We mark and mourn the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, an extraordinary monarch and the cornerstone of the Special Relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom. We wish to express condolences to our Royal Patron of the National Museum of the Royal Navy, Princess Anne, on the loss of her cherished mother. Our hearts are with the Royal Family, the people of the United Kingdom and all members of the Armed Forces, past and present.
NYC Virtual Pickle Night 2021
On November 5th, 2021, we commemorated the historic journey of HMS Pickle and the 216th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar. Our virtual gathering was recorded. Ticket holders and donors to the American Friends of the National Museum of the Royal Navy are welcome to view this recording any time.
LCT 7074
WWII Landing Craft Tank (LCT) 7074 Restoration Documentary
The National Museum of the Royal Navy is proud to include among its permanent exhibitions the last surviving Landing Craft Tank (LCT) from WWII, restored to her former glory and installed at the Museum’s special exhibition campus at Southsea. This mini-documentary shows the history, rescue and restoration of this hugely significant craft. Teams at the Museum worked in 2019 and 2020 to bring LCT 7074 back to life.
Why Nelson?
By Rear Admiral Joseph F. Callo, U.S. Navy (Retired), Co-founding Member, AFNMRN
Why Nelson?
A.T. Mahan, godfather of all U.S. sea power advocates, described Admiral Horatio Nelson in his classic biography of the hero of Trafalgar: “Other men have died in the hour of victory, but for no other has victory so singular and so signal graced the fulfilment and ending of a great life’s work…he needed, and he left no successor.”
Why Nelson Now?
In addition to Nelson’s profound impact on the course of history, his leadership has altered the understanding of sea power forever. Nelson not only applied winning tactics in crucial situations, he demonstrated the special importance of establishing a winning doctrine among his subordinates. His leadership not only shaped the British Royal Navy that ruled the seas in the century following his astonishing victories, it was a powerful influence on the development of U.S. sea power in the present day.
Why Nelson Tomorrow?
Concepts of distributed political power, planted at Runnymede in 1215, when King John agreed to share his political power with his barons, live on in today’s democracies. History warns us however, liberty must be defended continuously. As long as that is true, so too will there be a need for future Nelsons.
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The Royal Marines Commando Experience
The National Museum of the Royal Navy wants to create a world class new attraction revealing the story of Commandos from their origins in Britain’s darkest days of 1940 to the Future Commando Force.
The Future Commando Force will have the capability to deploy around the world on duties such as warfighting, combat exercises, and humanitarian missions as well as potentially persistent forward deployments and special operations, including supporting the Carrier Strike Group.
Located within the iconic Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, which is part of Her Majesty’s Naval Base, our dynamic experience will reveal the drama of the Royal Marines Commandos and Navy Special Operations in the past, present and future.
Through cutting edge design which gets people hands-on and showcases military innovation and creativity we will provide an inspirational, unforgettable experience and take visitors into the physical, mental and technical reality of Commando selection and training.
To financially support or get involved in this project please contact Helen McKenna-Aspell, Director of Fundraising at the National Museum of the Royal Navy. fundraising@nmrn.org.uk
Preservation of the Historic Naval Fleet Fund
The National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN) has the vision of becoming the world’s most inspiring naval museum.
NMRN cares for vessels that are of such significance they form part of the nation’s historic ship register. These vessels are vital to our understanding of the Royal Navy and its epic history, they illustrate the evolution of warfare at sea, from sailing ships to submarines; demonstrate the evolution of technology and construction techniques; and bring us face-to-face with the living and fighting conditions of naval personnel from the age of sail to the present day. The ongoing conservation of historic ships and submarines is challenging, expensive and requires specialist skills.
Despite the historical significance of the Historic Naval Fleet, there is no guarantee of funding. In order to safeguard their future and ensure they remain safely accessible to the public, we have launched the Preservation of the Historic Naval Fleet Fund.
The aim of the fund is to ensure that the National Museum has a reliable source of income to preserve these ships for future generations to enjoy.
The vessels protected by NMRN are:
18th and 19th century
- HMS Victory, a 104-gun first-rate ship of the line, laid down in 1759 and launched in 1765. Notable for her role as Lord Nelson’s flagship, and the ship upon which he was mortally wounded, at the Battle of Trafalgar.
- HMS Warrior, a 40-gun steam-powered ironclad frigate. Laid down in 1859 and launched in 1860.
- HMS Trincomalee, a Leda-class sailing frigate. Laid down after the Napoleonic Wars in 1816 and launched in 1817.
WW1 and WW2
- HMS Caroline, a light cruiser that saw combat service in the First World War, she is the last survivor of the Battle of Jutland still afloat. Laid down in 1914 and launched the same year, she is one of only three surviving Royal Navy warships of the First World War.
- HMS M33, an M29-class monitor built in 1915. She saw service in the Mediterranean during the First World War and in Russia during the Allied Intervention in 1919. She is one of only three surviving Royal Navy warships to have served in the Gallipoli Campaign.
- LCT 7074, the last surviving Landing Craft (Tank) to have served at D-Day. She was Built in 1944 and was part of the 17th LCT Flotilla during Operation Neptune and designed to land tanks, other vehicles and troops.
- X24, the only X-craft to see service in the Second World War and survive intact. X-Craft were deployed for a variety of operations during the War, including in Norway and acting as navigational beacons on D-Day.
Submarines
- HMS Alliance, an A-class, Amphion-class or Acheron-class submarine, laid down in 1945 and completed in 1947. Alliance is the only surviving example of the class.
- Holland 1, the first submarine commissioned into the Royal Navy, the first in a six-boat batch. She was lost in 1913 while under tow to the scrapyard following decommissioning. She was recovered in 1982.
Each ship presents a unique conservation challenge from the control of rust on the steel vessels, to the management of pests and dry rot aboard our wooden ships. HMS Warrior, HMS Caroline and HMS Trincomalee remain afloat, adding a further layer of complexity to their preservation.
Thousands of people tread their decks each year. In 2019 alone HMS Victory received 302,000 visitors; HMS Alliance 85,000; HMS Warrior 75,000; HMS M33 66,000; HMS Trincomalee 45,000 and HMS Caroline 41,000.
Whilst these figures illustrate the ongoing significance of these vessels and the interest they spark, they also demonstrate the challenge the National Museum faces in keeping them preserved for future generations to enjoy.
To financially support or get involved in this project please contact Helen McKenna-Aspell, Director of Fundraising at the National Museum of the Royal Navy. fundraising@nmrn.org.uk
Virtual Pickle Night 2020
We marked the 215th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar with a special online gathering during the Coronavirus lockdown period. The special video event was attended by members of the American Friends of NMRN, as well as friends from around the world. We were greeted by Prof. Dominic Tweddle, Director General of the National Museum of the Royal Navy. We were honored to have First Sea Lord Adm. Radakin join us with news and updates from Portsmouth. Guests were treated to exclusive footage of HMS Victory’s hull under restoration, and a guided tour of Victory’s historical contents.
Gifts made towards Pickle Night fund ongoing restoration and conservation efforts at the Museum, including HMS Victory and other significant articles of naval history.
