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Navigation and Surveying from the Chartroom

The Navigators Yeoman would ordinarily have been bunked in the chart-room in the early days.  This was so he was on hand should the bridge crew needed him to confirm a position or plan a course change onto another chart. If a U-boat sighting or contact had been reported, this could easily bring on a course change to set up a perimeter to deter it or close to engage, depending on tasking priorities. As the hostilities came to a close in the channel, ML1085’s role, as that of many HDML’s changed to that of Surveying harbours and coastlines following the German withdrawal. With this change brought on a change in crewing, these HDML’s now had a Survey Recorder amongst their number. As the rating altering the charts as the seabed was surveyed, they now needed to be on hand to adjust the charts as discrepancies were found. Much will have changed on the seabed, with many shipwrecks from both sides, mine fields and anti amphibious obstructions put down as part of the Nazi, “Atlantic Wall” all of these obstructions needed charting for the coming peacetime marine traffic to avoid, and to latter be safely removed as time progressed.

 

The Asdic (Anti Submarine Detection Investigation Committee) recorder can be seen on the forward right hand bench area of the chart room, these were not original fit, but were added in the lead up to D-Day for some HDML’s and post D-Day for others converted to survey duties as ML1085 was.

 

The survey recorders bunk can just be seen to the right, and the chart table goes above this on the rear bulkhead of the chart room.