Cook’s Tour, A: HMAS Perth’s Mediterranean War 1941

First Edition. This collection of a diary plus a folio of watercolours was acquired in 2004 from the family of Roy Davis Norris. He was born in 1904 and joined the navy in 1927, giving his civilian occupation as ‘cook’. The collection, which forms the backbone of this book, covers his time as a Petty Officer Cook on board the cruiser HMAS Perth during that ship’s deployment in the Mediterranean for the first half of 1941. Roy Norris writes about his experiences at the battle of Matapan against the Italian navy; about the Luftwaffe attacks; about the Fleet Air Arm; about air raids on Malta, Greece, Crete and Egypt and about the Allies evacuation of Greece & Crete. Later, Norris attained commissioned rank, retiring in the 1950s as a Supply Lieutenant. This very special book is written in frank, funny and often deeply-moving detail of his experiences, and those of his shipmates on board the light cruiser HMAS Perth. Illustrated. 150315