Special Exhibitions

Open everyday from 10am – 4.30pm

Skull & Crossbones: Living under the Jolly Roger

Become a pirate in this special family exhibition, learn how to speak pirate, command your boat, discover treasure, hoist your Jolly Roger and set sail for a pirate tour of the museum.

Find out why submarines fly Jolly Rogers and how the Royal Navy Submarine Service combats modern day piracy.

The Jolly Roger adoption as the battle ensign of the Royal Navy Submarine Service began when Lt Cdr Max Horton RN, in command of HMS E9, raised the Jolly Roger in September 1914 on return from the patrol which he sank the German cruiser Hela and the destroyer S-116. He had remembered the words of Vice Admiral Sir Arthur Wilson, when he has spoke out against the adoption of the submarine by the Royal Navy in 1901, “The Crews of all submarines captured should be treated as pirates and hanged”

The exhibition also features the oldest surviving Jolly Roger from the WW1 E54 submarine and the newest from HMS Trenchant which was flown recently in Afghanistan .

Tickets: Free with a valid museum ticket

Best Dressed Pirates at the opening weekend July 2009

Sat 25 July: Cameron McCarley, Basingstoke, 9yrs

Sun 26 July: Elizabeth Waldock, Gosport, 7 yrs              

 

Online Exhibitions

At the Museum we regularly feature special exhibitions. When they have ended, you can still enjoy the exhibitions here; on-line. The following exhibitions are currently featured on the website.