Throughout the Second World War, many officers and ratings with connections to Northern Ireland served at sea as well as at shore bases with the Royal Navy.
Royal Navy
The Fleet Air Arm is the Royal Navy's aviation branch. During the Second World War, they operated from bases and aircraft carriers such as H.M.S. Formidable.
H.M. Submarine P48 went down on Christmas Day, 25th December 1942 having been depth charged by an Italian corvette escorting a convoy bound for Tunisia.
H.M.S. Afridi was a Royal Navy Tribal-class destroyer during the Second World War. It came under heavy Luftwaffe attack on 3rd May 1940 in a Norwegian port.
On 1st May 1942, H.M.S. Amazon came under attack from the air and also from German Destroyers. Irvine Reilly of Annalong, Co. Down was among the casualties.
Between 1941 and 1945, H.M.S. Attack was a Royal Naval Coastal Forces shore establishment base at Portland, Dorset, England during the Second World War.
H.M.S. Dorsetshire sank on 5th April 1942 after an attack from Japanese reconnaissance aircraft dropping 250-550lb bombs about 200 miles southwest of Ceylon.
H.M.S. Offa was an O-Class Destroyer that served with the Royal Navy during the Second World War from 1941. After a long career the vessel was scrapped in 1959.
H.M.S. President III was a Royal Navy shore establishment during the Second World War. From 28th August 1939, it operated in Bristol training D.E.M.S. gunners.
Tribal-class Destroyer H.M.S. Punjabi sank on 1st May 1942 having steered into the path of the Royal Navy battleship King George V in fog and poor visibility.
On 8th November 1942, H.M.S. Walney crashed through the harbour boom at Oran, Algeria as part of Operation Torch. The vessel exploded after coming under fire.
H.M.S. Zulu was a Royal Navy Tribal-class destroyer built by Alexander Stephen and Sons in Glasgow, Scotland. It saw action during the Second World War.
Throughout the Second World War, many with connections to Northern Ireland served in the Royal Marines, the Royal Navy's elite force of amphibious troops.
