Warspite

Pen and Sword Books — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 23:00:00 +0000

No warship name in British naval history has more battle honours than Warspite.

While this book looks at the lives of all eight vessels to bear the name (between 1596 and the 1990s), it concentrates on the truly epic story of the seventh vessel, a super-dreadnought battleship, conceived as the ultimate answer to German naval power, during the arms race that helped cause WW1.

Warspite fought off the entire German fleet at Jutland, survived a mutiny between the wars and then covered herself in glory in action from the Arctic to the Indian Ocean during WW2.

She was the flagship of Admiral Sir John Cunningham when he mastered the Italian Navy in the Mediterranean, her guns inflicting devastating damage on the enemy at Calabria in 1940 and Matapan in 1941.

She narrowly avoided destruction by the Japanese carrier force that devastated Pearl Harbor.

She provided crucial fire support for Allied landings in Sicily, Italy, Normandy and Walcheren. A lucky ship in battle, she survived dive-bombers off Crete and glider bomb hits off Salerno.

The ‘Spite’ had a reputation for being obtuse at unexpected moments, running aground and losing her steering several times; she broke free from her towropes on the way to the breakers and ending up beached at St Michael’s Mount where it took a decade to dismantle her. She had fought to the end.

But this is not just the story of a warship.

Wherever possible the voices of those men who fought aboard her speak directly to the reader about their experiences.

The Warspite is also the story of a great naval nation which constructed her as the ultimate symbol of its imperial power and then scrapped her when the sun set on that empire.

Iain Ballantyne is a much published naval author. His books for Pen and Sword include Warspite, London and Victory in the Famous Ships of the British Navy series as well as Strike From the Sea. He is editor of Warships International.

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Warspite

Hoad monument under wraps

admin — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:48:39 +0000

Hoad Monument in Ulverston is shrouded in scaffolding as work starts on a £1m restoration project.

The pepperpot, as it is know locally due to it’s shape, towers above the town in South Cumbria and is an icon for miles around.

Hoad Monument, Ulverston

Built in 1850 from limestone it is in the shape of the former Eddystone lighthouse designed by Smeaton.

Built as a tribute to Sir John Barrow, who was born in Ulverston in 1764, it commemorates his naval achievements.

Sir John Barrow was an academic and naval administrator. He taught mathematics in Greenwich before travelling on a Government expedition to China in 1792.

He became fluent in many languages including Mandarin Chinese.

He became Second Secretary to the Admiralty from 1804 – 1845 and promoted British exploration of West Africa and the North Polar Region. Expeditions included those by Sir John Ross, Sir James Clark Ross and Sir John Franklin.

He was the civil servant who exiled Napoleon to St Helena and also wrote the official report on the Mutiny on the Bounty published in 1831.

He was an important figure in British Naval History and has lent his name to both Barrow Point northern Alaska and Barrow Strait, Canada.

Leaky monument

The monument was closed in 2003 because of severe ingress of water.

The Heritage Lottery fund has awarded Ulverston Town Council £891,000 towards the restoration The total project cost is £1,120,000.

Chairman of the town council’s Monument Restoration Committee Cllr Colin Hodgson said; “I am absolutely delighted that our bid has been successful and look forward to carrying out the work and re-opening of the monument.

Hoad monument as seen in 2006

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody who has supported the project development over the last three years, including Jayne Kendall Regeneration Manager for SLDC who prepared the bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund, The Friends of the Sir John Barrow Monument who have worked so hard and the people of Ulverston, South Lakeland and indeed around the world for their generosity in contributing time and funds.

I would also like to thank South Lakeland District Council, Cumbria County Council, Townlands Trust and Ulverston Market town initiative for their financial support.

I would like to emphasize that we still need to carry on raising funds as we are committed to the Heritage Lottery Fund to raise an additional £50,000 over the next two years.

This is over and above the sum of £44,000 raised so far by the Friends of the Monument and others.

Donations can be sent to Ulverston Town Council, Town Hall, Queen Street, Ulverston, LA12 7ES”

It is anticipated that the monument will re-open early in 2010.

Heritage and History» British Naval History

Warspite

Hoad monument under wraps