Churchman Set of M48 The Navy At Work 1937

?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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