Wednesday 11th October; 7:30pm

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BMMHS Meeting Venue

Woodcote Village Hall, Reading Road, Woodcote, RG8 0QY

The Battle of Jutland

 Peter Wilkinson

Peter’s talk will focus on the following key areas:-

  • Jutland – One battle;  two different strategies
  • “There seems to be something wrong with our bloody ships today” 
  • The missed opportunities
  • So, who won?
Battle of Jutland
David Beatty, commander of the British battlecruiser fleet. Source Wiki
Battle of Jutland
Admiral Sir John Jellicoe, Commander in Chief of the Grand Fleet. IWM Q 55499
Battle of Jutland
Franz Hipper, commander of the German battlecruiser squadron. Source Wiki
Battle of Jutland
Invincible blowing up after being struck by shells from Lützow and Derfflinger. Source Wiki
Battle of Jutland
HMS Warspite and Malaya, seen from HMS Valiant at around 14:00 hrs. Source Wiki
Battle of Jutland
BeBeatty's flagship HMS Lion burning after being hit by a salvo from SMS Lützowatty's flagship HMS Lion burning after being hit by a salvo from SMS Lützow. Source Wiki

About the speaker - Vice Admiral Peter Wilkinson CB, CVO

Peter Wilkinson joined the Royal Navy in 1975 as a University Cadet, studying at the Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth and St David’s College, Lampeter.

On completion of training he joined submarines as soon as he could and served in both diesel and nuclear submarines before being selected to attend the Commanding Officers Qualifying Course in 1987.  After completing the course he commanded HM Submarines Otter, Superb and Vanguard before completing his operational career as Captain of the Second Submarine Squadron based in Devonport.

He then undertook a range of staff appointments in London and Portsmouth, working for both the First and Second Sea Lords and the Chief of the Defence Staff.  He retired from the Royal Navy in 2010. 

Subsequently, he was Clerk to the Worshipful Company of Cooks (a London Livery Company) for 11 years. From 2012-2016 he was National President of the Royal British Legion and he has recently chaired an appeal to build a new submarine memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum.

He and his wife Tracey live at Warsash in Hampshire and have two adult daughters, Kate and Hilary.

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