Great-grandson reveals relative's amazing naval life

Herbert Leeder's naval career spanned both world wars

The great-grandson of a Royal Navy sailor whose service career spanned 30 years and two world wars has published a book after extensive research.

Former jockey Jim Carter, 59 from Newbury, in Berkshire, was given a document from his grandmother which contained “notes and clues” about the long naval career of her father, Herbert Leeder.

Mr Carter then spent two years piecing the information together and doing his own “extensive research” into his great-grandfather.

He said: “It was hard, challenging work at times, but so worth it to share a little history.”

Jim Carter's' grandmother, Doreen, left him a book with notes about her father's naval career

In his book - Hearts of Steel - Mr Carter follows the career of his great-grandfather from a historical perspective, concentrating on three ships in particular.

He said the “few little notes” his grandmother, Doreen, left him was enough to “pique his interest” as he has always been passionate about military history.

Mr Carter had been researching the lives of the men listed on his Berkshire village’s war memorial when his mother gave him Herbert Leeder’s record of service.

From there, “I started to dig into the past,” he said.

The service document gave basic information about Mr Leeder, as well as a list of the ships he served on when he joined the navy in 1918, through to his demobilisation in 1945.

Mr Carter said he started the process because he wanted something to give his four children.

He said: “During the writing process I found the real reason was not just for my children, but to get other people interested in that era.

“I wanted to inspire others and bring history to life because it’s so important we know about that period of time.”

Mr Leeder spent five years on HMS Effingham

Mr Carter discovered that Herbert Leeder had been in the navy for almost 30 years, with a career spanning both world wars and on 16 ships.

Mr Leeder left for Sri-Lanka (then Ceylon) in 1925 onboard HMS Effingham. He was recently married and had a 10-month old daughter.

The tour lasted two and a half years and he did it twice.

HMS Nubian built by Thornycrofts on the River Hamble off Southampton Water

He was also a crewman on HMS Nubian, which launched in 1938, serving in Norway and then the Eastern Mediterranean.

HMS Nubian remains the second most highly decorated warship and was awarded 13 battle honours, of which Mr Leeder was onboard for nine.

The Nubian was severely damaged with casualties during the key battle for Crete in 1941.

Mr Carter said: “I hadn’t heard of HMS Nubian before I read about her in my grandmother's notes, yet she had such an amazing career.

“The ships story is relatively untold, something I wanted to bring out in the narrative - the book is as much about her as my great-grandfather.”

Mr Carter, who was a successful flat race jockey in the UK, France and New Zealand, added: "The journey researching and writing this book has been challenging. I needed to get it right.

"It's been more enjoyable and rewarding than I could have imagined."

Jim Carter: "It has been an exciting and very rewarding process"