Osprey

A Seaman's Pocketbook

June 1943, by the Lord Commissioners of the Admiralty

Author:	Brian Lavery
Published:	2018
Format:	Hardback, 128 pages
Size:	180 × 120 × 15 mm

£10⁹⁹

Tax included

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Inside the Royal Navy in 1943

This faithful WWII reprint of the Royal Navy’s official pocketbook reveals the essential duties, language and customs of wartime seamen.

A Seaman’s Pocketbook: June 1943 – Being a Handy Manual of Useful Information and Instruction for R.N. Ratings is a faithful reproduction of the wartime booklet issued to Royal Navy sailors during the Second World War. Originally produced by the Lord Commissioners of the Admiralty, it offers a fascinating insight into the knowledge and skills expected of wartime naval personnel.

Written in crisp period prose, the manual covers everything from sea terms and navigation to rigging, boatwork, anchor handling and safety drills. Also included are instructions on folding a hammock, uniform regulations, and steering the ship. Black-and-white technical illustrations appear throughout, with a handful of colour plates for flag recognition.

With a foreword by naval historian Brian Lavery, this edition provides valuable context on the role such manuals played in training the thousands of civilians drafted into the Royal Navy. Equal parts historical artefact and nostalgic curiosity, this pocketbook offers a unique glimpse into shipboard life at a critical moment in British naval history.

About the Contributor

Brian Lavery is one of Britain’s foremost naval historians and a Curator Emeritus at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. A recipient of the Desmond Wettern Maritime Media Award and the Society of Nautical Research’s Anderson Medal, his many books include Empire of the Seas, Royal Tars and Churchill’s Navy.