H.M.S Cumberland Association

 

The H.M.S Cumberland Association was formed in 1988. 30 years after the last commission.

HMS Cumberland the 15th of the line was launched in 1926 and did her first, commission in 1927 on the China Station she continued on the China Station until l938 returning to Chatham her home port only for refits.

Early in 1939 saw her on the South Atlantic Station based in Simonstown South Africa. At the outbreak of war she patrolled the South Atlantic from South Africa to South America. In December of 1939 she was in the Faulkland Islands from where she made a dash of some 1000 miles in 30 hours! to relieve HMS Exeter after she had been damaged in the Battle of The River Plate. After the scuttling of the Graf Spee Cumberland returned to her duties in the South Atlantic. Later she was damaged off Dakar by the shore batteries of the Vichy French and returned to Chatham for repairs and refit. From here she went onto Russian Convoys including the infamous PQ17. Towards the end of the war in Europe Cumberland was deployed to Far East where she finaly took the surrender of Japanese in Java and Burma releasing hundreds of Dutch and English P.O.W.’s

Returning to the U.K. she went trooping to Australia and in 1946 went into reserve. In 1951 the Lords of the Admiralty decided to turn HMS Cumberland into the first and only Trials Cruiser, a duty she continued to carry out until l958, testing everything from Atomic Warfare defences to Plastic Hats! She also tested out new gunnery techniques, Radar, Fibre-Glass Boats. Some of which is still used in the modern Navy of today. During this period Cumberland became the oldest serving ship in the Royal Navy, and when she finaly paid off her paying off penant was over 600 feet long!!

The HMS CUMBERLAND ASSOCIATION now has a membership of over 250 members and keeps in touch with the current HMS Cumberland (The 16th) which has seen service in the WEST INDIES, THE GULF, BOSNIA and more recently OPPERATION PURPLE STAR.

HMS Cumberland was and still is known as ‘THE HAPPY SHIP’

Membership of he H.M.S Cumberland Association for 2005 to April 2006 is £10. and would always like to hear from ex-shipmates. You can get in touch with them at:

H .M.S Cumberland Association.
9 Gilbert Close, Hempstead, Gillingham, Kent. ME7 3QQ
Tel: 01634 236861 or e-mail: cumberland15