| ID | Description | Categories | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1902 | DAVIES, John. The Stone Frigate. v, 179p. London: Macmillan, 1947.
The training of an ordinary seaman, catching graphically the transition from civilian to sailor. Continued in Lower Deck. |
view | |
| 1903 | DWYER, D. J. A History of the Royal Naval Barracks, Portsmouth. 90p., illus. Portsmouth: Gale & Polden, 1961.
One-third of this brief history is devoted to a summary of wartime events at the barracks. |
view | |
| 1904 | GREAT BRITAIN. Admiralty. The Navy and the Y Scheme. 64p., illus. London: HMSO, 1944.
The Y scheme was a pre-entry training scheme for underage but aspiring seamen. This pamphlet describes the work of the Navy in wartime and how to volunteer for the scheme. It was written by John Moore. |
view | |
| 1905 | HARDING, Gil. HMS Caledonia: the Apprentices' Story 1937-1985. Memories of ex-Apprentices and Staff of Caledonia. 288p., illus. [n.p.], Old Caledonia Artificer Apprentices' Association, [2003]. Gives good coverage of training in World War 2. |
view | |
| 1906 | LAVERY, Brian. Hostilities Only: Training the Wartime Royal Navy. 304p., bibliog., illus., index. London: National Maritime Museum, 2004. ISBN: 0948065486.
Uses first-hand accounts and archival research, to describe how nearly two million citizens joined the Royal Navy. Recounts the training methods that transformed these raw recruits into an effective fighting force. |
view | |
| 1907 | MIDDLETON, Judy. HMS King Alfred 1939–1945. 86p., bibliog., illus. [Brighton: author], 1986. A history of the famous wartime training school for officers, which also considers RN recruitment policy for officers. Reprinted by Hove Council in 1989. |
view | |
| 1908 | PENN, Geoffrey. HMS Thunderer: The Story of the Royal Naval Engineering College Keyham and Manadon. 207p., bibliog., illus., index. Emsworth: Mason, 1984. ISBN: 0859373215.
Includes a chapter on WWII in this domestic history. |
view | |
| 1909 | POLAND, E. N. The Torpedomen: HMS Vernon's Story 1872–1986. 415p., bibliog., illus., index. [n.p.: author], 1993. ISBN: 0859373967. Rear Admiral Poland led the team which compiled this full history of the achievements of not only Vernon but of "her people" and the weapons they designed. A densely packed and sometimes densely written book, which will prove a definitive work. |
view | |
| 1910 | ROBSON, Tom. Boy Seaman R. N.: The True Story 1790–1976. 221p., illus., index. Darlington: [author], 1996. ISBN: 0952774909.
The book concentrates heavily on WWII and on the personal experience of those who were trained at the various establishments dotted around the UK in WWII and at Ganges at other times. From Jack Cornwall to Class 112 lost in its entirety on Royal Oak, 15- and 16-year-olds trained hard and sometimes paid the supreme sacrifice. |
view | |
| 1911 | SCHOFIELD, B. B. Navigation and Direction: The Story of HMS Dryad. 199p., illus., index. Havant: Mason, 1979. ISBN: 0859370879.
Essentially the story of the training of RN navigators from 1900 to 1977, with substantial mention of WWII. |
view | |
| 1912 | WEBB, E. D. HMS Vernon: A Short History from 1930 to 1955. vii, 114p., illus. Portsmouth: Wardroom Mess Committee HMS Vernon, 1956.
A history which gives a great deal of its space to the defeat of the German magnetic mine. |
view | |
| 1913 | WELLS, John G. Whaley: The Story of HMS Excellent 1830 to 1980. [xii], 247p., bibliog., illus., index. Portsmouth: HMS Excellent, 1980.
The history of the Navy's gunnery school, with 30 pages on the Island in WWII, by a sometime Captain of the School. |
view | |
| 1914 | WINDSOR, Alfie. HMS Conway 1859-1974. x, 447p., illus. Livingston: Witherby Seamanship International, 2008. ISBN: 9781905331314.
A history of the training ship based on diaries, logs and reminiscences. There is a full account of her wartime tribulations. |
view | |
| 1915 | BADEN-POWELL, Dorothy. They Also Serve: An SOE Agent in the WRNS. 192p., illus. London: Robert Hale, 2004. ISBN: 0709077157. She worked in the Scandinavian Section of the SOE, but after eighteen months there was sent to try and infiltrate an enemy spy ring based in Plymouth. An entertaining tale. |
view | |
| 1916 | BATSTONE, Stephanie. Wren's Eye View: The Adventures of a Visual Signaller. [vi], 184p., illus. Tunbridge Wells: Parapress, 1994. ISBN: 1898594120.
An enchanting description of a young girl's move from civilian to service life. The story revolves largely round her training and a long period based at Oban in 1943–45. |
view | |
| 1917 | BIGLAND, Eileen. The Story of the WRNS. 188p., illus. London: Nicholson & Watson, 1946.
The record of a trip made in 1944 by the author, visiting various establishments where Wrens were employed, is used as a vehicle for a brief account of their varied wartime duties. |
view | |
| 1918 | BROOME, Jack. Services Wrendered, by Sonia Snodgrass goaded by J. E. Broome. 96p., illus. London: Sampson Low, 1946.
Broome's drawings and cartoons are accompanied by short rhymes describing the pleasures and hazards of wartime life in the Wrens. Reprinted by Kimber in 1974 (ISBN: 0718303733). |
view | |
| 1919 | CURTIS-WILLSON, Rosemary. c/o GPO London: With the Women’s Royal Naval Service Overseas. viii, 191p., frontis. London: Hutchinson, [1949]. Charming autobiographical account of service in the Wrens in World War II though somewhat overburdened in places with travelogue. The author joined in 1941 as a young girl and served mainly overseas, in the Middle East, Quebec (briefly) and Ceylon (Katukurunda), ending the war as a Third Officer. She was also involved for a while in the planning for D-Day at Fort Southwick. |
view | |
| 1920 | DAVISON, Muriel. A Wren's Tale: The Secret Link to Bletchley Park. Reigate: Mark Davison, 2011. ISBN: 97809569987.
The profusely illustrated memoirs of a radio mechanic. |
view | |
| 1921 | DEACON, Audrey. Diary of a Wren 1940-1945: War Years in the Women's Royal Naval Service. xv, 168p., illus., index. Spennymoor: Memoir Club, 2001. ISBN: 1841040320.
She served throughout the war, mainly at Plymouth most notably over the D-Day period and latterly at Liverpool and Kyle of Lochalsh. This is a moving account of daily life during the war, including her marriage and widowhood when her childhood sweetheart and husband was wounded and later dies after a training accident. |
view |