Royal Naval Patrol Service Association

Naval Links: Links to Naval and Ministry of Defence addresses and websites concerning the service records and medal entitlements of those who served with the Royal Naval Patrol Service are already provided from the Further Information page.

Set out in this page are further links to websites which may provide useful information to those researching anything do do with the Royal Naval Patrol service.

They are set out in four groups:
    Official maritime websites
    Unofficial large maritime websites
    Sites about individual RNPS vessels
    Other sites both official and unofficial

Official Maritime Websites and Sources
 

Royal Navy  A very large website on todays RN which includes sections on the different branches of the Surface Fleet, the Fleet Air Arm, the Submarine Service and the Royal Marines, as well as an historical section in different periods, including that covering ww2.
 

The Royal Naval Museum tells the story of the fleet, the Navy's surface ships and the men and women who served in them over 400 years. It provides research and information services for serving members of the Royal Navy, the general public and schools.
 

The Fleet Air Arm Museum was founded in 1964. Its purpose is to maintain for public display and education aircraft, related documents and general exhibits of historical interest, predominantly related to the Royal Naval Air Service and Fleet Air Arm.
 

The Royal Marines Museum  Its main aims are the preservation and presentation of all aspects of Royal Marines history through the acquisition, conservation and research of documents, books, weapons etc., and to raise public awareness of the Royal Marines. 
 

The Royal Naval Submarine Museum Its purpose is to promote an understanding of the Royal Navy Submarine branch and the part it has played in the nation's history through the centuries, using its important and valued collections for exhibit, education and research. 
 

RN Minewarfare and Clearance Diving  The link leads to the history section of the MCD Officers Association website, with links to pages covering WWII Awards for Diving and Bomb & Mine Disposal; Minelaying; and Minesweeping but there is a wealth of further information if you explore the site
 

The National Maritime Museum and Royal Observatory, Greenwich have a collection of over 2 million objects about the sea, ships, astronomy and time. Collections Online gives you access to over 9000 of these and is frequently updated and expanded.

Unofficial Maritime Websites and Sources
 

Harry Tate's Navy is a site recording the experiences of members of the Royal Naval Patrol Service together with a forum for the exchange of information about RNPS.
 

John Wilson, RNR  A site which started as research into the RNR career of John Wilson, DSC, who served in both WW1 and WW2, has developed into a major resource on the Royal Naval Reserve, in particular the campaign in Norway 1940 and on all trawlers lost 1939-45
 

The Medusa Trust The Trust exists to preserve HDML 1387 (post-ww2 renamed HMS Medusa) for future generations. As well as this single vessel, which is part way through a refit, the Trust maintains an extensive archive of documents, photographs and records of all the 480 HDMLs and their crews, many of whom were RNPS personnel.
 

Naval History Net  A vast resource of information about the Royal Navy and the progress of the War at Sea during WW2.
 

U-boat Net is a project with a number of contributors providing a massive online resource about the German Navy's U-boat fleet, about their patrols, successes and fates, with separate indexes of allied warships lost, a searchable database of all allied war and merchant ships hit and one of all allied warships.
 

Norwegian Merchant Fleet  An excellent resource, the research for which started as many of us do in investigating family members at war, which has resulted in a vast alphabetical index of the very large number of Norwegian merchant vessels that were employed during WW2, both those in the Allied cause and those that were taken over on occupation in the Axis cause.
 

Dutch Fleet Forum A dual langauge site in both Dutch and English and source of information about the Royal Netherlands Navy, which helps solve many of the cross-language problems of identifying vessels in use during WW2
 

ubootwaffe.net  is the work of a community of researchers, aiming to provide other keen researchers and historians with useful tools and easy, open access to information about U-Boats and the Battle of the Atlantic with lists and databases of u-boats, u-boat crews and ships attacked, with a chronology.
 

Paddle Steamers Picture Gallery  A very useful resource even if it was limited to just paddle steamers but it also includes screw steamers, with images of each, technical details of construction and performance and a potted history of the life and use of each vessel.
 

The British Merchant Navy  A considerable resource of details about ships and personnel, mainly post WW2 but with an historical section, images of vessels, links to other merchant navy sites as well as a forum.
 

Sites about individual RPNS Vessels
 

Other sites both Official and Unofficial
 

The National Archives is a vast and ever growing resource of searchable data about ourselves, the official archive for England, Wales and the central UK government, bringing together the Public Record Office, Historical Manuscripts Commission, the Office of Public Sector Information and Her Majesty's Stationery Office.
 

Veterans UK  Resposible to the Ministry of Defence (MOD), the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency aims at improving personnel, pensions, welfare and support services to members of the Armed Forces and veterans. 
 

Commonwealth War Graves Commission  As well as maintaining the graves of the Commonwealth forces who died in the two world wars, the CWGC provide the 'Debt of Honour Register' containing details of the 1,700,000 forces men and women and the 67,000 Commonwealth civilians who died from enemy action in WW2.
 

Imperial War Museum  The portal to a number of different section which come under the general umbrella of IWM, with information about London, Duxford, IWM North, HMS Belfast, the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms, as well as the IWM section of Collections Online which gives access to over 6,000 highlights from the collection
 

Army Museum  Founded in 1960 the purpose of the National Army Museum, next to the Chelsea Hospital in London, is to present the history of the British Army over 5 centuries and to encourage research into its history and traditions. Its collections include mainly uniforms, weapons, vehicles and equipment, medals, paintings, drawings and archives.
 

Royal Air Force Museum  Founded in 1963 to preserve, conserve and exhibit the history of the RAF and its relationship with aviation, it aims to promote an understanding of the role and achievements of the RAF in that context. The collections are held at the RAF Museum in London and Cosford in Shropshire.
 

Ministry of Defence  The home of the UK Ministry of Defence with links to sections of information on careers, doing business, the service community, for researchers, for veterans and one for young people, as well as links to the three armed services.
 

intute  is created by a network of UK universities and partners to provide access to the very best web resources for education and research. Search engine results may not be appropriate or relevant but intute provides access to both subject-specific and cross-subject resources, all of which have been evaluated for their quality and relevance.
 

Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen (the Fishermen’s Mission) provides care, compassion and support to working, retired and disabled fishermen and their families. Hardship and tragedy are facts of everyday life in the UK’s fishing communities. It is to the Fishermen’s Mission that fishermen and their families turn when they need financial, practical and emotional support. 
 

Dixons Medals are dealers in coins, medals, stamps, postcards and militaria. They stock secondhand medals as well as reproductions, and when last checked had copies of the RNPS Silver Badge in both the pin and sewing eye types.