30/11/92

Press Release

Eden Camp:

PRESS RELEASE ASAP

CHURCHILL'S PIRATES TO INVADE EDEN CAMP

On 5th May 2001, Eden Camp will be playing host to veterans of the Royal Naval Patrol Service…or RNPS for short…also known as Harry Tate's Navy…or Churchill's Pirates!

The day will mark the unveiling of a number of new exhibits relating to the RNPS. These include a scratch built scale model of HMS Almond, a Tree class trawler which was sunk whilst sweeping for mines off Falmouth on 2nd February 1941 with the loss of 19 of her 20 crew members. There is a local connection in that three members of the crew originated from Scarborough (approx., 23 miles north east of Eden Camp), and it is the son of one of the crew, Major Clark, who has commissioned and part built the model for the museum.

We will also be unveiling a plaque dedicated to the RNPS in our Chapel of Remembrance - Hut 29 and an extension to our existing RNPS photographic and textual display. The museum will be open as normal at 10.00am and all RNPS veterans and their wives/partners are invited to visit the museum free of charge. The unveilings will commence at approximately 2.30pm.

Brief History of RNPS

The RNPS was responsible for the defence of the 'narrow seas' of Britain's home waters. Personnel were drawn mainly from the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve (RNVR), many were fishermen by trade, but many others had also never stepped foot on a boat before. Its fighting fleet consisted of hundreds of requisitioned trawlers, whalers, drifters, paddle steamers yachts, tugs etc. converted to carry out minesweeping and anti submarine work and often armed with little more than ancient and out of date weaponry. Those sectors of the Royal Navy who put to sea in purpose built warships nick-named the RNPS 'Harry Tate's Navy' after the Music Hall comedian who was afraid of everything modern. At its peak, the RNPS numbered some 70,000 men and 6,000 ships. It also lost more ships than any other branch of the Royal Navy. A memorial down at the RNPS H.Q. (H.M.S. Europa) based at the Sparrows Nest in Lowestoft records the names of 2,385 members of the service who were lost and 'have no known grave but the sea.'

For more information do not hesitate to contact Nick Hill at the address or phone number above.

admin@edencamp.co.uk