Nick Hervey “A History of Submarines” followed by Members’ Displays
This was an “all-day” meeting at Banstead Community Hall where we had guest speaker Nick Hervey give a talk and display entitled “A History of Submarines”. I am pleased to say that following his display Nick stayed to see the members’ displays and then subsequently joined the Society! We had 12 members present and 2 guests (including our speaker). We did have 5 apologies. Prior to the start of the meeting our Meetings Organiser, Peter High, presented Richard Berry with the Alan Brown Trophy he was awarded by our then President (Robin Davis) at our AGM in April (regrettably neither our President or Immediate Past President were able to attend this meeting due to other commitments).
Nick Hervey provided a two round display covering the development of submarines and submarine warfare. The display was in sections and was introduced by Nick who said that the collection was in memory of his father who was a Cold War submariner captaining Britain’s third nuclear powered submarine. The display started with eight sheets showcasing submarine designers on stamps including Leonardo Da Vinci’s embryonic submarine design, Cornelius Drebbel’s 17th century submarine which travelled underwater down the Thames, through Robert Fulton who was commissioned by Napoleon to design a submarine, to J P Holland who designed GB and USA’s first submarines. The next section looked at the human cost of submarine warfare and the story of the Four Chaplains with a nice sheet of the Four Chaplains stamp. There followed sections on the propaganda war involving submarines including a nice sheet of German WW1 labels with Gott Strafe England; a section on peacetime submarine disasters including the A1, M1, M2, USS Thresher, INS Dakar, ARA San Juan and Russia’s K-141 Kursk, and 14 sheets on the British Submarine VC recipients. He then showed 30 sheets on Germany’s most highly decorated Knight’s Cross submariners, and included the story in photographs of U-108, memorable images taken by Willy Wilke, a mechanic on board.
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Next Nick went through many of the various countries which have issued submarine stamps, starting with Romania, and including a comprehensive study of the 1938 Correo Submarino Spanish stamps, covers and miniature sheet issued by the beleaguered Republican Government. He also included two stamps from the German Hela Peninsular stamp issue. Another interesting item was the unusually high value 1962 St Pierre et Miquelon 500 franc stamp featuring the submarine Surcouf. The next section described the hunting down of the U-Boat fleet, including details of his grandfather’s second cousin, Frederick John [Johnnie] Walker, who pioneered the system which began to turn the tide against Donitz’s U-Boat wolfpacks; the use of ‘Q’ ships; and of Flying boats and Airships. There was then a description of Operation Pedestal to save Malta and the role of submarines in that, and a section on traditions of the Navy including an explanation of the use of the Jolly Roger on submarines, the ending of the rum ration and the use of Badges [not Crests!].
The final sections looked the modern Navy and the replacement of surface ships with submarines as the capital ships of the Navy. These included sections on the use of modern periscopes (QARL – Quick All Round Look); development of the CASD [Continuous At Sea Deterrent] since 1969 when the Navy took over responsibility for tactical nuclear weapons from the air force; the visit of Keith Speed to America just before the Falklands War which was dominated with visits to submarine related facilities and ships; the introduction of women to the submarine service; an Admiral’s Autograph book reflecting submarine dominance; Post & Go submarine issues, and finally a section looking at the numerous memorials to the thousands of submariners who have lost their lives, commemorating their being on ‘Eternal patrol.’
Following Nick’s display we then had members’ displays and who better to start these than Colin Tabeart! He showed 4 frames of German U-boats of WW2. The first frame showed photos of some of the most famous U-boat commanders, including Günther Prien and his boat being cheered into harbour after he penetrated Scapa Flow to sink the battleship Royal Oak. Frame 2 showed covers to and from the very long-range Type IX U-boats. He explained that U-boat covers could only be identified by their Feldpostnummer, every boat having a unique number, and that the Germans never censored the mail to or from U-boats. Perhaps the best cover on this frame was from KapLieut Dietrich Rauch, commanding U-868, to his mother. Frame 3 showed covers from U-boat POWs, including one from the CO of U-536 whilst a POW in Canada, to his brother, who subsequently commanded his own U-boat. Whilst POW mail went post free by surface mail, this cover was franked 30c Canadian to go by airmail - quite unusual. The final frame showed miscellaneous items, including a cover from Döenitz’s HQ to the HQ of Grand Admiral Raedar, a few days before the invasion of Norway.
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Simon McArthur showed a few items of recently purchased German Feldpost in WW2. Included were a few humorous cards and civilian items sent using the Feldpost system as well as labels which would have been attached to particular bundles of mail going to a Feldpost collection centre. Also shown were covers and cards which did not qualify for the Feldpost and therefore required postage to be paid by the recipient. This was indicated by a "Nachgebuhr" handstamp. A Feldpost letter with an attractive printed soldier header was shown alongside newspaper labels which passed through the Feldpost system.
Three items from Simon’s display
Graham Mark showed examples of mails from German prisoners of war 1914-1919: five officers at Dyffryn Aled from 3 submarines - U-6, U-18 and U-23: also from three seamen, one at Oswestry ex U-14 and two at Pattishall ex U-103. Another officer he was able to illustrate had been in the submarine service but had volunteered to serve on the interned High Seas Fleet at Scapa Flow. At Scapa he was on torpedo-boat S-132, then at Lofthouse Park and finally at Donington Hall from early November 1919 until the end of January 1920.
Graham also brought to the meeting a new book which he had just published: “P.o.W.” Wakefield. German officers in North Camp at Lofthouse Park in 1919 gathered their reminiscences of the camp which were published in Berlin in 1920. Graham translated the text, added an introduction, a list of the nine escapers from the camp during 1919 and an index of persons mentioned in the text. His book (in a limited print run) includes illustrations from the original publication, is hardbound, 122 + xxiv pp. The cost is £20 plus p&p (£4 to UK, £13 to Europe economy rate (for airmail rates please enquire).
Contact: Graham Mark, Oast House West, Wiveliscombe, Somerset TA4 2PP
or email gmarkb34@btinternet.com
Other members showed items but have not sent in a summary of what they showed - all in all it was a great day with plenty of material from both Nick, our guest speaker, and from our members. It was not all submarines - there was a wide range of topics shown.