GALLERY

All the photographs in the gallery are original some better quality than others I have left them quite large so as much detail as possible can be seen.

Civil Defence female worker has the name Alice May written on the back.

H.M.S Furious Bosuns party. H.M.S Furious was a aircraft carrier in WW1 and WW11, Laid down 8 June 1915 Launched 15 August 1916, decommissioned in April 1945, but was not sold for scrap until 1948.

Home Guard soldier with typical Home Guard equipment.

The next three pictures are of the same man, unfortunately I don t know his name. It looks like he started off probably in WW11 as a second lieutenant and ended up as a Major in the Kings Own Scottish Bordures.

The Following 7 photographs all came from the same source, possibly a anti aircraft gun section in North Africa.

Unknown Home Guard Detachment.

The next 16 photographs all came from the same source without any information other than pictures of a WW11 ship and crew during a rescue operation, they are very small so it was difficult to see much detail but after I copied them and could see more detail I think post war and rather than rescuing people they are stopping and boarding a refugee ship, although you can see WW11 helmets in one in some of the others the boarding party seem to be wearing MK.11 tankers helmets which the Navy used post war also you can see the date of 1947 on the funnel on one of the pictures below the star of David so I am thinking are the refuges European Jews trying to get into Palestine? In one of the pictures it looks like there is a Navy ship each side and they are trying to control them with a water hose. I can recognize one of the ships which was in the Palestine area at the time. HMS Venus (R50) launched on 23 February 1943. She participated in the Battle of the Malacca Strait with which cumulated in the sinking of the Japanese cruiser Haguro on 16 May 1945. In 1946, Venus participated in the rescue of crew from the British Tanker Empire Cross, which caught fire, exploded and sank at Haifa Palestine, with the loss of up to 25 lives. Venus was sold for scrapping in 1972.

Written on the back of the next one "WW11 parade High ST Torrington N. Devon" Victory parade perhaps.

All the next 5 photographs are Ministry of information photographs I have seen some of them before in books or magazines, I assume they were used for propaganda but who would be given the actual photograph as I assume news papers magazines and so on were given the negatives? They were originally owned by a Royal Marine WW11 veteran who is sadly no longer with us,one of the navel pictures has HMS Anson written in pensile on the back as well as the ministry of information stamp so I am assuming that was the ship he served on and looking on Wikipedia there was one of the photographs.

Link to Wikipedia HMS Anson.

Street party celebrating victory in Europe the photograph is dated 14th of may 1945, VE day was on the 8th of may 1945.

WWII photograph taken at Kirkwall in the Orkney islands of five servicemen plus signed on on the back by four of them. J.PEARSON NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE, M.PRIESTLEY BRADFORD, E.BOOTH SHEFFIELD, E.J.DAVISON ASHINGTON NORTHUMBERLAND.

Day shift canteen staff at Collaro LTD Langley Mill in Derbyshire WW11. Collaro LTD was a munitions factory during WW11. It was Bombed out of its London Factory for a second time in 1939, so Collaro moved to Langley Mill in Derbyshire.

Seems to be a mixture of Cavalry WW1.

Obviously taken from Buckingham palace some sort of large state occasion but which one.

Gurkhas possibly WW1.

The next two possibly taken on HMS Hydrabank? as they belonged to Fredrick Aulton Royal Navy see veterans section.

The next 17 photographs were taken by leading aircraft man Wilfred Wilson WW11 Malta siege veteran who has now sadly past away. The first one was taken at Dalcross airbase near Invernes.

Stormy down Bridgend south Wales.

The submarine HMS Thetis formally known as Thunder bolt which sank then was salvaged and renamed. Picture taken Malta WW11

Malta WW11 a shot down ju 88 at Ta' Qali aerodrome in May 1942 taken just after it crashed you can just see the dead pilot at the front of the wreckage. Wilfred Wilson who took the picture tells me he was lucky if the locals had got him alive he would have died badly.

Merchantman in the grand harbour valletta Malta WW11.

Wilfred Wilson working on a 303 browning .

These next two are of bomb damage in valletta Malta WW11.

This is a aerial view of Kalafrana sea plane base on Malta in WW11 which no longer exists. It was taken by a German recon plan which was shot down and the film captured.

A Sunderland flying boat in a bombed out hanger Kalafrana sea plane base.

A Swordfish sea plan again at Kalafrana sea plane base on Malta in WW11.

These next two photos are of Wilfred Wilson working on a Fraser Nash 52 turret and cupola off a Wellington Bomber

Ships of the Italian Navy surrendering at Malta WW11 this one was taken at kalafrana

Guilo Cesare

Oreoni.

Vittorio venito.

These next two came from the same source. Possibly Early 1950s, Far East, probably Malaya. ORs uniforms in 1st picture seem to be a mixture of WW2 Indian JG and 1950 pattern JG; 2nd picture most seem to be wearing 1950 pattern JG with a couple possibly 1947 pattern. Difficult to make out the badges but the shape and shade would be right for SEALF (South East Asia Land Forces). Thanks to Allen on the military collectors network for this information.

Squad 19 flight D RAF Cardington 1938 signed by twenty seven of the twenty eight people in the picture.You can see the signatures in the autographs section.

This is an interesting picture they seem to be wearing a mixture of battle dress I think I can see battle dress serge, pattern 40 and what looks like possible an American made battle dress. So I am thinking between 1940-45 thoughts anybody.

Thanks to Rob on the Military collectors network for the following information. I think you're right, I can definitely see 1937 and 1940 Pattern Battledress there, and the one at top right is certainly different, and could well be US-made ODWA Battledress. So the earliest date would be 1942, or 1943 if that is ODWA. The officer at bottom left is a chaplain BTW. No idea who they are though... there are not that many of them, 10 short of a full infantry battalion for example, although most combat units were short of officers. Doesn't seem to be much insignia. Less insignia tends to suggest earlier than later WWII although that is not a hard and fast rule. The padre and the guy behind him seem to have some kind of patch I think? 1943-1945 is a good guess I think.

This picture shows men of the Mine Clearance Service which was created at the end of the First World War to clear all sea mines, both British and German.

H. M. S. E X E T E R YORK-Class cruiser sailing though the Panama canal. laid down on 1st August 1928. Took part in action against GRAF SPEE with HMS AJAX and HMS ACHILLES. Seriously damaged by 11" shells with many casualties and outbreak of fire. Continued to engage the enemy until power lost by flooding. Withdrawn from Action with heavy list and all guns unserviceable. Sunk 1942 by Japanese cruisers.


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