HMAS Perth with the battle squadron in the Mediterranean
Roy Norris’ illustrated wartime diary was donated to the Naval Historical Society and the book “A Cook’s Tour” by Roy Norris was prepared from the diary. Wartime Mediterranean scenes are graphically described and illustrated. The diary also included descriptions and watercolours of his shoreside activities and experiences such as a visit to the Acropolis in Athens and a visit to Nazareth and Jerusalem in Palestine. This book is available for purchase from the Australian Navy Historical Society.
- About Roy Norris
Roy Norris was one of the commissioning crew of HMAS Perth and served during Perth’s deployment to the Mediterranean in 1941.
Norris kept a diary and recorded the events he and the Perth experienced. He was also a talented artist and painted several watercolours of scenes from the Mediterranean.
In 2005, the Society published the diary under the title, “A Cook’s Tour”. The book is a substantial and unique historical reference.
These extracts demonstrate Norris’s skill for story telling, and relate some of the key events in the Mediterranean campaign
- About HMAS Perth (l)
HMS Amphion was the first of three modified Leander Class cruisers built by the Royal Navy that were later transferred to the Royal Australian Navy. HMS Amphion was renamed HMAS Perth. Her main duty was escorting convoys.
More reading
- Additional resources for Roy Norris
- Additional resources for HMAS Perth (l)
