can anyone read this?

[annie24b]

Written on the back of a small photo I found in my father-in-law's effects.
i can't make out the first bit at the top, but the second looks like it could be Wood, which matches the family name
I can see HMS SEAGULL, the date underneath says May 8th but I can only make out 191 in the year....possibly 1917?

thanks

[mofid42]

I'm no expert on mens fashions but I would have thought the style of the clothing worn by the man in the picture would make it much later than 1917

There was an HMS Seagull that was completed on 30th May 1938. There is a photo of it on the internet but I can't tell if its the same ship

[Neohet]

I'm also not sure about the date, admittedly it does look like 191  then possibly "7" but also followed by another possible "0"?

"Wiki" has an "HMS Seagull" - Sharpshooter Class Torpedo Gunboat, built Chatham Dockyard 31st May 1889, Converted to a minesweeper in 1909. Sunk in a collision in the Firth of Clyde on 30 September 1918.

The thing the guy is leaning on appears to be a torpedo, so could it be pre 1909?

Kind Regards,
Matt T.

[Lydart]

May 13th 1958 ??   If you sort of look at it sideways on .... I think you can see the cross bar of the five .... and the bulbous bits of an 8 ??



..... maybe its a six at the end ?? 

[Mike in Cumbria]

I thought it might have been 1960. It's very faint though.

[Neohet]

Having looked at pictures of HMS Gossamer which is also an Halcyon Class Minesweeper, same as the 1938 HMS Seagull, I am convinced it is this later ship.

I would suggest it is 1950 or 1956 with the top of the "5" stretched out?

Kind regards,
Matt T.

[mofid42]

I've just had a search on google for the "Velox" brand of photographic paper and one website states that the velox stamp indicates the photo paper was used c 1940's - 1950's. Later paper from the 1950's - 1960's was stamped with Kodak/Velox

[Neohet]

Thank goodness for the red warnings  I had just typed the same almost word for word 

Matt T.

[Neohet]

HMS Seagull was scrapped in May/June 1956:

http://www.halcyon-class.co.uk/seagull/hms_seagull.htm#seagullhome

Regards,
Matt T.