The Royal Navy's main role in the Mediterranean was to 'fly the flag' on Spring,
Summer and Autumn cruses and maintain operational readiness by frequent
exercises, maneuvers and inspections and morale and fitness by
competing at flotilla and fleet regattas. They were on hand should
trouble break out in the volatile area off the Turkish coast where the
Greco-Turkish war had just ended, to keep the peace when violence
broke out between Arabs and Jewish settlers in Palestine and in
attempts to stem the profitable slave trade in the Red Sea.
This seasonal routine is best illustrated by a photograph of HMS Vimiera, sent to me by Margaret East the grand daughter of Petty Officer Arthur Ruthven Atkinson J. 22037 (1896 - 1941) who served on HMS Vimiera
as a torpedoman from 24 May 1924 to 27 January 1927. CPO Arthur
Atkinson joined the Navy as a boy sailor in 1913 and served on the battleships HMS Indomitable and HMS Barham and on three V & W Class destrroyers, HMS Violent, Verulam and Vimiera. He was killed when
the Ocean Boarding Vessel, HMS Registan, was bombed off Falmouth on the 27 May 1941.
HMS Vimiera and the light cruiser HMS Caradoc photographed from the air in this familiar view of Venice The winning teams in a pulling
competition between the ships whalers with Arthur Atkinson second from
right standing (left) and in the middle at the back (right) Courtesy of Margaret East
If
you want to find out more about the wartime service of a member of your
family who served on HMS Vimiera
you should first obtain a copy of their service record To
find out how follow this link:
http://www.holywellhousepublishing.co.uk/servicerecords.html
If
you have stories or photographs of HMS Vimiera you would like to
contribute to the web siteplease contact Frank Donald
Return
to the Home Page for HMS Vimiera
Return
to the Home
Page of the V & W Destroyer Association Return to the Index Page for the 69 V
& W Class Destroyers
