Association
(for details of Rules, Membership and Newsletter please follow the links at the left.)
Thirty years after the end of World War 2 a handful of ex-members of the Royal Naval Patrol Service got together to form an Association to link not only those who had passed through HMS Europa, the stone frigate based at Sparrow's Nest Gardens, Lowestoft during the WW2 but also the widows of those who made the supreme sacrifice.
On November 5th, 1975, the Association was duly launched. In October 1976 the first Annual Re-union was held and a re-union has been held each October every year since. Members and visitors come from as far afield as the U.S.A., Canada, Newfoundland, New Zealand and Australia.
The National Office and Museum are situated in Sparrow's Nest and a most attractive display of relics and memorablilia has been gathered together by members of the Association who devote a great deal of their spare time in making this a unique and brightly-decorated meeting place.
The Association provides a link for all ex-members of RNPS and a source of information to those researching careers and service records as well as looking after the Museum. It publishes a bi-annual Newsletter and organises the Annual Reunion held each October, the highlight of which is the Parade, Service of Remembrance, Wreath Laying and March Past followed in the evening by the Annual Dinner.
Because the events which caused the formation of RNPS are now so long ago time is catching up with a number of members and numbers attending the Annual Reunion are dwindling each year. Families and the next generation are encouraged to join the Association in an Associate capacity so that the experiences and sacrifice of their fathers and grandfathers are not forgotten.
The National Officers of the Association are:
President | Commander Garry Titmus, RN |
Vice-President |
Cdr David Braybrooke, LVO, RN |
Honorary National padre | Mr. James Izzard |
Local HQ padre | Revd. Peter Paine |
Chairman | George Hawes * |
Vice-Chairman | Vacant |
Secretary | Leo Whisstock * |
Assistant secretary | Rachel Brogan* |
Treasurer | John Davies* |
Curator | Bonnie Whisstock |
Assistant Curator | Chris Weight |
Welfare Officer | Bonnie Whisstock |
Webmaster |
Michael Sims * |
Committee member | James Burd |
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* indicates trustee |