RNPS Museum, Lowestoft, Suffolk

The Royal Naval Patrol Service manned the Navy’s “small ships” during WWII, and they had their headquarters base at “HMS Europa” in Lowestoft. Tens of thousands of new sailor recruits streamed through this base, including my father.
Today, the RNPS Association has its museum in rooms in one of the few surviving buildings of the base at Sparrows Nest, Lowestoft. There are two museum rooms, one on the first floor, the other at ground level at the back. They have various exhibits and mementoes including models of some of the small ships, and many photographs. There are some research materials. The ship models were the most photogenic items on display 🙂
When I visited, I was kindly received, and had a good look round the main room, and also the one at the back, which they unlocked for me. I spotted a picture of one of Dad’s armed trawlers, and they made a copy of it on the spot. They couldn’t shed much light on what Dad’s boats had been doing in the war (such information is very scanty today).
Admission to the Museum is free and it is generally open throughout the year on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings until noon, subject to volunteer availability.
If you have come a long way you might want to note other things in the area that shouldn’t be missed: the sea wall and sea a few hundred yards sea-ward from the Museum, Roman fort at Burgh Castle, Great Yarmouth town wall, Great Yarmouth Row Houses.