Battle of Narvik 1940

[deebee47]

Is there anyone out there who might be interested in the Battle of Narvik April 1940?

My father served with HMS Havock in this battle and never spoke much about it while he was alive. However he did record the battle with a pencil drawing on a sheet of paper outlining the battle's progress. I have attached it for anyone interested. He also recorded the battle on typed sheets with very specific details which I can forward to anyone interested.

Deebee47

[patroclus]

Thank you for posting that - a very interesting sketch.

[Don Boyer]

Deebee:

I would be most interested in the typed details of the Battle of Narvik -- one that I've been interested in for many years. The book "Narvik" by CPT Peter Dickens, RN, has been issued as one of the U.S. Naval Institute's "Classics of Naval Literature" and I would bet your article from your father would supplement this book nicely.

Please PM with details when you get the chance. Happy New Year!
Regards,

[deebee47]

Hi Don
Please email me at info@blois.me.uk with your address and I will send you a copy
Regards
Deebee47

[astraltrader]

Deebee could you possibly send me the same [you already have my email a/d from info you sent me recently].

[deebee47]

No problems Terry. Email me at info@blois.me.uk and let me have your address and I can pop it in the post.

Regards
Derek - Deebee47

[Simba]

A very interesting map, DeeBee47 - perhaps you could scan the typed sheets and post them to this site as images? I'd be most interested to read them in this thread.

[deebee47]

I'll hopefully get to it in the next few days.

[deebee47]

Attached are the typed accounts of the Battle of Narvik 1940 by Alec Ernest Blois, serving on HMS Havock

[jainso31]

Deebee47
This last was a fascinating account of a battle that I'd only heard of as boy at school.In my early years I read a soft back book account, but it was not as "real" as an original account-my thanks to you.

jainso31

[David Goodey]

My father Albert Goodey (Stoker) served on Havock from 1938-Dec 1941. I have written a comprehensive history of her career. If you wish to contact me try david@goodey1.plus.com or 01245 380389.
David Goodey

[David Goodey]

If you are interested in Narvik then the definitive account is now recognised by many as Geirr Haarr's The German Invasion of Norway. The detail is incredible. Get it on Amazon.
David Goodey
david@goodey1.plus.com

[jainso31]

Thank you very much David-I shall have a look on Amazon forthwith.

jainso31

[Grosser Kreuzer]

Re: David Goodey's post of 1309 5 Nov.,

Bumped into the book in my local library and am wadding my way through it. From what I can see the book is densely researched and written though very readable. Some good but small scale photographs in it many of which are new. Quibble: some of his terminology regarding the Royal Navy is awry.

Readers, please note: the book does not cover the whole of the Norwegian Campaign but is most enlightening with some very interesting facts that many may not be aware of.

Definitely worth getting to read.

GK

[tim lewin]

If its interesting my father served as a midshipman in HMS Valiant in the Norwegian Campaign, not to the same fame as Warspite, but was there and recorded all of the action from his perspective as a very junior person in his midshipman's journal; this is available for study at the NMM to anyone who wants to ask (try their web site for enquiry details but if no luck, ask me)
tim

[greendragon]

It is amazing how many documents and records are untouched by researchers and historians.
Instead we have quite often "new" books that means simply rewritten "old" ones, mistakes copied from one to one, the same pictures.
This forum would provide enough materials for a really good books with well documented facts.
CPT P.Dickens book mentioned by Don Boyer should be a "must" for everyone interested in naval history.
I have on top on my favourite list of books the "Black May" (Atlantic, 1943) by Mr. Gannon. Very good piece of research work, full of details and written in understandable, simple language. All based on available records, post-action reports, quotes and other creditable sources.

[Forester]

I have a collection of first hand accounts by crew members, of action in HMS Forester that includes the Second Battle of Narvik. I really must get around to collating them into a readable history. You simply cannot beat the words of those who were there in the confusing melee of a naval battle.

[tim lewin]

Dear Forester, i also have a collection of such writings; i have decided to publish these on Amazon's Kindle platform which is available to readers with PCs as well as the Kindle reader gizmo. If this is interesting for you try looking at www/kdp.amazon.com which will give you the "how-to-do-it" manual.

When i am ready i will post to the forum the links and details to my collection which will evetually include my father's midshipman's journals and maybe even his Falklnads notebooks.
tim

[Forester]

Thanks for that Tim.
The thing thats been holding me up is getting everything into the computer in electronic format for editing and sorting into chronological order. I've managed to gather the odd bits into some kind of logical order and have begun scanning the results with OCR software, but there's 80 closely typed pages of recollections. What with the long working day and family stuff in the evenings and at weekends, its taking me a long time. In addition, there are some elements and photographs that are subject to copyright and I'll have to take care how I go about it.

[tim lewin]

i know the feeling, day job, part of ship and all that; fortunately i have found a sterling lady in the next village who types at the speed of sound and never makes any mistakes, she is wading through my stuff for me, it was that or never. She is not expensive and i kid myself that when i publish i will at minimum get that back!
tim

[Dick]

Strange given the fame, but I have never seen a clear picture of HMS Warspite at Narvik.....

[ap1]

Graet thread. Pity about the spelling of Narvik.

The great thing about this website, is that there are many unique details about history delivered to us. Yet sadly, the English language in which it is delivered to us, is most wanting.

A few threads earlier, we were congratulating the Victorian press for being so eloquent and precise in their descriptions of events. (QPR Dave in Texas Posts.)

Come on Moderators, Sort this out! Please!

[tim lewin]

its not that none of us can spell, its that the tool bar above this dialogue box aint got no spell check! most of us can join the letters in our heads, its getting them thru the fingers to the keyboard that the interface fails us, i know i spell perfectly but my computer hears it differently.

[BlackBat242]

Originally Posted by ap1

Graet thread. Pity about the spelling of Narvik.

The great thing about this website, is that there are many unique details about history delivered to us. Yet sadly, the English language in which it is delivered to us, is most wanting.

A few threads earlier, we were congratulating the Victorian press for being so eloquent and precise in their descriptions of events. (QPR Dave in Texas Posts.)

Come on Moderators, Sort this out! Please!

-5%, spelling (great)

[Forester]

There's some film of the second battle on You Tube. The beginning is just various clips of destroyers manouevering, but then it gets into real footage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5d_S1IFyb9M

There's other film coverage along with it too.