Historic Dockyard Chatham's free talks series 'In Conversation with...' are back for 2015!
The talks are free and take place in the Mess Deck Restaurant. Our talks are free to attend (you do not need a Dockyard admission ticket) but spaces are limited. Tickets must be booked in advance. Attendees should arrive 6.30 for 7.00pm start. The Mess Deck will be open for drinks and snacks prior to the talk.
Dates for 2025:
Thursday 7th August: Andrew Choong Han Lin, Curator, Royal Museums Greenwich
VJ Day: The Royal Navy’s Forgotten War in the Pacific
When we think of the war against Japan, it’s often the United States that takes centre stage. But what was the Royal Navy doing in the Pacific—and why is its role so often overlooked?
In this revealing talk, Andrew Choong Han Lin traces the Royal Navy’s journey through one of the lesser-known chapters of the Second World War. From the last British naval bombardment of Japan at Hamamatsu in July 1945, to the dramatic early defeats of 1941–42, and the hard-fought return of British forces to the Pacific, this talk explores the strategic, political, and human dimensions of Britain’s war in the East.
Learn how imperial ambition, naval rivalry, and kamikaze attacks shaped Britain’s presence in the Far East—and how ships like HMS ELECTRA, HMS EXPRESS, and HMS VICTORIOUS played their part in a global conflict that was far from over in Europe.
This is a story of resilience, adaptation, and a Navy that refused to be forgotten.
The evening will be compered by Paul Wright, Interpretation Officer at the Historic Dockyard, and there will be a question and answer session following the conversation.
Thursday 5th September: Alexandra Hildred, Maritime Archaeologist
Henry VIII’s MARY ROSE – Excavation to Exhibition
On a summer’s afternoon in July 1545, the MARY ROSE, one of the largest and heavily armed of Henry VIII’s great ships, heeled to starboard and sank. As the King watched from his encampment on Southsea Common, scarcely a mile distant, he could not have realised what an unparalleled insight into his life and times this catastrophe would ensure. MARY ROSE represents both a living community and a state-of-the-art fighting machine, fully manned and equipped for war. A 34-year old veteran, built in Portsmouth, she sank whilst engaging a French invasion fleet larger than the Spanish Armada 43 years later.
To date no marine archaeological excavation has attained the scale of the MARY ROSE project, nor captured the imagination of the public so completely. The conditions of her burial ensure that her historical treasures provide a unique and vivid impression of life at sea nearly half a millennium ago.
In the September instalment of our “In conversation with…” evening talks, Alexandra Hildred, maritime archaeologist and Head of Research for the Mary Rose Trust, will chart the journey of the ship from her sinking through her excavation, preservation and presentation to the public as the centrepiece of a purpose –built museum which wraps around the ship to protect her and her treasures for future generations.
The evening will be compered by Nick Ball, Collections, Galleries and Interpretation at the Historic Dockyard, and there will be a question and answer session following the conversation.
Zone South East