Other Projects
A complete list of funds granted to the Museum since 1995, a total of nearly £170,000 is here.
1980's SSN Mess Deck Recreated
The Friends have contributed funds to the Museum's latest display - the messdeck of an SSN in the 1980's though looking at the picture of the bunk below I don't recall mine ever being that tidy.
The display features an original Cadbury’s Wispa chocolate bar, Rubiks Cube puzzle as well as uniform and personal items on bunks and in lockers. Visitors are even invited to try out a couple of the bunks! An audiovisual shows a submariner talking about what it is like to live on a submarine nowadays.The display follows a contemporary collecting project by the Museum to fill in the gap of post war personal items in the collection.
Submariners from local associations raided their attics to help.
The most realistic item is the Mars Bar which is well past its sell by date just as one would have bought it from the canteen!
No prizes for guessing which of these eminent people is not a submariner (no its not Colin!)
Pictured with Alexandra Geary our Keeper of Artefacts are Colin "The Bear" Way and Buck Taylor who both contributed to the display
The least realistic bit must be these lockers which still have some space in them - duh!.
HMS UPHOLDER Jolly Roger.
The Friends have contributed funds towards the framing of HMS UPHOLDER's Jolly Roger now proudly on display in the Museum.
The Jolly Roger is a long-standing tradition amongst submariners. They recorded their successes on a black flag on return from patrol. This example was created during their deployment to Malta in 1940-1942. A lace merchant named Cassar was inspired by the flags and arranged for silk needlework versions to be sewn in the convents of the Malta and presented to the submarine commanders.
The chevron symbols denote the number of hits, and the crossed cannons denote gun action.
HMS 'Upholder' was the highest scoring British submarine of World War II, sinking a total of 133,940 tons of enemy shipping. This was during a single commission from 1940-1942, under the command of Lieutenant Commander David Wanklyn VC DSO**. The submarine was lost with all hands in April 1942 and this flag is one of the few items remaining from it.
Area of Remembrance
The Friends gave £20,000 towards the new Area of Rembrance which is now complete behind the Fieldhouse Building.
The Area of Remembrance
Time for Jeff to get his Brasso out!
A Tribute