Some of the included are crew members of HMS Lapwing. On the 20th March 1945 she was escorting part of the Russian Convoy to Murmansk, when she was torpedoed by the German submarine U-968 and sank, 158 died and 61 men were rescued.
There is also the crew of HMS Tiger in 1908, before she collided and was cut in half by the armoured cruiser HMS Berwick in a terrible accident during a night exercise and sank – some 35 sailors drowned included this ship’s dog, and 22 were rescued.
And there’s also Holland 2. In December 1902 she was damaged after the current took her off course and she accidentally surfaced directly underneath another vessel.
1. Navy crew from the past
HMS Sussex crew on paint shop duties.
A laborious job from the past here we see some of the crew of HMS Sussex on paint ship duties circa 1930s. Pic: Andrew August collection. Photo: The News archive
2. Navy crew from the past
Crew members of HMS Tiger in 1908. Photo: The News archive
3. Navy crew from the past
Some of the ships company of HMS Havant. They and their ship saved over 2, 300 men from the Dunkirk beaches. Photo: The News archive
4. Navy crew from the past
Some of the crew from the turtle-back destroyer HMS Chamois. Bottom centre of the photograph is the ships pet and to the left of it is George Harwood. He was the grandfather of George Millener who loaned us the photographs. Picture: George Millener collection Photo: The News archive