (Brian says because of distinguished lineages. latter part of the century with the
Like Nelson, Cochrane has
Holy Loch (that is really Scotland have been made clear that it was
the attempt to impose bishops; Brian mentions the birth of reorganised coastguard providing
been the subject of many books –
and the US Navy). More might the new Fisher period ‘Home
in fact the bishops were already the contemporary ‘Scottish navy’ a naval presence around Britain,
including fi ction, for it has
have been put in about Scotland’s Fleet’ that is pictured at Scapa
there, the dispute was initiated of fi shery protection vessels in and, more importantly, the new
even been claimed that he was
by liturgical reform), major the early 20th Century. Perhaps Royal Naval Reserve, that provided
absolutely key naval role in the (a very interesting shot of which
the model for both Forester’s
amphibious operations were there should have been more a useful source of income for
Cold War period, such as the Joint much could have been made);
Hornblower and O’Brian’s
planned by the king but never on the growth and growing crofter fi shermen.
Maritime Courses (JMCs) which the well-known picture of the
Aubrey.
executed. responsibilities of this interesting By 1902 there were fi fty percent
are only mentioned when they German battleship seen being
But Richard Dale’s Napoleon
Much of the early part of the and often forgotten fl otilla. as many Scots in the RNR as
moved to Faslane. scuttled a little later in the same
is Dead! Lord Cochrane and
book is a fascinating description The relatively impoverished Englishmen, a proportion far
Although most important anchorage is clearly not of the
the Great Stock Exchange
of the maritime dimensions of 18th-Century Scots saw the Royal greater than the relative population
Scottish developments are covered mis-spelled ‘Derfl inger’ – that in
Scandal (Sutton, £20 ISBN
the civil confl icts that raged Navy as a path to economic and sizes. A static ratings training ship
and there is some discussion any case was a battlecruiser.
978-0750943819) is unlike any
between the Stuarts and their social advancement and integration was also brought from Plymouth
of the future and the effects of None of this detracts
of its rivals. For it focuses on one
enemies until the middle of into the new British state. This gives to the Forth, HMS Caledonia,
devolution, there is no mention signifi cantly from an excellent,
extraordinary event in Cochrane’s
the 18th Century. Brian rightly Brian an opportunity to display but it was short-lived and boys
of the likely assembly of the giant accessible and informative
long and complex life.
makes the point that the Jacobites his great expertise in the 18th- training went south again; the
new aircraft carriers at Rosyth. book that should attract a wide
Using new evidence from
(the supporters of the Stuart Century Royal Navy to explain name was only revived for the
I must declare an interest in readership, by Scots and others
original trial papers, Dale, a
kings after their dispossession the impact of Scots on the service, static artifi cers’ training ship (the
reviewing Shield of Empire. Some alike.
barrister and professor of fi nance,
in 1688), were regarded by most the importance of Scottish offi cers former liner Majestic) in 1937.
painstakingly reconstructs this
Scots with the same distaste as like Duff, Duncan, Barham, Keith The long confl ict with Germany
extraordinary scam, when a
by most Englishmen – probably and Cochrane. brought Scottish bases to the front
syndicate of investors persuaded
the Stock Exchange that
Napoleon had been defeated and
killed, thus creating a dramatic
rise in government bonds that
yielded them some impressive
profi ts. Conquerors and conquered
Accused of being one of the
fraudsters, Cochrane was found
guilty after a dramatic and highly
After breathing fresh life into the
would never be found because the sea was so rough.
controversial trial. legendary Ark Royal III, Mike Rossiter
And so the Belgrano, the defi ning moment in
BECOME A
However, eventually, after a
has turned his attention to the Falklands
Conqueror’s career. There was initial euphoria as
long battle, he managed to clear
the submarine’s torpedoes dealt a mortal blow to the PUBLISHED
his name and have his naval rank
and the duel between HMS Conqueror aged cruiser.
AUTHOR
reinstated.
and an Argentine cruiser in Sink the
And after the explosion, the consequences. On the
But did he actually do it after Belgrano (Bantam, £17.99 ISBN 978-0-
sonar Graham Libby listened to ship breaking up as
Independent publisher currently
all? Richard Dale thinks that
593-05842-8).
she sank.
seeking authors in all categories
he did – and he advances some
“It was a noise we’d never heard before – a
No single incident in the six-week war has been
For more information contact:
persuasive evidence in support of
tinkling noise, like someone wafting their
more obfuscated and distorted by conspiracy Blenheim Press
his contention.
hand through a big glass chandelier. And
theorists convinced Mrs T sank the Belgrano
35 Market Place (NN),
He writes well, and brings the
it wasn’t until the analysis of all the
to win an election; her agents bumped off St Albans, Herts, AL3 5DL
original plot, and the subsequent
tapes afterwards that they realised,
an anti-nuclear campaigner in a bungled Tel: 01727 852016 Fax: 01727 843716
trial, vividly to life.
following the explosion and the
burglary, log books disappeared, there were
E-mail: blenheimpress@tiscali.co.uk
Not much naval history here
fires and all that hot metal, it was
misleading statements to Parliament –
like dousing a piece of hot metal in a
OPERATION PURSENET
– but an interesting sideline on an
most of which was down to blunder not
bucket of water.”
(CYPRUS 1955-60)? Military HP BOOKFINDERS: Established
ever-fascinating naval character.
deceit (including the break-in which
The explosions as Belgrano sank historian researching whole professional service locating out
was indeed a bungled burglary). knocked over men standing in her life
campaign seeks accounts from ships of print titles on all
Covers recall
Of course, most of the accusations rafts.
companies taking part. At least HMS subjects. No obligation or SAE
and recriminations came from those Before they were rescued, 23 men perished
Charity, Comet, Daring. Reggio,
who’d never been to war... but then of cold in the South Atlantic; three hundred
required. Contact: Mosslaird,
Falklands
the media has a habit of looking at the more went down with the ship.
Leverton. Stephen Jones 12 Green Brig O’ Turk, Callander, FK17 8HT
world in black and white. The rest of Conqueror’s war patrol was
Lane, Chislehurst, Kent BR7 6AG Telephone/Fax: (01877) 376377
Mike Rossiter is a media man, a documentary relatively uneventful. She may, or may not, have
milresearch@dsl.pipex.com martin@hp-bookfinders.co.uk
A SERIES of limited edition
producer-cum-author, but he views the Belgrano been attacked by a torpedo dropped from an
covers has been produced by the
incident for what it was: a dramatic – and tragic Argentine patrol aircraft. There were numerous other
Harrier Carriers
Royal Naval Philatelic Society
– story of war at sea. scares. There were reactor problems. And there was
For beneath the layers of a conspiracy theory there
praise from the top.
Vol 1
to commemorate victory in the
Falklands 25 years ago.
is a damn good story to tell, one told in an admirably-
“Your success on Belgrano completely changed the
HMS INVINCIBLE
All covers contain a text sheet
balanced fashion by Rossiter, who interviewed the Args’ plans and enforced a very protective attitude By Neil McCart
and photocards of all the Falkland
protagonists of both sides. which has aided our operations enormously,” Flag The well illustrated story of the first of
Islands memorials to the fallen
And what is revealing is the high morale among the Officer Submarines signalled.
the Royal Navy’s new generation of aircraft
Belgrano’s crew, heading to war in a WW2-vintage When the first mail arrived aboard in mid-June,
carriers from the Falklands War to the early
and have been cancelled by the
cruiser against a Navy with a tradition second-to- Conqueror’s crew were astonished to learn the
years of the 21st Century.
Falkland Islands Philatelic Bureau
none. Old though the Belgrano was, her men had headlines they had made around the world. The
Hardback Price £19.95+ p&p. ISBN 1 901225 08 9
on June 14 – the anniversary of
faith in her. Silent Service was not so silent after all...
Also Still Available in Hardback:
liberation in 1982.
The covers range in price from
Such confidence might have evaporated had they And yet in the aftermath of war, after the media
FEARLESS & INTREPID 1965~2002 £24.00 + P&P
£7.75-25.75 depending on the
known that Conqueror was on her way – and just how hype and hysteria, what is surprising is that Conqueror COLOSSUS-CLASS AIRCRAFT CARRIERS 1944-1972 £24.00 + P&P
number/value of stamps and
well honed her crew were. and Belgrano veterans were often treated identically HMS HERMES 1923 & 1959 £24.00 + P&P
signatures.
CO Cdr Christopher Wreford-Brown and his XO in their respective homelands. THREE ARK ROYALS 1938~1999 £23.00 + P&P
The society has also
Lt Cdr Tim McClement whipped their men into Argentinian survivors were invariably shunned by
TIGER, LION & BLAKE 1942~1986 £21.50 + P&P
commissioned commemorative
shape with 18 hours of training a day. Desire peace, the countrymen, while the reaction of many Brits
HMS VANGUARD 1944~1960 BRITAIN’S LAST BATTLESHIP £19.95 + P&P
covers to celebrate the arrival prepare for war... By the time the boat had reached
to the submariners was also often hostile; half the
ILLUSTRIOUS & IMPLACABLE AIRCRAFT CARRIERS £23.00 + P&P
of new Falkland Islands patrol the environs of the Falklands, “we knew each other’s
people Cdr David Hall, Conqueror’s senior engineer,
HMS GLORY 1944-1961 £19.95 + P&P
ship HMS Clyde and the 50th dreams” recalled PO Graham Libby.
met while fundraising for the RNLI later wanted to
Please add £2.75 p&p for the UK & EU or £4.50 for worldwide surface mail. Payment
birthday of Northwood RNR unit This is more than a story of cruiser versus
punch him.
by sterling cheque, postal order, or by VISA/MASTERCARD/SWITCH. Telephone/Fax/Email orders welcomed.
HMS Wildfire. submarine, however.
Not surprisingly, some Conqueror men feel bitter
From FAN PUBLICATIONS, 17 Wymans Lane, Cheltenham, Glos GL51 9QA.
The covers are available from Equally gripping is Conqueror’s role in the re- at being branded murderers and warmongers.
Tel/Fax:01242 580290 / Website: www.fanpublications.co.uk or order from good bookshops.
Royal Naval Philatelic Society, capture of South Georgia, and especially the bravery “We were only there because of what those
19 College Road, HM Naval of two deeps who braved biting winds and ferocious politicians had done, or rather failed to do,”
Base Portsmouth PO1 3LJ, or seas to fix a radio antenna. They were told to dispense complained rating Bill Budding. “And then they turn to advertise contact: advertising @navynews.co.uk
enquiries@rnphilatelic.org with life jackets; if they were swept over the side they round and blame us for doing our job.”
0045_NN_Aug.indd 145_NN_Aug.indd 1 118/7/07 17:07:308/7/07 17:07:30
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