A family history project into the war record of Jim Carter's great grandfather became an exploration of the history of the Royal Navy in peacetime and war.

In July 1918 Herbert Leeder joined the Royal Navy, beginning a naval career which spanned 2 World Wars and 16 ships. 100 years later, his great grandson, Jim Carter was researching the lives of the men listed on his Berkshire village’s war memorial when his mother gave him Herbert’s S459 Record of Service and Carter, with a passion for military history, began to research Herbert’s life.

In today's podcast we discuss the early phases of the war, Britain's battle for the Mediterranean, the failed defence of Greece and Crete and the steep learning curve the Royal Navy undertook to win a war at sea.