History of the RNA. Taken from an Article published in the Aylesbury Bucks Herald in 1955/56  At the Aylesbury Annual Reunion Dinner

Heading:- The Tang of the the Sea at a "Get Together".

The Royal Naval Association with nearly 300 branches and 40 new ones opening each month, was formed after a dinner held at the Crown Hotel, Aylesbury, on

March 16th 1934. Aylesbury became Number One Branch, and at the annual branch re-union dinner at "The Bulls Head Hotel, Aylesbury, on Saturday, the secretary, Mr Peter Locke, traced the history of the Association from that small beginning 21 years ago.

It was decided at that first dinner that there should be a Royal Naval Association., although that title wasn’t thought of then. Publicity was given to the Scheme on the

B.B.C. and in the national press and a meeting was called for January 3rd 1935 when the headquarters of the Naval Association of the Old Comrades Association was formed.

The Number One branch at Aylesbury was officially Started on January 5th 1935, and called the Bucks Branch. To avoid confusion when other branches were formed in Bucks this was later changed to The Aylesbury Branch and later still became Aylesbury and District branch to incorporate adjoining villages.

Shortly before this second alteration, the Association as a whole changed its name by public vote to the R.N.A.

Referring to the present number of branches in the British Isles and the Commonwealth, Mr Locke said "It is a big achievement from a small town like Aylesbury."

Some of the members who attended that first dinner were present on Saturday. Recently, continued Mr Locke, the efforts of those few had been crowned when the Queen granted the Association a Royal Charter, a thing they had strived for since 1934.

"Keep The Good Name"

In closing he said: "For the sake of old comrades it is up to us to keep the name of the Association good, clean and honourable. I have no time for underhand methods and I don’t think the Association has, that is why it is as strong as it is. Mr Locke then quoted the Association's motto: "Unity, Loyalty, Patriotism and Comradeship."

Mr Locke was replying to the toast to "The Royal Naval Association" proposed by Col. R. D. R. Sale.

Col Sale spoke of the enormous value of keeping intact the ties which have been forged in War.

There is  an excellent example of this in Aylesbury in the last twelve months, he referred to the formation of the Aylesbury Ex-Services' Club.

" Your Association and mine, the British Legion, came together quite happily and without friction. We have left the door open for the third great service to join us and still hope they may." said Col. Sale.

There is a school of thought among politicians today that the days of the Navy as a useful arm are numbered. Commenting on this when he proposed the toast "The Royal Navy," Mr W.N. Cory said this was not a new cry. He remembered, he said the agitation in the 1930s for the Navy to be scrapped.

The Navy Was Ready

Fortunately wiser councils prevailed and it was now history that when the necessity arose in 1939 the Navy, as always, was ready.

Today, with the menace of nuclear weapons, the general idea was that the defence of this island should depend on aircraft and other methods of preventing bombers carrying out there attack.

"It would seem to me," said Mr Cory, "that if that defence were successful we still have to live on this island. To live the seas must be kept free for ships to carry to these shores the means of fighting a war and above all else the food to sustain the people in the factories and in the homes."

"There is no pointing defending the island against nuclear attack and saving it from destruction, only to allow the people to starve for want of food, and the war machine to run down for the want of materials."

"In a nut shell, the outlook on any war is that, whatever happens, we must keep our sea lanes open, and to do that we must have a strong Navy."

Replying, Lieutenant Commander R.V.G Martin R.N., said “I can assure you that the Navy does exist and will continue to exist."

Difficult Period

A lot of adverse criticism of one kind or another, he said, had made it a very difficult period for the Royal Navy, and with so many inventions coming forward to counter nuclear weapons progress had been made very difficult.

On the other hand the Navy had been the inventors of many weapons and technical inventions to counter all the things an enemy might have up his sleeve.

We are rather concerned about one thing," he ended, "and that is the lack of recruits for the Navy. In this country town of Aylesbury it is grand to see the Royal Naval Association thriving so far from the sea."

 The Loyal Toast was proposed by the chairman Mr K. Banks, and the one minutes silence followed the toast to "The Fallen," proposed by the president,

Captain. M. W. R Hervey.

Captain Hervay also proposed the toast to "The Guests" Which was replied to by the Mayor of Aylesbury, Alderman F. B. Howard.

After the meal the 50 guests were entertained by cabaret artists Louis Marsden and Jack Edwards. The entertainment was arranged by Mr. A. Thornton. And Miss Eva Samms was the pianist.