1903 - 1906 PAIR [2] OF HANDWRITTEN, EXCEPTIONALLY DETAILED JOURNAL AND LOG BOOKS DETAILING THE EXCITING LIFE AND WORK OF A YOUNG ROYAL NAVY OFFICER AND SHOWCASING HIS ABILITY TO DRAW INTRICATE DIAGRAMS, MAPS, AND ILLUSTRATIONS

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On offer are two extraordinary pieces of Naval history and life in the British Royal Navy in the early 20th Century. Two intricately detailed and graphic log books books from a mid shipman who served on the HMS Jupiter, Caesar, and Duncan. Across the two large hardcover books the midshipman, Brian Cameron Gourley records information, both technical technical nautical observations as well as various remarks each day. These two books represent a comprehensive and thoroughly fascinating look at the life of a British midshipman at the turn of the century, as well as including drawings, diagrams, and maps, drawn in an expert hand, that give the reader a more complete understanding of the technical aspects of working on a battleship at the turn of the 20th century. LOG BOOK #1 records events and information across three ships: the H.M.S. Jupiter from September 15, 1903 to December 8, 1904 (around 160 pages of entries), the H.M.S. Caesar February 6, 1905 to March 6, 1905 (around 10 pages) ,and the H.M.S. Duncan from March 7, 1905 to May 14, 1905 (around 18 pages). On the Jupiter, the ships calls in at a number of ports, starting in Scarborough (in North Yorkshire), St. Andrews, Portland, sailing to Gibraltar, Catalan Bay, Lisbon, Palma (Majorca), and back to Scotland with many more ports in between. At Sea the crew does Battle Practices, lands field guns and troops for drills, exercised Man and Arms boats, and does boat firing exercises and drills. There are also Inspections (once from Rear Admiral Lambton) refittings, Training classes, a Court Martial on board, Joining up with Mediterranean fleet, saving a Man who falls overboard, plus lots about daily navy duties & maintenance aboard the ship. Each day contains the work done (and a what time) for the day. For example: On Wednesday November 25th, 1903: “5:45 Hands cleaning ship. 8:15 Landed companies & marines. 9:00 Prayers. 1:00 Landing Party returned. 4:00 Evening Quarters.” The next day: “8:30 Lieut. Saurin discharged to ‘Aurora’ for passage to England. 8:45 Landed Marine markers. 9:10. Divisions & Prayers. 4:00 Evening Quarters.”; Saturday, December 5th: “8:51 Stopped. 8:54 Came to with Port Bower. 12:29. Weighed - Proceeded at Full Speed. 1:26. Stopped Made fast to No. 1 Buoy. 4:00 Watch getting up Ammunition.” The book also has many, many illustrations and lists done exceptionally well by Gourley himself. These really are extraordinary to behold, both in their detail and the expertise with which they are drawn. In lists there is a “List of Allowance for one man for one day”; “List of Ships of Combined Mediterranean and Channel Battle Fleets and Cruiser Squadron, present at Palma Majorca May 22 1904”; “List of Combined Squadrons of Battleships and Cruisers present at Mount's Bay, July 30 1904;” There are also numerous maps such a map showing track chart of Channel Fleet 1903, a map of Gibraltar Bay, a number of fold-out maps of England, France, Spain, Portugal to Gibraltar tracking round trip. The drawings include two drawings of the showing damage in the Accident to H.M.S. Prince George, a universal joint for steering connections, the Arrangements for Towing and being towed, a drawing of 24 inch Projector, the section through screw propelle, a drawing of Six Cell Test Battery, and many, many more. In the H.M.S. Caesar, (February 6, 1905 to March 6, 1905) the ship travels to Portsmouth, Plymouth, Vigo Spain, Lagos Portugal, Gibraltar, Spithead, and back to Portsmouth. The format is the same as when on the Jupiter. Nautical information (Wind direction and speed, weather, the barometric pressure, temperature, and where the ship is located) is recorded and then short remarks of work done and observations. There are also a few illustrations, notably, a map & Description of Battle Exercise Feb 15 , 1905. “The object of this P.Z. was to discover the advantage a fast small fleet has over a larger but slower squadron. To effect this the Atlantic Fleet was given 6 miles start, and at 10 a.m. we were steaming 15 knots towards Burlings on a SE Co., being in the line abreast...” Then Gourley is on the H.M.S. Duncan (From March 7, 1905 to May 14, 1905) where he calls in at the ports of Portsmouth, Lamlash, Berehaven, Portland, Dover, and Yarmouth. The same format as the last two parts. Gourley writes of target practice, Torpedo Drills, a funeral party, a preliminary gun layer's competition, firing 6 rounds of lyddite (high explosive) from 6 inch guns at "Bills Rocks", mining torpedo training classes, plus lots about daily navy duties & maintenance aboard the H.M.S. Duncan. Illustrations by Gourley include a drawing of Towing arrangements for HMS Duncan along with a full page and detailed description. The book is a large hardcover with marbled boards, marbled end pages with Gold, Gilt Title lettering in very good condition with around 188 pages with around 15 hand-coloured & black and white charts and technical diagrams, illustrations and 7 maps as well as the detailed day-to-day diary entries of events on board. The Size is 12 3/4 inches by 8 3/4 inches. LOG BOOK #2 is from the period of May 15th 1905 to November 15, 1906 and covers Gourley’s time on the ships H.M.S. Duncan & H.M.S. Caesar. It is in a slightly different format than the preceding book. Instead of the nautical information (Wind, weather, temperature, Port of call, etc.) and the remarks being next to each other, this book contains two pages in the beginning of a month for these observations, as well as a single line for “Remarks”. The pages that follow are where Gourley writes his day to day observations and work. They tend to be longer and more detailed than the remarks in the previous book. For example: “Wednesday July 3rd. Exercised General Drill. Clear ship for Aelion. Out nets, & replaced gear. Then at Sheet anchor being second ship in this evolution. We did comparatively well in the drill today. Comdr. Woolcombe left ship on promotion. All boats away sailing in the afternoon there being quite a fair breeze. Boom defences were placed across all the entrances all night, several picket-boats being outside to warn off merchant steamers.”; “Sunday July 9. 8:10 Hannibal left for Portsmouth to pay off. Landed usual Church Parties. 10:30 Held Divine Service after Quarters rose Anchor gear & Prepared for Sea. 7:10 Lieut. Hamilton Gordon joined ship.”; “Tuesday July 13. 7:00 Anchored. 7:30 Weighed & proceeded out of harbor for annual gun layer's competitions. When we got to targets we hoisted out both picket-boats & the sailing pinnacle and lowered line cutters all for repairing purposes. The sail of the target was changed each run which caused less delay than patching when the sail is hoisted. At 10:00 the Inspector of ___ (Rear Admiral Scott) Came on board. 10:30 Commenced the competition. The 6” guns got off 6, 7, or 8 shots each. Gourley is on board the H.M.S. Duncan from May 15, 1905 to November 30, 1905 (around 75 pages), and then on board the H.M.S. Caesar December 5, 1905 to November 15, 1906 (around 115 pages). There are more illustrations in this book as well. Including drawings of ships top and side views, a drawing of “3 PDR Steel Shell Torpedo,” “Firing Valves and Leads for 18 inch Broadside Submerged Tube,” and many more. There are maps of Spain, Bantry Bay, Lundy Island, the Cruises HMS Ships Jupiter, Duncan, Caesar on the Coastline of Europe & Northern Africa, and more. This logbook is a large hardcover, with marbled boards, marbled end pages with Gold,Gilt Title lettering in very good condition with around 190 pages with around 13 hand-coloured & black and white charts and technical diagrams, illustrations and maps. Size is 12 3/4 inches by 8 1/2 inches. (Background: Brian Cameron Gourley (born: 21 October, 1887, died: unknown) was an officer in the Royal Navy. Spotted three months seniority on passing out of Britannia, Gourley's first appointments were to battleships, starting with Jupiter of the Channel Fleet on 15 September, 1903. Cæsar, Duncan and Caesar again, in the Atlantic Fleet followed, ending in January 1907 at which time he began training at Whale Island. Gourley was then appointed to Orion, additional, for the destroyer Stag on 16 April, 1908. Promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 15 December, 1908. Gourley was appointed in command of the first-class torpedo boat T.B. 7 on 3 August, 1914, having recently spent three months at the barracks at Pembroke. He would command T.B. 7 alongside other units of the Nore Local Defence Flotilla until being appointed to the patrol boat P20 on 15 July, 1916, to take command upon her commissioning. Gourley was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 15 December, 1916. At some point in 1917, Gourley was appointed in command of Victor, but on 20 September, 1917 he moved again, this time to command the "M" Class destroyer Menace. He remained with her until he was appointed in command of the destroyer Seabear on 14 August, 1918. On 9 September, 1919, Gourley was appointed in command of the destroyer Verity.Gourley was placed on the Retired List at his own request with the rank of Commander on 15 October, 1929. Mobilised in September, 1938, Gourley was made Naval Officer in Charge, Sunderland on 29 August, 1939. In late 1942 he was appointed to the shore establishment H.M.S. Trelawney, likely in support of minelaying operations. On 3 November, 1943, he was placed in command of the base, vice Hamilton, being given the acting rank of Captain while holding the appointment. Gourley reverted to the Retired List in September, 1945.); Manuscript; Folio - over 12" - 15" tall; KEYWORDS: HISTORY OF, BRIAN CAMERON GOURLEY, HMS JUPITER, HMS CAESAR, HMS DUNCAN, BRITISH ROYAL NAVY IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY, ROYAL NAVY MIDSHIPMAN, ATLANTIC FLEET, CHANNEL FLEET, MAJESTIC CLASS, PRE DREADNOUGHT BATTLESHIP, CRUISER SQUADRON, PRE WW1 BRITISH NAVY, BATTLESHIP DRILLS AND EXERCISES, LIFE ON A 1900s BATTLESHIP, BRITANNICA, HANDWRITTEN, MANUSCRIPT, DOCUMENT, LETTER, AUTOGRAPH, WRITER, HAND WRITTEN, DOCUMENTS, SIGNED, LETTERS, MANUSCRIPTS, HISTORICAL, HOLOGRAPH, WRITERS, AUTOGRAPHS, PERSONAL, MEMOIR, MEMORIAL, ANTIQUITÉ, CONTRAT, VÉLIN, DOCUMENT, MANUSCRIT, PAPIER ANTIKE, BRIEF, PERGAMENT, DOKUMENT, MANUSKRIPT, PAPIER OGGETTO D’ANTIQUARIATO, ATTO, VELINA, DOCUMENTO, MANOSCRITTO, CARTA ANTIGÜEDAD, HECHO, VITELA, DOCUMENTO, MANUSCRITO, PAPEL Show more