HMS Illustrious or Indomitable?

[Goofy]

Hi everyone

My dad was in the Royal Navy working as an electrician on aircraft carriers.  I have a photo which is dated 1952 on the back and says HMS Illustrious.  I have been on the Royal Navy site and it says 'Lusty' was ordered in 1976 and commissioned in 1982! 

I have recently been sent another photo of dad from his brother which was taken in Gibralter in 1953 on the HMS Indomitable.  This would fit better as the Indomitable was ordered in 1937, was commissioned in 1941 and later sold for scrap in 1955.  Can anyone help with the ID of this ship??

(I have added another image which is easier to see)

Moderator comment: larger picture removed, since it was the same, but went over the edge of the screen 

[Little Nell]

There have been five ships by the name Illustrious.  The current one as you say was launched in 1981.  The previous one was an aircraft carrier, commissioned in 1940 and in service until 1954.

Nell

[Little Nell]

This link may help:

http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/illustrious_class.htm

Pictures of Illustrious and here for Indomitable

http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/hms_indomitable.htm

Nell

[Salty]

The picture you have here will be of the Indomitable as it shows a fixed wing aircraft landing on.
The Illustrious is what is known as a Through deck Cruiser, not a proper Aircraft Carrier as it could not land on or take off genuine fighter aircraft and therefore carried the Vertical take off craft Harrier jump jets.
That is not taking away the accomplishments of the Harrier by any means, but the amount of aircraft the Illustrious carried because of its size, put a large limit on its capabilities.
Hopefully in the not too distant future we will again have two genuine Aircraft Carriers.
I am unable to make out the type of aircraft that is landing in your picture, but you can see that it is landing on due to the cable that is attached to its undercarriage to bring it to a halt.

Salty

[IMBER]

The photograph appears to show a De Havilland Sea Hornet. This aircraft is known to have been flown from HMS Illustrious in the 1950s.  For the avoidance of doubt we are not talking about the current HMS Illustrious.

[Salty]

I do apoligize, I am having so much trouble logging into this site lately that I got carried away with the fact that I could possibly help someone. Next time I will stop and think.

Salty

[Michael J]

The Illustrious is what is known as a Through deck Cruiser, not a proper Aircraft Carrier

Salty

Hi Salty,

I've always understood that the Navy called their new aircraft carriers 'Through Deck cruisers' to get round the political party in power at that time saying they would not order any more aircraft carriers.

It worked, didn't it!

Michael.

[Goofy]

Thanks everyone.  Little Nell, I will check out those websites and try and clear things up a bit.  Thanks Imber for the info on the plane.  Salty & Michael, you certainly know your stuff. 

I gather that Illustrious was a "class" of carrier rather than the name of the ship so a bit more investigating I think!!! 

[Little Nell]

Not just a class, there was an HMS Illustrious in the 40s and 50s.  She was the first of her class, hence the class was named after her.

Nell