Lewin of Greenwich Naval History & Forum

ivorthediver wrote: ↑Tue Aug 28, 2018 9:48 am And yet more for you to view , some are named but sadly to confess my ignorance I'm not sure why they would have been kept .....for research possibly , but on what please .

Sorry about orientation , hope it won't hinder you to much lads .

The only one not named is the County Class Cruiser HMS Shropshire.
USS Mason came to the Royal Navy as HMS Broadwater. The first American to die while serving under the white ensign was killed on Broadwater - Lt. John Stanley Parker RNVR.

Jim

AHH the mudded waters are beginning to clear .

Do you remember me posting a framed picture of an Ensign with cap tallies on them for HMS Worthing
HMS Broadwater
HMS Bagshot
HMS Brigadier
HMS Wessex
Well that would explain the picture of USS Mason being HMS Broadwater and I'm sure the others will fall in place or linked to the work he did ref the book Tim referred to as " NO PASSPORT REQUIRED" well done Jim ....slowly slowly chase the monkey ..springs to mind

ORDUNA?

From elsewhere:
"Marc Wall: Q: Can anyone throw any light on this please? It says Orduna 1950. It's a picture of my father. [J. Wall]. I can't find a ship by that name? Is it / was it a place or something else, any ideas."

The above refers to first attached.
There is a Wiki entry for Orduna but can we be sure that the ship in question is Orduna?
Note ship in background and surrounding coast.
Other images from same series and the 1963 Communicator are attached.
Unfortunately Mark is now only partially sighted.

An observation by A.N. Other - "Well was he a bunting tosser? holding binoculars and hanging off of a 10" signal lamp as he is. I also see in the picture, a stanchion, for awnings ~~ he is behind a chart table cover~~ ubiquitous Pussers sound-powered telephone ~~ two voice pipes ~~ a three-pronged set of tubes, for "Speed Flags" (for indicating to ships astern in the formation, what speed you are doing) ~~ the object at top right may be a DSL (Daylight Signalling Lantern) (for morse messages...)"

David , I think we can safely say he was a Sparker as the RS to CRS entries state . Many of us used to use the signal and 40/60 sponsons for photo shots .

The name rings a bell together with a couple of others on that list .

As for the ship .... mystery deepens but will continue looking .

SS Orduna acted as a Troopship until 1950, but not sure if it would have been fitted with a 40/60 bofor mounting. Most likely that his photos were taken on one of his drafts.

Jim

Thank you all, will pass back.

Meanwhile I have received the following via p.m.

"This Orduna issue i believe is a typo.
In my view it should read Corruna. Everything in the images ties up with a destroyer including another Battle in the background."

Watch this space.

Pelican wrote: ↑Thu Sep 26, 2019 8:54 pm Thank you all, will pass back.

Meanwhile I have received the following via p.m.

"This Orduna issue i believe is a typo.
In my view it should read Corunna. Everyting in the images ties up with a destroyer including another Battle in the background."

Watch this space.

Re. the Battle Class option - I served on two Battles and both had wind baffles above the stbd nav light on the 20inch sponson above that stbd bofor. I did not serve on a super-battle (like Corruna) but the photo's I've looked at indicate that they were also so adorned with wind baffles not a flared or fluted form.

I looked through lots of my ship photos for the rounded bridge wing (as in the 2nd photo) with the navigation light fitting and the bofor mounting alongside the bridge and couldn't find one. The nearest that I could see were sloops, and HMS Pelican being the nearest. His family could apply for a copy of his Service Record, which may hold the answer.

Jim

pictures of Corunna under TTL in 1955, in case it helps?

Corunna's emergency stering wheel lives on in HMS Belfast, here it is in position in the flat below the quarterdeck.

these are most of the closer in photos I have, plenty gfrom a distance which are all on the Battle thread, I think!