Signed by Winston Churchill + many other Naval Officers

Two blue leather bound Visitor’s Books recording attendees at annual dinners.

Navigating Officers’ Dinner measures approx. 8″x10″.
All edges gilt.
Years included: 1926-1939, 1947-1948.

Navigation and Direction Officers’ Dinner measures approx. 9″x11.5″.
All edges gilt.
Years included: 1949-1950, 1955-1964, 1981-1982, 1991.

The smaller book, Navigating Officers’ Dinner starts with the 1926 First Dinner honoring Admiral Sir Henry F. Oliver and ends with the 1948 Seventeenth Dinner honoring Sir Robert Watson-Watt.
The slightly larger book, Navigation and Direction Officers’ Dinner continues on from the previous book with the first entry being the 1949 Eighteenth Dinner honoring Sir James Robb & Sir George Creasy.  The final entry is from 1991, the 60th Dinner honored Sir Jeremy Black.

Many of the events (especially the earlier years) included in these two books have a hand drawn, decorative themed ‘title’ leaf. Each dinner had a distinguished guest-of-honor, so there are many interesting signatures.

Winston Churchill was the guest of honor at the Eleventh Dinner together with Sir Edgar Britten held on 3rd April 1936. Along with Winston Churchill’s & Edgar Britten’s handwritten signatures are 97 more including those of Sir Henry Oliver, Sir Roger Keyes & Rear Admiral Troup.

Some of the most notable guests handwritten signatures include:
Adml. Sir Henry F. Oliver: Guest of Honour at the first dinner (1926) Oliver also attended in 1927 when the Guest of Hon. was Adml. Alban Tate
Admiral of the Fleet Earl Jellicoe (1929)
Adml. Sir Roger Keyes (1930)
Winston Churchill (1936)
Adml. Sir Edwd. R.G.R. Evans (of ‘the Broke’ & Scott’s second-in-command on the south polar expedition of 1910-13) (1938)
Adml. of the Fleet the Earl of Cork & Orrery (1939)
Sir Robert Alexander Watson-Watt (1948)  Radar technology pioneer
FM Sir Claude Auchinleck (1956)
Adml. of the Fleet Earl Mountbatten of Burma (1957)

Among the many hundreds who attended over the years are dozens of admirals; we note at least one VC (Captain Carpenter of Zeebrugge) & other well-known names.

An excellent collection of signatures.

Item #308