In October 1956
the Royal Navy issued a booklet, "In Which We Serve" price 2d, I
joined in November 1956 - this is therefore the Navy I joined, I served on some
of the ships mentioned, the Aircraft Direction Frigate CHICHESTER, as yet not
built, the Cruiser LION, named here as DEFENCE, a Blackwood Class AS Frigate,
GRAFTON, A Battle Class Destroyer, AISNE, and, VICTORIOUS shown here as extended
Refit
·
Royal Navy opening
page Links Ships
I have photos of
these ships, but IF you can supply any I would welcome them as scanned images
If you have any
Naval Books with coloured covers I would welcome scanned images of the covers
plus the ISBN Numbers
THE STRENGTH OF THE FLEET
On July 1st, 1956, the strength of the Fleet was as
follows:
A. Ships in commission or preparing
for service with it.
2 FLEET CARRIERS Eagle, Ark Royal
6 LIGHT FLEET CARRIERS Centaur, Albion, Warrior; Bulwark flying
training); Theseus and Ocean (non-flying training).
9 CRUISERS Ceylon, Jamaica, Glasgow, Superb, Newfound
land, Birmingham, Newcastle, Kenya and
Cumberland (trials).
1 GUIDED WEAPON TRIALS SHIP Girdle Ness.
4 DEPOT SHIPS Tyne, Maidstone, Adamant, Forth.
8 DARING CLASS SHIPS Daring, Delight, Defender, Diana, Duchess,
Diamond, Decoy, Dainty.
24 DESTROYERS 2 Weapon Class; 7 Battle Class; 12 C Class;
Vigo, Savage and Obdurate.
53 FRIGATES 18 Destroyer Conversions; 7 Black Swan Class;
9 Bay Class; 7 Loch Class; 3 Castle Class;
1 Grimsby Class; 1 Hunt Class; 5 Blackwood
Class; 2 Whitby Class.
2 FAST MINELAYERS Apollo, Manxman.
1 NETLAYER Protector.
2 COASTAL MINESWEEPER
H.Q. SHIPS Mull of Galloway, Woodbridge Haven.
71 MINESWEEPERS 10 Ocean., 34 Coastal; 27 Inshore.
42 SUBMARINES (include 2 X-Craft).
1 REPAIR SHIP Ranpura.
1 DEEP DIVING VESSEL Reclaim.
1 RESCUE BELL SHIP Kingfisher.
7 SURVEY SHIPS Vidal, Cook, Dalrymple, Owen, Scott, Shackleton,
Dampier.
20 COASTAL CRAFT 17 Fast Patrol Boats; 3 Seaward Patrol Craft.
8 LANDING VESSELS 1 Landing Ship Headquarters; 4 Tank Landing
Ships; 3 Tank Landing Craft.
1 MINELAYER Plover.
5 CONTROLLED MINELAYERS; 22 BOOM DEFENCE VESSELS (6 Civilian manned);
4 DE-GAUSSING VESSELS (3 Civilian manned).
B. Ships undergoing extended
refit or modernisation or in Reserve.
3 FLEET CARRIERS Victorious, Illustrious, Indefatigable.
3 LIGHT FLEET CARRIERS Triumph, Glory, Vengeance.
5 BATTLESHIPS Vanguard, Anson, Duke of York, Howe, Kin,,, George V.
12 CRUISERS . Sheffield, Bermuda, Cleopatra, Mauritius, Belfast,
Bellona, Dido, Euryalus, Sirius, Swiftsure, Liverpool, Gambia.
1 AIRCRAFT REPAIR SHIP Perseus
1 AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE CARRIER Unicorn.
44 DESTROYERS
19 SUBMARINES (including 2 X-Craft)
47 TANK LANDING SHIPS AND CRAFT 8 MAINTENANCE SHIPS
52 BOOM DEFENCE VESSELS (51 Civilian manned'
C. Ships in course of
construction.
1 LIGHT FLEET CARRIER
Hermes.
3 CRUISERS Tiger, Blake, Defence (Defence became HMS LION)
19 FRIGATES 4 Anti-Aircraft; 4 Aircraft Direction,. (one of these was
HMS Chichester) 11 AntiSubmarine.
3 SUBMARINES 'excludes those not yet launched).
69MINESWEEPERS 45 Coastal; 24 Inshore.
17COASTAL CRAFT 15 Fast Patrol Boats; 2 Seaward Patrol Craft.
110 FRIGATES
190 MINESWEEPERS
1 NETLAYER
1 REPAIR SHIP
1 SURVEY SHIP
1 DE-GAUSSING VESSEL
1 FAST MINELAYER
41 COASTAL CRAFT
1 DESTROYER DEPOT SHIP
6 CONTROLLED MINELAYERS
1 RADAR TRAINING SHIP
Royal Navy
Photographs of ships wanted
COPIES OF
PHOTOGRAPHS OF NAVAL SHIPS WANTED OR (PROVIDED where possible).
Photographs
required please.
I would be pleased
to receive any Photographs of Royal Navy ships to add to my collection. If you
know the photographer please state.
I have been sent
copies of some photographs of the below, thank you to those who have sent them.
In some cases I am still looking for other photographs to add to the
collection. I MAY HAVE ONE YOU WANT.
E-Mail Me Please.
H.M.S. Boxer: Was
in Portsmouth harbour. Reserve Ships 1958.Radar Training Ship at one time.
H.M.S. Hawkins Pre WW2. My uncle served in Her.
H.M.S Albion, With Chichester 1958/59
H.M.Submarine Andrew. With Chichester 23rd April 1959 near Australia.
Believed to be the boat used for filming "On the Beach" Can anyone
confirm this.
H.M.S. Cheviot, with Chichester Sat 21st March 1959 off Australia.
USS Yorktown & USS Ponty (148), with Chichester Sat 21st March 1959
off Australia.
RN Frigate, F433, part of 2nd Training Sq. Portland Dorset Feb 1957.
H.M.S. Devonshire pre WW2. My uncle served in Her 1932/33.
H.M.S. Barham. My uncle lost with Her.
H.M.S. Superb, the only original Tiger Class to be completed by the end
of the War.
H.M.S. Hardy at Portland 1957
H.M.S. Malcombe at Portland 1957.
H.M.S. Dundas at Portland 1957.
H.M.S. Blackwood
H.M.S. Cavalier, with Chichester 1959
H.M.S. Lynx
H.M.S. Leopard
H.M.A.S. Voyager
H.M.A.S. Melborne
H.M.N.Z.S. Royalist Far East 1959, later returned to RN.
H.M.S. Ceylon: With Chichester 1959
Royal Marine School of Music Deal Kent. Pre WW2
H.M.S. Warrior Now at Portsmouth.
"Deepwater" Diving Boat (Diving School) once alongside at
H.M.S. Vernon Portsmouth: Was Ex-German.