HMS Jamaica
HMS Jamaica was a Crown Colony-class cruiser, the sister ship to HMS Gambia that my dad served on from 1950 to 1952.
HMS Jamaica. Photo from Ray Holden.
HMS Kenya
HMS Kenya was a Crown Colony-class cruiser, the sister ship to HMS Gambia that my dad served on from 1950 to 1952.
HMS Kenya from HMS Liverpool, 1st Cruiser Squadron, Mediterranean in 1951. Photo from Ray Holden.
In November 2001, Ray Holden sent me this photograph taken in 1951 from HMS Liverpool, the ship he served on. He said "The picture is of 1st Cruiser Squadron in Med 1951, the cruiser trying to take our stern off is HMS Kenya."
At first the ship was thought to be HMS Gambia but it is HMS Kenya as there are no director platforms on the front of the bridge. HMS Gambia had platforms that jutted out above B turret.
HMS Kenya from HMS Sheffield. A jackstay is being prepared between the two ships. Photo from Ray Holden.
HMS Kite
HMS Kite - taken on the Mersey soon after her completion in 1943. Photo from Ray Holden.
In November 2001, Ray Holden sent me this photograph and the following notes on the ship :-
She was a modified Black Swan Class sloop, built and engined by Cammell Laird, Birkenhead. Launched 13 October 1942 completed March 1943. She was off 1350 tons displacement, 299 ft 6" long, 38ft 6" beam, draft of 11ft 5", She had a top speed of 19.7 knots.
Her armament consisted of 2 twin 4" HA/LA Guns 2x2 pdr. 4 barrelled Pom Poms 2 20mm Oerlikons and two .3" twin machine guns. Anti Sub. weapons 2 Stern Rollers and two light and two heavy Rail Throwers for depth charges. She carried 112 depth charges.
She became a founder member of 2nd Support Group based at Liverpool, their job to escort convoys in and out of The Western Approaches. Their signature tune, always played when they left or entered harbour, was "A Hunting We Will Go".
The Ship was adopted by the town of Braintree, Essex, and at this time (November 2001) they are setting up a permanent exhibition to HMS Kite, all photos from The Kite Pages are going there.
Battle Honours
Biscay - 1943
Atlantic - 1943-44
Normandy - 1944
Arctic - 1944
HMS Magpie or Peacock
Fueling HMS Magpie or Peacock from HMS Gambia, 1950. Image from dad's photo albums and Jan Birch.
There is a bit of confusion whether this is HMS Magpie or HMS Peacock. In my dad's photo album it was listed as HMS Peacock but Jan's copy was labelled HMS Magpie. Like HMS Kite above, both were Black Swan class sloops.
HMS Peacock
HMS Peacock, 1950. Image from dad's photo albums.
From her pennant number "F96", this is definitely HMS Peacock. Her original pennant number was U96, but that was changed to F96 after WWII. HMS Magpie had the pennant number U82.
HMS Phoebe
HMS Phoebe, 1951. Image from dad's photo albums.
USS Renshaw
The destroyer, USS Renshaw, 1953. Image from dad's photo albums.
HMS Sheffield
The following photographs are of a torpedo firing exercise from HMS Sheffield. HMS Sheffield was one of the Southampton sub class of the Town class cruisers. All four photographs were very kindly sent to me by Ray Holden in January 2003.
A torpedo from HMS Sheffield being recovered. Photos from Ray Holden.
PNS Tariq
PNS Tariq of the Pakistan Navy was launched in March 1941 as the O class destroyer HMS Offa. She was transferred to the Pakistan Navy in November 1949. She was returned to the Royal Navy in July 1959 and then scrapped.
PNS Tariq at Dragomesti, Greece in 1950. Image from dad's photo albums.
Detail from the above photo.