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 Welcome to the web site of the HMS Courageous Association. Originally known as The HMS Courageous Society, the name having been changed by a members vote at the 2010 reunion in Plymouth, The Association has now been in existence for 11 years
Founded in 2000 by Chas Cooke, in a moment of madness and a desire to try and have the leaving do he was denied due to a pierhead jump in 1978, a search for old crew members willing to meet in a pub and have a beer rather got out of hand. Rather than the 5 or 6 mates that he had intended to seek out who would be willing to have a good evening session in a bar somewhere, it soon became apparent that there were so many more men who wanted to meet old friends and crew mates and, at the inaugural reunion at the Britannia Hotel, New Street in Birmingham, 146 men shared a weekend of memories while doing their best, and but for about half a barrel, succeeding in drinking the hotel dry.
 So The Association began and, despite economic downturns, the scattering of ex crew members around the globe and other more pressing commitments, the reunions go on, now every other year, and our members, accompanied in many cases by their wives and partners, continue to enjoy meeting each other at our weekend long get togethers. The last, in Plymouth in March 2010, attracted over 200 people, including Mr John Cannon, his wife Edith and their family. John was a 16 year old boy sailor on HMS Courageous in 1939 when it was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic south west of Ireland and was blown over the side but survived, unlike so many of his crew mates. It was our honour and privilege to welcome John and his family to the reunion as our guest.
For those of you who served in Courageous or have an affiliation with her please have a look at the membership and reunion pages as they will be of special interest to you.
Our 2012 reunion, to be held in Barrow in Furness, the boats place of birth, is already in the planning and we look forward to meeting again.
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