PAST EVENTS

It was "Navy night" at our October monthly meeting! Commodore Sam Davis spoke about his "Forty years in the South African Navy" - and what a 40 years they must have been! It was the story of a keen but honest youngster who, wishing to join the navy in 1943, gave his correct age and was refused because he was too young. Following a tip he walked round the block and returned to the office "a year older" whereupon his career in the S.A. Navy began, a career which took him from able seaman to become a South African naval attaché in Paris, Commodore, and officer commanding the Salisbury Island naval base. As an accomplished photographer Commodore Davis was able to illustrate his talk with beautiful transparencies of the ships in which he had served and which he had commanded, the people with whom he had associated and the places he had visited, of guns, machines of war, and submarines under construction. Serious work alternated with lighthearted fun and recreation, diplomatic finesse with down-to-earth humour, a story which bubbled over with nostalgic exuberance and enthusiasm.

But these were not only personal reminiscences. By way of an introduction the Commodore gave a brief but interesting review of the development of what today is the S.A. Navy. The first step towards the creation of local naval tradition was taken by the Natal Colonial Government on April 30, 1885, when the Natal Naval Volunteers were established in Durban, under the command of Harry Escombe. In 1905 the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve was established in Cape Town, and in 1913 the two were merged into a South African division of the R.N.V.R. The latter did service during WWI, many of its members being posted to the Royal Nary. Although individual South Africans had done extremely well overseas, where several had risen to high rank, the need was felt for a more distinctive local organisation and in 1922 the South African Naval Service came into existence. Its original ships included HMS Protea, a survey vessel, and the Immortelle and Sonnebloem, given by the Admiralty. For reasons of economy, however, the South African Naval Service went out of existence in 1934, and it was not until 1939, under threat of WW II, that the South African Seaward Defence Force was established. Merged with the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in 1942, into the South African Naval Forces, the Volunteers distinguished themselves in the Mediterranean and elsewhere. After the return of peace, the South African Naval Service, with which was associated the Seaward Defence Force, became officially the South African Navy, and a programme of expansion was approved. The taking over by the Union Defence Department of the Naval Dockyard at Simonstown in 1957 provided a fresh impetus for expansion, and several frigates, corvettes, etc, were secured. The first submarines were ordered from France in 1968 and came into service in 1971.

In passing Commodore Davis drew attention to the important, sometimes even decisive, role sailors had played in many of the land battles in our history, and the whimsical fact that, this notwithstanding, Jannie Smuts, the great soldier, had a great dislike of sailors! Fellow-member Dr. Graeme Fuller expressed a sincere word of thanks for this massive, detailed and colourful presentation.

FUTURE EVENTS

NEXT MEETING

NOVEMBER 14th     MRS. BELINDA GORDON, Curatrix of the Greytown Museum, is coming all the way from Greytown to talk on "Finding out about the past".
(Some members may recall the Branch outing in 1980, under Belinda's able guidance, to forts and sites in the Greytown area, and the picnic lunch we enjoyed on the Gordon's farm with its magnificent views and flora and fauna.)

DECEMBER      There will be no meeting in December.

The venue for the next meeting will be the Lecture Room, lower ground floor, 'SB' Bourquin Building, the Natalia Development Board's head office, on the corner of Jan Smuts Highway and Buro Crescent, Mayville, on the second Thursday in the month, commencing at 8 p.m. Glasses and ice will be supplied so please bring your own bottled or canned refreshments. Friends and interested persons are welcome to come along.

WELCOME

A hearty welcome is extended to new members Mr. and Mrs. F.W. Aplin.

(Mrs) Tania van der Watt,
Secretary, Durban Branch,
S.A. Military History Society,
Box 870, HILLCREST, 3650.
Tel. (031) vvvvvv