Looking Back readers help Brian Knight to find out ore about 1930s fleet review in Portland harbour

Many of you got in touch with more information about this 1930s event, which Brian vaguely remembered from his childhood.

There seems to be a bit of confusion about exactly when in the 1930s this fleet review was carried out - it would appear that there were several fleet reviews carried out in succession in this decade,

Rosemary Collins of Radipole, Weymouth, got in touch with us to forward on this photo of King Edward VIII visiting Portland. She found the photo in Philip Ziegler’s biography of King Edward VIII.

Rosemary tells us: “Philip Ziegler in his biography of King Edward the VIII says Edward did indeed visit the fleet at Portland accompanied by the 1st Lord of the Admiralty, from November 11 to 13 1936 .

“It was not an official review however. According to Ziegler he had a most enjoyable time, even community singing with the men.”

Rosemary also sent in the caption from Kiegler’s biography, in which it says the King visited the submarine Narwhal which was alongside the depot ship Lucia. The photo shows the King coming up after visiting the submarine Narwhal.

Lesley Malcolmson of Weymouth brought in the map above which belonged to her late mother Audrey Wyle. It’s a map of a 1939 fleet review.

She said: “It was her husband’s. He was naval. I have a funny feeling this map was in the Echo a very long time ago. I should really put it in a frame. It’s very interesting because it tells us the exact position of the vessels for the review.”

And last but not least, thanks to Keith House aged 83 of Preston, Weymouth. He remembers the pomp and ceremony of the King visiting Weymouth in what he thinks was 1936 for a fleet review.

He said: “I went with my father to see it and we were in Horsford Street near the brewery in a crowd waiting for the King, who was going to review the fleet.

“We watched a procession of vehicles which came into Hope Square. The King went out on a barge.”