Royal Review of 130 Ships of Reserve Fleet: 12,000 R.N.R. Called Up

Northern Advocate, 15 July 1939, Page 7

Royal Review of 130 Ships of Reserve Fleet: 12,000 R.N.R. Called Up

(Received 2.0 p.m.) RUGBY, July 13. SPECIAL TRAINING FOR NAVAL RESERVISTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE FORTHCOMING EXERCISES OF THE HOME FLEET, INVOLVING THE CALLING UP OF 12.000 ADDITIONAL RESERVISTS, AND THE COMMISSION OF BETWEEN 50 AND 60 SHIPS IN RESERVE, WAS ANNOUNCED IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS BY MR CHAMBERLAIN,

He added that the King would review the Reserve Fleet of about 130 ships in Weymouth Bay on August 1).

The reservists will rejoin on July 31, and it is anticipated that the exercises will last until about the third week in September.

Reason For Mobilisation,

Mr Chamberlain explained that these measures were being taken in order to obtain the fullest possible advantage from the combined fleet and air exercises already arranged for August and September, and therefore advance the degree of the efficiency of the fleet.

This calling up of retired naval officers, reservists and pensioners will be under the recently-passed Reserves and Auxiliary Forces Act. Subsequent to the Royal review, for which the King will travel specially from Balmoral, ships of the Reserve Fleet will leave to “work up” before the exercises, and they will again be reduced to the reserve at the end of September.

The Reserve Fleet,

Among the ships in reserve to be specially commissioned are; One battleship, one aircraft-carrier, about 16 cruisers, one mine-layer, a depot ship, about 32 destroyers, and four submarines.

The Reserve Fleet, as a whole, was last commissioned for review and exercises in 1924. It is anticipated that a Supplementary Budget will have to be presented to meet the cost of these measures.

TENNIS