Photo of Royal Marine died 1944 HMS Fiji

[Greensleeves]

This is the only known photo we have of James Arthur Philip Smith, a Royal Marines Musician, who died at sea after the bombing of HMS Fiji during the Battle for Crete in 1944.  I'm wondering if anyone could help to identify what the objects are behind him in the photo?  I want to do a restore but am not sure whether the objects are relevant to his life as a Royal Marines  Musician.  The object behind him at first sight looked to me like an ironing board, but then I wondered if it was a keyboard or something similar.  Anyone got any bright ideas?

[Ruskie]

Very mysterious. His right hand is either holding or resting on a strap which looks to be holding some kit of some sort - perhaps ... 

The odd thing is that when I first looked at the photo I thought it looked Naval before I read your question. I thought the fabric had a look of sails about it, though don't think that would be relevant to WW2 would it? Anyway, I still think that looks like sails, or sail cloth.

No clue what he is leaning on though. Perhaps just a shelf of some sort but it looks metal? I see what looks a bit like a carriage/pram wheels hanging up high and something technical (switchboard looking thing) to the left of the picture.

Sorry not to be of more help and probably pointing out things you already know.

Regarding a restore, have you considered just concentrating on defining and restoring James and leaving the background more or less as is, a bit blurred? This would keep him in context. It would be hard to restore objects if you don't know what they are and have no point of reference. If you put him in a different background it may not look right.

Just my thoughts. Good luck with it anyway. 

[joboy]

I am no expert but I suggest that he may be leaning against a gun platform and what is there behind him is the breech end of a gun and he looks as if he is inside a gun turret of some sort.
Looking at the armaments of HMS Fiji at that time it is difficult to pick what type of gun(s) were shown thereon.
Royal Marine Bandsmen were non combatants so why he may have been inside a turret beats me ........ perhaps it was 'for effect' .. who knows?
Joe

[macintosh]

I think it is just a space onboard were he probably sleeps and stows his kit, the  "shelf" although substantial and rivetted to the bulkhead is probably a work bench and could double as his bed with a mattress on when not  in use, the pipework and round wheels is probably a service line possibly a firewater ring main or steam line with valves operated by the "wheels". I don't think a gun turret would be used for stowing personal kit on a ww2 naval vessel. Though I have seen submariners sleeping on top of torpedo racks.


James


le as his

[Greensleeves]

Many thanks for your suggestions; I hadn't even noticed that what he is leaning on is a shelf rivetted to the 'wall' so it shows how observant I am!  And thanks for pointing out the wheeled device hanging up.  I am still puzzled about most of the objects but thanks for your help.  You've all made me look closer at the photo with different eyes!

Kind regards
GS

[joboy]

As you probably gathered I was a Royal Marine who was aboard an HM ship in 1947 a couple of years after he died.
We did not have beds or bunks as suggested but slept in hammocks which were lashed and stowed in a cage like structure the mess (never did like that term) where you slept and and what is seen below it is just shadow.
What you see above him without a doubt is the breech end of a gun and he is inside a gun turret ..... probably just arrived aboard and wanted to 'show off' for a photo to be sent home.
On the other hand the fact that he unfortunately died on the Fiji does not necessarily mean the photo was taken aboard that vessel ...I had two changes with 3 months HMS Gambia to HMS Glory.

Since a slung hammock moves in concert with the motion of the vessel, the occupant is not at a risk of being thrown onto the deck (which may be 5 or 6 feet below) during swells or rough seas. Likewise, a hammock provides more comfortable sleep than a bunk or a berth while at sea since the sleeper always stays well balanced, irrespective on the motion of the vessel. Prior to the adoption of naval hammocks, sailors would often be injured or even killed as they fell off their berths or rolled on the decks on heavy seas. The sides of traditional canvas naval hammocks wrap around the sleeper like a cocoon, making an inadvertent fall virtually impossible.
I found a photo of hammocks in use aboard HMS Belfast and I hope it transmits OK
Joe

[joboy]

Interestingly,looking at the photo again ... there is one hammock in use and the other is still 'lashed' (not open) and when stowed during the day the the whole hammocks for the mess were stowed upright in a mesh pen which you can see part of in the right bottom of the photo.
This was a requirement under 'Damage Control Procedures' so that in the event of damage to the ship the hammocks did not float around and clog the pumps
Joe

[Ruskie]

That is really interesting Joe. 
Aren't hammocks bad for the back though? They must also be difficult to turn over in. 

[joboy]

Actually I found them to be very comfortable  .... no it is not possible to turn over but somehow it was not a worry .... the only worry was hanging your hammock in a passage way ........ by getting bumped on the bottom by passers by going on or coming off watch.
The old hands knew they would get an uninterupted sleep by swinging over the mess tables as shown in the photo.
Joe