Downes Journals at Portsmouth

Tim Le Grice has now agreed that the journals of Commander Andrew Downes, RN may remain at the Museum of the Royal Navy at Portsmouth on long-term loan.

Dr Duncan Redford, of the museum, writes:  “the Jutland journal is being displayed in our new permanent gallery … Diaries of this quality and length are few and far between. His diaries are of vital importance to our ability to put a human face to the Royal Navy’s story in the Edwardian and First World War period and in the most sympathetic manner to tell the Royal Navy’s story to the widest possible audience. … Scholars working on the field have been advised of their existence.”

The Journals can all be viewed in the library Monday to Friday 1000-1600 (by appointment only as it is within the secure area of the Naval Base). If anyone wishes to make an appointment they should email: library@nmrn.org.uk or ring 02392 725795.

The museum has given Tim two complete scanned copies on suitable portable hard drives to ensure that he and the wider family can continue to refer to the journals. Tim has now kindly passed one of these to me and has given me permission to loan it to any interested family members. Please don’t hesitate to ask me for it or ask Tim for the other copy. I have downloaded a copy to my own computer, so that I can read it at leisure.

Perhaps one day this will enable me to add the missing early 1914 and late 1918 volumes to the summaries of seven wartime journals which appear in my book The First World War Journals of Commander Andrew Downes RN. The scans, which are of excellent quality, would also enable me to improve the rest of the book with more illustrations and further extracts from the journals.