Leonard Bentley
The Fleet's visit to London
This is a Tuck's Oilette published in July 1909 as a souvenir of a unique occasion in the history of the Royal Navy. The commentary on the reverse gives a flavour of the occasion.
"Never before in the history of nations has there been so remarkable an assembly of warships as that gathered here together in the Thames, and stretching in one great pageant, the full extent of the river, some 45 miles, to the Houses of Parliament. It is practically in London itself, the very heart of the British Empire, that the fleet is foregathering, and nothing could be calculated more certain to arouse patriotic pride and Imperial enthusiasm than this unique display of a mighty nation".
In the week from Saturday 17th July to Saturday 24th July 1909, ships from the Home and Atlantic Fleets were moored along the Thames from Westminster Bridge to the Nore Lightship in the estuary, some forty five miles. The larger ships, the Battleships and HMS Dreadnought were moored near Southend and the smaller ships further upstream. The photograph below shows Torpedo Boat destroyers moored at Westminster Pier, but there were also four submarines, two moored opposite the Houses of Parliament and two along Victoria Embankment. It was the first time there had been a Naval Pageant of such magnitude on the Thames. The timing of the pageant was thought by some to be linked with the vote in the House of Commons due on the 22nd July about the question of whether to build further Dreadnought class Battleships, happily the vote was passed and Britain was ready for what was to come in the First World War.
The Fleet's visit to London
This is a Tuck's Oilette published in July 1909 as a souvenir of a unique occasion in the history of the Royal Navy. The commentary on the reverse gives a flavour of the occasion.
"Never before in the history of nations has there been so remarkable an assembly of warships as that gathered here together in the Thames, and stretching in one great pageant, the full extent of the river, some 45 miles, to the Houses of Parliament. It is practically in London itself, the very heart of the British Empire, that the fleet is foregathering, and nothing could be calculated more certain to arouse patriotic pride and Imperial enthusiasm than this unique display of a mighty nation".
In the week from Saturday 17th July to Saturday 24th July 1909, ships from the Home and Atlantic Fleets were moored along the Thames from Westminster Bridge to the Nore Lightship in the estuary, some forty five miles. The larger ships, the Battleships and HMS Dreadnought were moored near Southend and the smaller ships further upstream. The photograph below shows Torpedo Boat destroyers moored at Westminster Pier, but there were also four submarines, two moored opposite the Houses of Parliament and two along Victoria Embankment. It was the first time there had been a Naval Pageant of such magnitude on the Thames. The timing of the pageant was thought by some to be linked with the vote in the House of Commons due on the 22nd July about the question of whether to build further Dreadnought class Battleships, happily the vote was passed and Britain was ready for what was to come in the First World War.