HMS Sultan welcomed Service veterans and enthusiasts from The Society for Nautical Research (South) for a visit to the Air Engineering (AE) and Marine Engineering (ME) Museums at HMS Sultan.
The Air Engineering Museum tells the story of the site’s early history as a centre for military aviation and the birthplace of Robert Smith-Barry’s School of Special Flying which revolutionised WW1 fighter pilot training.
The Marine Engineering Museum gives the history of marine engineering in the Royal Navy. Displaying a collection of Records, Artefacts and Memorabilia covering Marine Engineering training in HMS Sultan, Fisgard and Caledonia from 1903 to present day.
Amongst the items on display within the ME museum, of particular interest to Society members was a model of the County Class Destroyer HMS London, a ship which Society member Lt Cdr Retd Mark Brady had served in from 1975-1977. Mark said:
“I joined Dartmouth in Sep 1968 and retired from the Service at the end of 2002. I joined as a Seaman Officer, Executive Branch and went on to become a Warfare Officer, completing all sorts of stuff within Naval intelligence.
“I chose to wear my shirt with a HMS London crest on it, as I thought it might be a conversation starter and I was pleased to see that there is a model of my old ship within the museum.
“The Ship was in refit when I joined it, but we later went across the Atlantic for the bicentenary of the American declaration of independence for the New York Naval review in 1976.
“After my retirement I went on to study MSc and focussed on why humans have museums and the heritage of the UK Armed Forces.
“Armed forces museums foster ethos and morale within the Armed Forces, provide a history of why we did it and how we did it and help form how we can operate today. It is also important for keeping the Armed Forces in the public eye.
“As a nation, we might not be the largest in terms of numbers within the Armed Forces but we’re still up there with the best.”
Words, Matthew Hibberd, HMS Sultan. Images By PO Photographer Pepe Hogan.
The museum is sustained by interest from charity bonds bought with donations to keep alive the memory of Lt Alston, who died when the submarine HMS Affray was lost in the Channel.