RootsChat.Com
General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: easy12 on Sunday 11 February 07 14:00 GMT (UK)
-
Hi All,
my late father served in the Royal Navy before, during and after WW2. Among his belongings I have found a photo album containing photos of Naval Warships and a large number of them have their fate noted below the photo. If anybody has a particular ship they would like a photo of or wish to know the fate of a particular ship I MAY be able to help.
The photos would obviously be scanned copies and I doubt that every ship is covered.
easy12
-
Hi,
My late father also served in the Royal Navy during world war 2 but he was on Merchant ships as a gunner. According to his records he was on the Glendower, The President 111, Victory and Excellent. I know some were training ships but he has the Cheverons 1943-44, the 39-45 Star, The Atlantic Star, The Italy Star and the Burma Star and Rosette medals.
If you have any photo's I would love to have a copy of any of the ships.
Thank you for your offer.
-
Hi Otters,
I shall have a hunt through tomorrow and post any successes then.
easy12
-
Victory was the name of the main Royal Naval Barracks in Portsmouth until it changed recently to HMS Nelson.
Excellent was the name of the Naval Gunnery School at Whale Island, Portsmouth.
Salty
-
Hi Otters,
further to Salty's post the Glendower was a also a training establishment in Wales I believe and personel seemed to go from there to HMS Excellent (Whale Island). I spent many an unhappy day at Whale Island as an Artificer Apprentice at the mercy of the "Gunners" who seemed to have a built in dislike of us apprentices. I digress. HMS President 111 was actually an accounting base and not an actual ship. As Naval ranks have to belong to somebody anybody who was posted to a non specific Naval vessel, like an armed merchant ship for instance, would be allocated HMS President 111 as their ship for the purposes of administration. If you Google HMS President 111 you can find memorials to RN men who have lost their lives on a Merchant Ship and in brackets is HMS President 111. I should add that these were very brave men who fought under very one sided odds against some really massive opposition. The Jervis Bay is probably one of the most famous ones.
Hope that this helps
Easy12
-
Hi Easy12,
I don't suppose you've got any information on the following.
My father served on these during WW11.
I think Raleigh and Drake were training ships or bases?
Raleigh
Drake
Vulture
Malabar
Circassia
Furious
Shark?Shank?
Glenearn
Braganza
Thanks,
Tony
-
HMS Raliegh is a Training Est in Plymouth
HMS Drake became the RN Barracks Devonport
HMS Malabar was RN Barracks in Bermuda
Circassia was an Armed Merchant Cruiser
HMS Shark was a Submarine
Glenearn was a Troop Landing ship
HMS Braganza was the RN Barracks in Bombay
If you Google all the above, there is plenty of info.
Salty
-
Thanks Salty.
Tony
-
Hello Salty and Easy 12.
Thank you so much for your information. My dad never spoke about the war, no matter how much I asked. I know from photo's he went to Australia and New Zealand and also New York because he was in Naval uniform.
The information you gave about HMS President 111 makes me realise now that I most probably will never know the actual ships he was on which is a pity.
This may sound a silly question but, would he have actually served in the Atlantic and Italy and Burma to get the medals? I still have his medals that will be handed over to my sons in time.
Again thank you for you help. Otters.
-
Hi Otters,
I would think that there must be a record of the Merchant Ships that he served on for the domestic purposes of mail,pay and next of kin records its just finding out where they may be held. As to the medals my father also had the Burma Star, the Atlantic Star, the Italy Star, the 1939-1945 Star and the Africa Star as well as the Defence Medal and one other the name of which escapes me for the present.
Easy12
-
Hi ROAN1949,
I googled HMS Shark and there are some good photos available and her story also. I must admit the story of the Shark is at odds with the one I have but I tend to believe those rather than mine. It would seem that there might have been a mix up with the Sunfish. However I shall try again to post my photo of the Shark (3rd time and no doubt something I am doing wrong)
-
Thanks Easy12. It's a very good photo. I'll print it off and put it in my Dad's file.
Tony
-
Hi ROAN1949,
further to my last the Submarine Museum in Gosport, Hants is always worth a visit if you are ever down that way.
Easy12
-
Easy12,
I've got family down in Torquay. I'm going down there sometime before this summer. I'll certainly call into the museum.
Thanks,
Tony
-
Just realised I missed two off your list.
HMS Vulture was a RN Air Station in Cornwall
HMS Furious was an Aircraft Carrier, originally designed as a Light Cruiser.
Salty
-
Salty,
Thanks again.
Tony
-
Hi,This is a long shot as this post is from so long ago but if you have anything about HMS Glendower I would be really grateful my grandad served as a cook on the ship and Im trying to find anything I can about the ship and camp based in pwhelli wales..Hope this gets to you...Thanks. Jo. X
-
HMS Ramillies, a Battleship in WW2, She was in a lot of campaigns playing a lesser part being more an old work horse than more famous ships, and when reading her actual WW2 service record its very interesting from her mundane service to her most famous action on and days after D Day.
-
For Joanne 197204
http://www.wartimememoriesproject.com/ww2/ships/ship.php?pid=4453
Paste the link into your browser.
Salty