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HMS Nelson
HMS Nelson was a Royal Navy battleship, built by Vickers-Armstrong at the Walkers Yard, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. she was launched in 1925 and played an active part in several battles of the Second World War, including, the Malta convoys 1941-2, North Africa 1942-3, Sicily 1943, Salerno 1943, Mediterranean 1943, Normandy 1944 as well as undertaking convoy duty.
10th June 1940 Escort
13th Jul 1941 Convoy
27th Jul 1941 Convoy
4th Aug 1941 Convoy arrives
5th July 1943 Convoy Duty
10th July 1943 Protection
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The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.
Announcements
- 1st of September 2024 marks 25 years since the launch of the Wartime Memories Project. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over this time.
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Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the War? Our
Library contains an ever growing number diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text. |
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Wanted: Digital copies of Group photographs, Scrapbooks, Autograph books, photo albums, newspaper clippings, letters, postcards and ephemera relating to WW2. We would like to obtain digital copies of any documents or photographs relating to WW2 you may have at home. If you have any unwanted
photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them.
The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. Please get in touch for the postal address, do not sent them to our PO Box as packages are not accepted.
World War 1 One ww1 wwII second 1939 1945 battalion
Did you know? We also have a section on The Great War. and a
Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations.
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Want to know more about HMS Nelson? There are:6 items tagged HMS Nelson available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. |
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James Edward Gooding HMS Nelson I believe my dad served on board HMS Nelson. If anyone knew James Edward
Gooding do get in touch.
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George Hadyn Drury HMS Nelson My father, PKX 91482 Leading stoker George Haydn Drury, served on the Nelson from 3/9/1938 to 3/1/1941.
The second photo is my father and one of his shipmates (on the left). I do not his name.
This is all I know of his service on board the Nelson, however I am trying to find out more in order to catalogue his career in the Royal Navy which spanned from 1937 to 1949.
I would appreciate any information no matter how small.
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Leading Stoker George Haydn Drury HMS Nelson My father, PKX 91482 Leading Stoker George Haydn Drury, served on the Nelson from 3/9/1938 to 3/1/1941. The second photo is again my father and one of his shipmates (on left). I do not his name.
This is all I know of his service on board the Nelson, however I am trying to find out more in order to catalogue his career in the Royal Navy which spanned from 1937 to 1949.
I would appreciate any information no matter how small.
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Petty Officer Ronald Clapp HMS Nelson Petty Officer Ronald Clapp, was a gunner on HMS Nelson.
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Sidney Horace George HMS Nelson My father, Sidney Horace George, now deceased, served on the HMS Nelson. Does anyone have any information about him please?
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John "Storm" Hunt HMS Nelson My grandfather, John "Storm" Hunt served on the Nelson during the war. I believe he worked in radar. Recently he has had a stroke which has left him suffering from Alzheimer's. Does anyone remember him? On another note, why was the deck of the ship painted yellow? I am building a model of this great ship, and wondered why that was.
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Joe Newby HMS Nelson My father, Joe Newby, served on HMS Nelson at some stage during WW2. I have one photo, and medals from WW2 include Italy Star, Atlantic Star, Africa star. My son is doing a project at school about WW2 and would like to know about his grandfather. Joe died 20 years ago, so any information would be very helpful.
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Eric James Alfred Copeman HMS Nelson My dad, Eric James Alfred Copeman, served on HMS Nelson during the 2nd World War. He was leading torpedoman on the ship. If anybody has any knowledge, or remembers serving with him we would be grateful for contact, as he passed away 12 years ago aged 73.
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Robert Blyth Fleming HMS Nelson My dad served on the Nelson during the second world war and was a boy sailor. He was in Malta for two years. Does anybody remember him at all. He is 82 this year
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Steward Neil Campbell Gillespie HMNB Portsmouth HMS Victory HMS Glendower HM Neil Gillespie first served on HMS Victory from 7/1/42 to 8/4/42 after spending two months training at a shore based establishment in North Wales, HMS Glendower, having entered the service on 18/11/41. He then served on HMS Nelson from 9/4/42 to 8/1/44. He returned to HMS Victory subsequently for three spells of duty,
9/1/44-28/7/44, 9/11/44-21/2/45 and 31/1/46-22/7/46.
The last of these three periods was his final assignment in the navy before being released class A, from the service.
The time that Neil spent on the Victory latterly was interrupted by time at HMS Odyssey from 29/7/44 until 8/11/44. In peacetime HMS Odyssey was the Collingwood Hotel in Ilfracombe in Devon. In wartime, it was apparently a centre for various types of specialist training for certain skills or assignments. Then from 22/2/45 to 30/1/46 he served on the aircraft carrier HMS Glory. On 6th September, 1945, the officers commanding the Japanese forces in the south west Pacific signed Instruments of Surrender at a ceremony on the flight deck of HMS Glory, which was in the St George's channel between New Britain and New Ireland in the Bismarck Archipelago close to New Guinea.
When he returned to civilian life, he lived with his wife Margaret and New born son Alexander, often known as Alistair in family circles, and later with other children Jean, Neil, Margaret and Iain. He worked with Allison the Butcher in Paisley and at King Aircraft in Hillington, Glasgow. In both cases he occupied management positions.
Although Neil served throughout the war and successfully settled to peacetime life, he sadly died in April 1962 at the age of 40.
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Stwd. Neil Campbell Gillespie HMS Glory Neil Gillespie served on HMS Glory 22nd of February 1945 until 30th of January 1946, having previously served on HMS Victory and HMS Nelson.
His initial training posting was at HMS Glendower in North Wales a shore based facility which subsequently became a Butlins Holiday Camp and later a Haven Holiday Centre.
Neil was serving on HMS Glory at the time of the surrender of the Japanese forces in the South West Pacific on 6th of September 1945. The surrender was solemnised at a signing ceremony on board HMS Glory on the flight deck.
There is footage of the ceremony shown elsewhere on the internet. Amongst Neil's papers there are photographs of the signing ceremony and a copy of the Instrument of Surrender.
Following his service on HMS Glory, Neil spent his last few months of Naval service on HMS Victory before returning to civilian life with a class A release. He returned to his family in Paisley where he lived with his wife Margaret and his baby son Alexander, usually called Alistair in the family.
Later the family included Jean, Neil, Margaret and Iain.
Neil worked with Allison the Butcher in Paisley and at King Aircraft at Hillington in Glasgow as a progress manager.
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CPO. William Stirling HMS Nelson My Grandfather Bill Stirling spent WWII aboard HMS Nelson. He wasn't inclined to speak about his experiences but he was on board every time it was torpedoed, and at one point had to threaten his own team in the engine room after they began to get disillusioned by the captain's orders.
Unfortunately he never went into detail, and these are the only details I have. He was convinced the captain was on a personal mission for glory and said "He fancied hissel a George Cross".
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Able Sea. Stephen John White HMS Nelson Jack White served on HMS Nelson during WW2.
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Stwd. Neil Campbell Gillespie HMS Glory Neil C Gillespie served on HMS Victory from 7th January, 1942 until 8th April, 1942 after two months of training at the shore based HMS Glendower in North Wales.
He then served on HMS Nelson until 8th January, 1944, returning to HMS Victory on 9th January, remaining on the crew until 28th July, 1944.
He had two more spells of duty on the Victory : 9/11/44-21/2/45 and 31/1/46-22/7/46.
He left the service at the end of the last mentioned spell of duty above with a Class A release.
In the interim periods between these spells of service above, he saw service as follows:-
29/7/44-8/11/44 at HMS Odyssey, a shore based training posting in what was the Collingwood Hotel in Ilfracombe in peacetime.
22/2/45-30/1/46 on board HMS Glory an Aircraft Carrier. It was on board HMS Glory that the Japanese forces surrendered while the carrier was riding in the St George's channel between New Britain and New Ireland.
After he returned to civilian life and his wife Margaret, Neil spent the rest of his life looking after his family: Alexander, Jean, Neil, Margaret and Iain, and worked in management in the meat trade and in industry in King Aircraft. Sadly he died quite young in 1962 at the age of 40.
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