The Military History Society of NSW

Captain Albert Poland of the Royal Navy recorded his Second World War service in daily notebooks from mid-April 1941 until January 1943. During this critical time he saw action during the whole dramatic eight-month Siege of Tobruk by Rommel’s Afrika Korps, from April to November 1941.  As an Officer Inshore Squadron, Albert was responsible for all ships supplying the besieged garrison, including units of the 9th Australian   Division, with food, ammunition, fuel etc.  Afterwards he continued to support the army in opening up ports along the Mediterranean coast as they advanced.  In March 1942 he was appointed a Captain of the 14th Destroyer Flotilla, commanding HMS Jervis and escorting convoys to Malta, confronting the Italian Navy at the Battle of Sirte, and rescuing crew of flotilla vessels sunk by the Luftwaffe outside Alexandria. Albert’s notebooks were transcribed by his son Peter and, along with other primary source material, were published...