RN Cruisers: Crown Colony Class

[Brian James]

Fiji Class Light Cruiser HMS Bermuda pictured at Port Melbourne in 1946.

[Brian James]

Fiji Class, Ceylon Subclass Light Cruiser HMS Ceylon, built at Alexander Stephenson & Sons Shipyard at Govan, commissioned on July 13th 1943, she was transferred to the Peruvian Navy on February 9th 1960, re-named BAP Coronel Bolognesi and was scrapped in August 1985.

[Brian James]

Fiji Class, Ceylon Subclass Light Cruiser HMS Ceylon pictured in 1954.

[Brian James]

Fiji Class Light Cruiser HMS Kenya pictured c1950.

[Brian James]

Ceylon Sub-class, Fiji Class Light Cruiser HMS Uganda pictured sliding down the ways at High Walker Naval Yard on August 7th 1941. The Yard was established by Sir W.G. Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd as a replacement for the firm’s Elswick Shipyard. The size of the Elswick Yard and its location above Newcastle Swing Bridge meant that by the early twentieth century it had become unsuitable for building large warships. Shipbuilding operations started at the Naval Yard in 1913 and by the end of the First World War all shipbuilding at Elswick had ceased. Between 1913 and 1928 the yard completed 37 warships, 29 merchant ships and 30 tankers....Uganda served in the RN during 1943 and 1944, including operations in the Mediterranean, and was transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy as HMCS Uganda in October 1944. She served in the Pacific theatre in 1945 and was put into reserve in 1947. When she was reactivated for the Korean War in 1952 she was renamed HMCS Quebec. She was decommissioned for the last time in 1956 and scrapped in Japan in 1961.

[Pelican]

The interior of a 6 inch triple Mark XXIII mounting on board HMS Jamaica.

Note the crew wearing anti-flash gear.
The crew member in the foreground has over his shoulder a 30-pound cordite propellant charge.
Note a further charge is emerging from the cordite hoist in the deck

[ivorthediver]

A good photo David , the only knowledge of a cruiser I have was a very memorable trip around HMS BELFAST during a Meeting with Tim a few years ago .....a great day out as I recall and a dream come true for me to visit and engine room which Sandy and I often bantered each other about

[Brian James]

Fiji Class Light Cruiser HMS Jamaica pictured in 1943.