| “Britannia rules the waves” is no
idle boast. It is a factual assessment of a nation which relies upon
the sea, an island kingdom dependant upon ships for trade and defence.
The proud traditions of the Royal Navy extend back to the time of
Elizabeth I and the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, via Nelson’s
famous victory over the French and Spanish at Trafalgar 200 years ago.
As you might expect this maritime heritage has been the subject of
many sets of cards, one of the more unusual being Churchman’s 1937
issue The Navy At Work, our set of the month for July. “Quite
distinctive. A very good series” said the reviewer in “Cigarette Card
News” at the time. The composition of the set was ideal for the
period, presenting the navy as a modern well-trained and
well-organised force offering interesting and varied careers, starting
with boy entry at 15 through various trades up to warrant officer
rank. Each black and white picture shows the man concerned carrying
out a typical specialist task, whilst a small insert depicts his badge
of rank. The text on the backs
gives a full description of the various jobs to make you realise what
a fantastic collection of skills are needed by a team manning a modern
warship. Within two years, many of the men shown here going about
their day-to-day lives on board would be at war, inspired perhaps by
Nelson’s famous signal “England expects that every man will do his
duty”.
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