Lewin of Greenwich Naval History & Forum

CORONATION REVIEW 1953

Hopefully members will post their memories and images.
Also those who posted who posted some wonderful accounts and old images on the WNSF site will re-post them please.
Meanwhile a good starting point might be Wiki's entry:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleet_rev ... th_realms)
And the attached Info sheet from the National Museum of the R.N.
Of course we must not leave out - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6qDYrqfjRQ
On a personal note I only attended the Coronation Review in Obedient, memberable for the sheer number of ships anchored at one location, the FAA flypast, all ships being lit up at night and finishing with the firework dispaly for which I had to remain onboard to receive 'the signal.'
Not to worry I made up with it with subsquent runs ashore with members of HMAS Sydney's crew.
Upon dispersal Obedient went to Lymington because the town had contributed towards her in Warship Week during WW II - a good time was had by all, we were not allowed to buy a single drink and I still have the napkins and beer mats etc.

Also a couple from the 1977 in case they turn up from another source + https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHCoYU4HRrg

1953 + 77 Continued.

1953 and 1977 continued.

The pdf.

1969 TORBAY REVIEW - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49jkBnq8-8M

1969 NATO REVIEW - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoXelm1UGU4

1937 FLEET REVIEW

The pdf contained in this link is over 150 mbs - http://www.maritimequest.com/library/co ... t_1937.pdf

1977 Fleet Review - Solent & Spithead trip to see the Royal Navy Ships (Home Cinefilm)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-W20t74FL4

Portion on the Coronation Review

The 1977 Silver Jubilee Fleet Review with some of the ships labeled.

HMS Ark Royal (R09) was laid down in 1943 as an Audacious class fleet carrier but was completed in 1955 to a heavily modified design.
At this stage, she was the only aircraft carrier in the RN capable of operating conventional fixed-wing aircraft and would be withdrawn from service in 1979.
HMS Hermes (R12) was originally laid down in 1944 as a Centaur class light fleet carrier but was completed in 1959 to operate in the Jet Age.
In 1971 (to 1973) she was converted to a commando carrier (LPH) in line with the wishes of the politicians of the day to phase out fixed-wing carriers.
She had been offered to the Australians in 1968 as a replacement for HMAS Melbourne (on the left) but this was refused due to the high operational costs involved.
Hermes would revert to the aircraft carrier role (thanks to the advent of the Sea Harrier) in time to play a crucial role in retaking the Falkland Islands in 1982. She was sold to India (Viraat) in 1987 and had a long successful career before being broken up in 2020.
HMAS Melbourne (R21) was Australia's third aircraft carrier after Sydney and Vengeance and was the third aircraft carrier in the world to be completed with an angled deck in 1955.
She gained a reputation as a jinxed ship after fatal collisions with the destroyers HMAS Voyager in 1964 and USS Frank E. Evans in 1969.
The Melbourne was scrapped in 1982 after 27 years of service for the RAN.

The band plays as HMS Ark Royal (R09) departs Devonport Dockyard in the mid-1970s.
HMS Hermes (R12) is berthed astern in her guise as a commando carrier.
HMS Leander (F109) and HMS Phoebe (F42) are alongside the depot ship HMS Defiance (A187).
Date update: This is Ark Royal leaving 5/6 Berth at 1145 on June 9, 1977 to take part in the Silver Jubilee Fleet Review.