Churchill's Pirates: The Royal Naval Patrol Service in World War II (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781848842564)

The Royal Naval Patrol Service, or Harry Tate's Navy as it was commonly known, was a unique service with its own rules and regulations. The officers and seamen were mainly ex-fishermen who had manned trawlers in Icelandic waters. The service was armed mostly with obsolete weaponry and suffered heavy casualties in the early stages of the war. The service was not confined to the seas around Britain and their small trawlers, drifters, paddle steamers, yachts and tugs saw service as far away as the Mediterranean and Newfoundland coast. Their main tasks included convoy escort duties, mine sweeping and antisubmarine work. Many awards for bravery were won including a VC. This book looks at the Service personnel, the boats, equipment and includes many firsthand accounts from crew. Lengthy Appendices include vessels names, numbers and fate.

Author: Jonathan Sutherland,Diane Canwell
ISBN-10: 1848842562
ISBN-13: 9781848842564
Publisher: Pen and Sword Maritime
Language: English
Published: 03/01/2011
Pages: 256
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.54lbs
Size: 9.42h x 6.41w x 1.22d