Papers of Engineer-Captain Thomas Spalding including diaries, 1906-1981; lecture notes; photograph albums; loose photographs and pamphlets. Oversize item: mostly photographs of crew, includes a few sketches of buildings and one annotated photograph 'Navy v Army, Malta, 1910.' Please contact archive staff for more information about ordering from this collection.

Administrative / biographical background
Entered into the navy as an engineer sub-lieutenant on 9 August 1906, joining the VIVID as part of the Home Fleet. He then served in the Australian Station, 1907, in the POWERFUL; being promoted to engineer-lieutenant on 1 November 1908. He then continued to serve in the Home Fleet on the VIVD and ANTRIM in 1910 and on the Mediterranean Station in the BACHANTE and then back to the Homet Fleet for 1911. He was promoted engineer-lieutenant on 1 November 1916, serving on the PLUCKY, VULCAN and VIVID in the Home Fleet. He was then promoted engineer-commander on 31 December 1922, joining the PEGASUS in the Mediterranean Station. More than a decade later he was promoted engineer-captain on 31 December 1933 and, amongst others, served in the NELSON and VICTORY in the Home Fleet. Spalding retired from active service on 28 July 1939 and was appointed to administrative postitions under the Commander-In-Chief of the South Atlantic Station, serving between 6 October 1939 and 13 November 1945. His full service record is available at The National Archives and can be viewed in their Documents Online website under reference: ADM 196/131.