First of all, my congratulations and thanks for your wonderful website on HMS Royal Oak. Brilliant!
I was very interested to find it as my father, Stoker Eric Sylvester, served on her (albeit in peacetime) between June 1932 to April 1934.
What a wonderful experience it must have been for a 19/20 year old, cruising the Med and seeing all those sights.
And what a shock it must have been to hear of her loss in 1939 for, I'm sure, they were convinced she was invincible. He may well have known some of the crew who perished. Sadly, he was to lose his own life a year later in the same waters he'd toured on the Mighty Oak.
During his time on board, he kept a photo album of their travels (as I'm sure many did) which I still possess. These presently sit at the back of a cupboard and, when I go, might end up in a skip or unwanted in a junk shop. It occurred to me that they should have a better home where they would be more accessible so I have scanned some of them for your website.
Regards
Brian Sylvester
Former Writer
Royal Navy
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