Royal Naval Patrol Service Association Museum

About the museum

The Royal Naval Patrol Service Association was founded in 1977 to bring together veterans of the Royal Naval Patrol Service, which served from 1939 to 1946. The service drew heavily on crews from the fishing fleets and was responsible mainly for minesweeping and anti-submarine duties, including convoy escort in the Atlantic, Arctic, Mediterranean and Far East. Its nicknames included Harry Tate's Navy and Churchill's Pirates.

The museum is in Sparrows Nest, Lowestoft, in some of the few remaining original buildings of HMS Europa, the headquarters and central depot of the service, which administered more than 70,000 men and 6,000 vessels. When the association moved in, no original naval records were left, so the collection and the archive rely on the memories and papers of veterans and their families.

In the Europa Room on the ground floor, 17 boards list around 850 gallantry awards won by members of the service and over 200 mentions in despatches. The Stannard Room on the first floor, reached by stairs, has a mock-up of a wheelhouse, models of Patrol Service ships, photographs of crews at work and uniforms, flags and personal belongings. It is named after Lieutenant Richard Stannard, who won the service's only Victoria Cross in 1940. A small reference library and further material are available for research.

Highlights

• Boards listing around 850 gallantry awards of the Patrol Service
• Stannard Room with a wheelhouse mock-up and ship models
• Photographs, uniforms, flags and personal belongings of crews
• Story of Lieutenant Stannard, the service's only Victoria Cross winner
• Small reference library for research

Permanent exhibition

• Europa Room and Stannard Room – Honours boards in the Europa Room and, upstairs, a wheelhouse mock-up, ship models, photographs and memorabilia of the Royal Naval Patrol Service.

Operated by

Royal Naval Patrol Service Association

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Entry is free; donations towards upkeep are welcome.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The Stannard Room is on the first floor and can be reached only by a flight of stairs. The Europa Room is on the ground floor. The website gives no further access information.

Kids & families

The museum publishes no family or children's programme.

Getting there & parking

The museum is in Sparrows Nest Gardens in north Lowestoft. The website links to a map showing the museum and the Patrol Service memorial.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

The Stannard Room includes a small shop selling Patrol Service items (the "slops" shop). The association headquarters has a tea and coffee galley called Charlie's Kitchen.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit