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Synopsis
Electrical technology has been at the heart of the maritime warfare capability of the Royal Navy since its first use to detonate explosives and enable simultaneous firing of naval guns in the mid 19th century. In Royal Navy vernacular, the term ‘Greenie’ refers to the Officers and Ratings responsible for supporting that technology in the Fleet.
The Author, Commander Moore, describes the early history of naval warfare and traces the increasingly rapid development of all forms of electrical technology from the days of the pile battery through to the microprocessors which underpin today’s fully integrated warship systems. Mirroring the technical progress, he describes how the Royal Navy’s manning structures were adapted, often in the face of entrenched opposition, to accommodate the new technology as it appeared and evolved at an astonishing rate, particularly during the Second World War. The Greenie has been produced with the full cooperation and resources of many public and volunteer naval organisations which continue to preserve the technical heritage of the Royal Navy. Included are over 200 illustrations ranging from unpublished images taken from Naval Establishment archives to cartoons that have been used in past generations of naval magazines to reflect the trademark humour with which naval personnel have always viewed service life, not least in the engineering field.
The Greenie story is written in an accomplished narrative style with a complete understanding of the science behind the technology and incorporates interviews and articles contributed by Greenies which recall times of both war and peace. The scope of the story ensures its appeal not only to personnel from all specialist branches of the Royal Navy but also to the past and present members of the Ministry of Defence and Defence Industry who have been involved in its technological history; and to all with an interest in the history of the Royal Navy.
Patrick A. Moore joined the Royal Navy in 1963 and graduated with a BSc in Electrical Engineering before going to sea as a Weapons Engineer Officer in HMS Ajax.
He left the Royal Navy as a Commander in 1992, after service as the Weapons Engineer Officer in HM Ships Falmouth and Newcastle and as the Squadron Weapons Engineer Officer for the 5th Destroyer Squadron during the First Gulf War. He then worked for Ferranti International, GEC Marconi and BAE Systems, focusing on warship combat system simulators. His involvement with the Operational, Research and Development, Shipbuilding and Training functions of the RN therefore spans an impressive 42 years. Few others are better qualified to tell this story.
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