BADGE & INSIGNIA REFERENCE
The Royal Marines Historical Society was formed in 1964.
It is a registered charity with five principal aims:
|
Research |
To engage in and encourage research into the history, uniforms and traditions of the Royal Marines and other aspects of Corps History. The results of research conducted by the Society may be published and shall be offered to the Royal Marines Museum. |
|
Networking |
To provide a means of communication between persons interested in the history of the Royal Marines. |
|
Education |
To stimulate an interest within the serving Corps and general public in the history and development of all activities of the Royal Marines. |
|
Knowledge |
To provide a source of historical knowledge and expertise to which members of the Society, the serving Corps, staff of the Royal Marines Museum and others may refer. |
|
Collecting |
To assist in enhancing the collections and historical records of the Royal Marines Museum and introducing them to a wider audience. |
|
Membership |
With over 300 members, who range from serving Marines to English Heritage, the Society is governed by a voluntary council with six members elected from the membership, an appointed Honorary Editor, Secretary and Treasurer as well as a representative of the Royal Marines Museum and the Commandant General Royal Marines. Membership is open to anyone with a genuine interest in Corps history. Our funding is derived primarily from member's subscriptions supplemented by a small surplus from the sale of our publications and other donations. We receive considerable administrative and premises support as well as access to collections from the RM Museum but the RMHS is an independent organisation. Our Society is run by volunteers and we are unable to assist with research enquiries from the general public, please visit the museum or click here for help and advice on researching Royal Marines history |
Please contact us at
Royal Marines Historical Society
Royal Marines Museum
Southsea
Hampshire
PO4 9PX
Membership of the
Royal Marines Historical Society is open to
anyone with a genuine interest in Corps
history.
Existing members include serving and retired Royal Marines, family and military historians, militaria collectors and many friends of the Corps. We all have in common a desire to see the heritage and history of the Royal Marines protected and shared.
Members receive two issues of the Society's illustrated journal, The Sheet Anchor, which contains articles and news of interest on Royal Marines history. Members also receive a copy of the Society's annual Special Publication on a particular detailed and well researched topic. Three newsletters are distributed each year.
The Annual General Meeting is held in the Corps Museum at Eastney, Southsea, after which lunch is followed by a talk on a Royal Marines historical subject. Subjects covered over the past few years have included 'Gallipoli', 'Royal Marines in the Gulf War', 'Kenneth Alford, Musician Extraordinaire', 'The Falklands Campaign', 'Commandos in Italy in WW2', etc. During the AGM the RMHS presents award in recognition of outstanding contribution to Corps history.
An Annual Dinner is held in Portsmouth each year to celebrate the Corps birthday, 28 October, on the nearest Saturday.
Subscription
The annual
subscription is currently £22
per annum for mail delivered to UK addresses
and £25 for overseas.
Associate Membership is available for organisations interested in the Society's aims, but this does not carry voting rights.
To apply, please click on the link below to download.
Searches can be performed by title and/or author. After entering your search criteria, click Search.
To go back to the complete list, clear the search box then click Search.
Projects
The Short
History
Since 2002 we have worked with the Museum,
CTCRM and the Learning and Skills Council to
produce a Short History of the Corps that is
given to each new recruit and young officer.
The Short history is now in its third edition
and available to buy
online from the Museum
Shop.
Graves and Memorials
After creating registers of the
Corps' dead from both
World wars we embarked on a project to record
and photograph RM graves and memorials around
the globe. Over the past three years we have
digitalised our collection of 2500 images and
are now considering ways to allow public
access to this ongoing project.
Oral History
We have provided equipment and training for
Oral History interviewers in support of a
joint project between ourselves and the Royal
Marines Association. The interviews are
deposited with the RM Museum who share them
with the Imperial War Museum to provide
public access and permanent conservation.
Globe and Laurel Index
Members of the Society are working on an
index to the Corps journal, the Globe and
Laurel. This is an invaluable source of Corps
history, however, it has never been indexed
and searches can take many hours. We are
currently recruiting volunteers to assist in
the digitalisation of the first 60 volumes of
the magazine.
Sea Britain Exhibition
In 2005 members of the Society worked with
the National Trust to mount an exhibition of
the paintings of Captain James Cottell, RM. A
veteran of Trafalgar, Cottell made over 140
watercolour drawings that chronicle his 40
years service.
Future Projects and Research
The RMHS is committed to rewriting the Short
History on a three year cycle. Oral History
and Graves and Memorials are ongoing
projects.
We are working with the RM Museum on a book on the history of RM insignia from 1755 to the present day. This has included funding to catalogue part of the Museum's insignia collection, photography and primary research in the Museum's archives, the National Archives, at the Naval Historical Branch and the collections of many private members.
Research
Two major research projects are underway
- The Indexing of the
Globe and Laurel continues and members of the
Society are working on a roll of Marine
Officers from 1664 to 1783.