The Royal Naval Patrol Service Museum was heavily involved with author Will Iredale in his research for this major new book “Churchills Pirates” on the WW2 Royal Naval Patrol Service, it was published in August and already getting acclaimed as a major work on the subject, using previously unpublished firsthand accounts from archives, veterans and families. It has already had double page spreads in The Times, The Telegraph and the Daily Express. For anyone interested in the work of the Royal Naval Patrol Service this is the book! It is available through Amazon and major book shops.
This book deals with the work of the Royal Naval Patrol Service whos headquarters for its minesweeping and anti submarine operations around the world was in the Sparrows Nest Gardens in Lowestoft and named HMS Europa. There were 66,000 men and 6,000 vessels in the Patrol Service of which they lost 600 vessels and approximately 5,000 men and it became the most highly decorated branch of the Royal Navy. The vessels were mainly comandered fishing vessels, converted and armed and most of the early crews were fishermen, later suplimented by civilians in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve.
The vessels were classed as Minor War Vessels and the work was hard, dirty and dangerous resulting in the men not always wearing proper uniforms and when Churchill saw one of these vessels in port he is reported as saying “who are that lot” and was told they were the Royal Naval Patrol Service to which he said “they look like a bunch of pirates” hence the title of the book and the nickname that the men were proud of… The headquarters offices in Lowestoft were manned mainly by WRNS (Women’s Royal Naval Service), and this book has firsthand accounts from some of them and gives a great insight.
This book deals with all aspects of the Patrol Service during 1939 to 1946 and sits nicely alongside the RNPS museum in keeping the memory of these people alive and continuing to show people what it was all about. Dealing with WW2 is a vast subject but Will Iredale has produced a very readable and informative work which in our opinion has gone further than some other books on the subject. At the Royal Naval Patrol Service Museum, they are pleased to have been associated with this book by assisting the author on his many visits to them searching through their archives and answering his questions.
Royal Naval Patrol Service Museum says…
This book is a must for anyone interested in the Royal Navy and in particular the Royal Naval Patrol Service in WW2 because the big ships would not go anywhere unless the Patrol Service had been there first sweeping the area! The Royal Naval Patrol Service was often looked down on because of their old fishing vessels and cramped living conditions and hence it is not widely known about, but it was a vital and dangerous job, which helped shorten the war by getting vital convoys through.
Find out more…
Royal Naval Patrol Service website: www.rnpsa.co.uk