Royal Navy Sketchbooks

"A bound sketchbook containing a series of 36 pencil and watercolour sketches drawn by Commander Mervyn Scott Lindslay whilst a prisoner of the Japanese at North Point Camp in Hong Kong from 1942 to 1945. The sketches include views from the camp, of the interior and exterior of huts, the galley, scullery, inmates' footwear, wood cutting parties, the barber's shop, furniture, portraits of Lindslay and other inmates, and designs for a house that Lindslay hopes to build after his release."



















"Sketches from notebooks kept by Petty Officer Wren Margaret Field. They were completed whilst she was attending various Women's Royal Naval Service aircraft maintenance training courses. The courses were held at HMS Fledgling, a WRNS training establishment located near Eccleshall in 1943 and at HMS Kestrel, a Royal Naval Air Station located near Worthy Down, Winchester in 1945."


Sea Your History is a new British archive documenting the history of the Royal Navy in the 20th century. It is an evolving project but already there's a lot of interesting material, particularly in the Image Gallery (including a number of journals, sketchbooks - obviously, and cartoon/satire books; and of course photographs). The site is what I might describe as 'fair' to negotiate. [via]



"The crossing the Arctic Circle certificate of Chief Petty Officer Betram Lagard. He received it whilst serving as part of an Arctic convoy onboard HMS Fitzroy, on 23rd October 1944. He was now entitled to be called a Loyal Member of the Most Ancient Order of the Bluenose." [from the 'Crossing the Line' section]