Not Just Along for the Ride: The Role of Royal Navy Liaison Personnel in Multinational Naval Operations during World War II

World War II was the testing ground for multinational naval operations, particularly the British Royal Navy’s association with the European navies-in-exile from Poland, Norway, the Netherlands, France, Yugoslavia, and Greece. In order for the Allied ships to operate alongside British vessels, it was necessary to place a liaison staff on each foreign ship. This article explains how the liaison system worked, describes what life was like for liaison personnel on a foreign ship, and evaluates the effectiveness of the liaison system. The article is based on documents from the British National Archives and first-person accounts.