The final Wardroom Summer Ball at HMS Dryad is to be a grand finale for the historic Hampshire Naval establishment.

Dryad, set in the beautiful grounds of Southwick Park on the northern slopes of Portsdown Hill, is due to decommission next summer.

And as a fitting tribute to a Wardroom that was established in 1941, when the Fleet Navigation School transferred ‘up the hill’ from Portsmouth Dockyard as a result of heavy bombing raids on the city, the final Summer Ball will be a memorable affair.

It will take place on July 16, and the number of guests has been increased from the usual 800 to 2,000, allowing applications from serving and retired Naval officers who have a connection with Dryad.

The cost of a double ticket is £100, which will include all food, some drink and a full programme of entertainment – live bands, discos and funfair.

Ticket application forms are available from Ms Sue Ings (Wardroom Mess Treasurer), HMS Dryad, Southwick, Fareham, Hampshire PO17 6EJ, telephone 023 9228 4438.

Southwick House, now the Wardroom, was requisitioned by the Navy in 1941, and became the forward planning and operational HQ of the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces, Gen Dwight D. Eisenhower, and the Naval Commander for Operation Overlord, Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay, in early 1944.

The wall map used during this period is still in its original position – and it was here that commanders watched the progress of events on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

The massive plywood map, which covered much of the European coast facing Britain, was commissioned from toy firm Chad Valley, and such was the secrecy surrounding Overlord that the two carpenters who erected it were required to remain within the confines of Southwick until the invasion was under way.

More recently, the School of Maritime Operations (SMOPS) was formed in 1974 at HMS Dryad, allowing the Fleet’s warfare officers to be taught basic and advanced warfighting skills.