Royal New Zealand Naval Association Inc.

1 August 1994 - Calliope dry-dock leased to Babcock-Skellerup 

1 August 1914 - Royal Navy ordered to mobilise 

2 August 1917 - first deck landing of an aircraft aboard HMS Furious by Commander E.N. Dunning 

3 August 1941 - first success for Fighter Catapult ships when a Hurricane from Maplin shoots down a Focke-Wulf in the Atlantic 

4 August 1914 - War declared against the Central Powers 

5 August 1864 - By order of the Admiralty, the White Ensign is allocated exclusively to the Royal Navy. The Merchant Navy was to use the Red Ensign and the Blue Ensign was for Naval Reserve and Government vessels 

6 August 1846 - landing party from HMS Calliope participates in the Battle of Horokiri 

6 August 1915 - landings at Suvla Bay begin as part of the August offensives at Gallipoli. Despite the hopes of the planners, this was also unsuccessful. 

6 August 1885 - first night gunnery practice by searchlight carried out by HMS Alexandra 

7 August 1815 - Napoleon leaves Plymouth aboard HMS Northumberland for exile in St. Helena. 

7 August 1873 - Formation of the Royal Navy Artillery Volunteers 

8 August 1892 - Torpedo Boat Destroyer accepted by the Admiralty as a new vessel classification. The vessels that were designed to counter these ships became known simply as Destroyers.
  
Stinkpot - this derisive term for how a person might smell bad has its origins in a weapon that was used at sea during the Classical and Medieval periods. A stinkpot was a pottery jar filled with a combustible material. It would be thrown on to an opponent's ship. It was designed as an anti-personnel weapon. If the mixture contained sulphur there would be noxious stench hence, 'stinkpot'.

Pipe Down - aboard a sailing warship, the hammocks that the sailors slept in would be 'piped up' in the morning and required the men to unsling their hammocks and take them up on deck for airing out. At the end of the day, the Bosun would signal 'pipe down' for the men to take their hammocks our of stowage and hand them up ready for sleeping. The men were expected to go to sleep until their watch, also all lights were extinguished and there was no smoking hence the order 'pipe down' was an order to keep quiet.