Fleet Air Arm (?) Photos - Help wanted
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Fleet Air Arm (?) Photos - Help wanted
A few years ago I came into posession of a series of black and white photos from an unknown source.
The photos are of various sizes, I think from the types of aircraft (Seafire, Firefly, Barracuda, and even some sort of early US marked helicopter)etc) that it is someone's collection of photos of a Fleet Air Arm unit. One of the photos is of a Fairey Firefly in snow and on the back of it is the writing: "RNAS Rattray Winter 1945". Another three photos show the sequence of a Seafire crashing on landing, quite spectacular. Another shows a Firefly letting cannon ammo go on a water target. I know these are originals, the type of photo paper and the writing on the back of some of them indicates this to be so.
Some of the aircraft pictured that I can read the numbers etc on are:
Crashed Seafire number '174' on side forward of roundel;
Crashing Seafire number '182' on side forward of roundel;
Firefly in formation flight 'P' on tail fin above stripes, '277' forward of roundel;
Corsair with wings folded, number '215M' under port wingtip;
Firefly with wings folded, 'PP42' visible on starboard wing;
A deckfull of Seafires, numbers visible are '180', '199', '173', '105', '181', '171', '108';
Another Firefly 'PP58' visible under folded wing;
A Walrus in the sea with '951' on its nose;
"A Barracuda at RNAS Rattray winter 1945", number visible '14A' behind roundel;
A (captured?) Storch landing on HMS Triumph (per official photograph printed on reverse) with serial under wings 'V?546'. The missing letter may well be a D or a B
There is also a larger photograph of a group of naval servicemen posing on and around the front end of a Firefly.
I would very much like to know what these photos are of, if anyone may know something about where and when and why, and what I should do with them. As much as I like to hoard these for myself, I get the feeling they should be given to a museum or something to share with others. I would like to share some of the spectacular ones with you too, but Im a pooter dummy so (I can scan and email copies) if someone can help that would be appreciated.
Kermie
The photos are of various sizes, I think from the types of aircraft (Seafire, Firefly, Barracuda, and even some sort of early US marked helicopter)etc) that it is someone's collection of photos of a Fleet Air Arm unit. One of the photos is of a Fairey Firefly in snow and on the back of it is the writing: "RNAS Rattray Winter 1945". Another three photos show the sequence of a Seafire crashing on landing, quite spectacular. Another shows a Firefly letting cannon ammo go on a water target. I know these are originals, the type of photo paper and the writing on the back of some of them indicates this to be so.
Some of the aircraft pictured that I can read the numbers etc on are:
Crashed Seafire number '174' on side forward of roundel;
Crashing Seafire number '182' on side forward of roundel;
Firefly in formation flight 'P' on tail fin above stripes, '277' forward of roundel;
Corsair with wings folded, number '215M' under port wingtip;
Firefly with wings folded, 'PP42' visible on starboard wing;
A deckfull of Seafires, numbers visible are '180', '199', '173', '105', '181', '171', '108';
Another Firefly 'PP58' visible under folded wing;
A Walrus in the sea with '951' on its nose;
"A Barracuda at RNAS Rattray winter 1945", number visible '14A' behind roundel;
A (captured?) Storch landing on HMS Triumph (per official photograph printed on reverse) with serial under wings 'V?546'. The missing letter may well be a D or a B
There is also a larger photograph of a group of naval servicemen posing on and around the front end of a Firefly.
I would very much like to know what these photos are of, if anyone may know something about where and when and why, and what I should do with them. As much as I like to hoard these for myself, I get the feeling they should be given to a museum or something to share with others. I would like to share some of the spectacular ones with you too, but Im a pooter dummy so (I can scan and email copies) if someone can help that would be appreciated.
Kermie
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Got you email Mr K.
had a look on Google, dozens of pages on
Fleet Air Arm.
try this first page a I looked at mentions the RNAS RATTRAY.
<a href="http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Squadrons/825.html" target="_blank">http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Squadrons/825.html</a>
Bloody Marvelous Google is, you can find anything.
Will still give old Uncle John a ring. <img src="wink.gif" border="0">
had a look on Google, dozens of pages on
Fleet Air Arm.
try this first page a I looked at mentions the RNAS RATTRAY.
<a href="http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Squadrons/825.html" target="_blank">http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Squadrons/825.html</a>
Bloody Marvelous Google is, you can find anything.
Will still give old Uncle John a ring. <img src="wink.gif" border="0">
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Thanks Mr Draper Sir, that site was very informative and Im sure the units these photos are of are in there somewhere. I will contact the Fleet Air Arm Museum and Archive, the RAF Museum, as well as some local museums here in NZ to try and find out more.
In the meantime, anyone know how to get a pic or two on here for me to share? Ive seen photos in the Bashes forum, so there is a way...
Kermie <img src="wink.gif" border="0">
In the meantime, anyone know how to get a pic or two on here for me to share? Ive seen photos in the Bashes forum, so there is a way...
Kermie <img src="wink.gif" border="0">
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Yes its possible to post pics here Mr K,but as I understand it they take up bandwidth, so it is better to post a link such as the one below, this takes you to the page on aircraft from that site linked above.
<a href="http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Aircraft/Aircraftimages.html" target="_blank">http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Aircraft/Aircraftimages.html</a>
You should really try google it is a very impressive tool.
Just type <a href="http://www.google.com" target="_blank">www.google.com</a> or click this link
click on advanced search, type fleet air arm on the top line, and RNAS RATTREY in the exact word box, or you could type aircraft, this will link you to literaly hundreds of pages on the fleet air arm.
Try it google is great.
there is a search engine onre that site the original link takes you to. good luck Mr K, tony
<a href="http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Aircraft/Aircraftimages.html" target="_blank">http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Aircraft/Aircraftimages.html</a>
You should really try google it is a very impressive tool.
Just type <a href="http://www.google.com" target="_blank">www.google.com</a> or click this link
click on advanced search, type fleet air arm on the top line, and RNAS RATTREY in the exact word box, or you could type aircraft, this will link you to literaly hundreds of pages on the fleet air arm.
Try it google is great.
there is a search engine onre that site the original link takes you to. good luck Mr K, tony
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Thanks to all who emailed me about the photos, seems the 'P' on the aircraft fins means the aircraft were based from HMS Triumph, and the Storch was in fact VP546. Have emailed various places, waiting for replies.
Kermie
Kermie
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Okay, after much effort and scratching of the head, I have worked out how to share these marvellous photos with you all. The link is below. The photos are in the RN Photo album.
Special thanks go to Mr B Dunlop for the info on the tail letters and the Storch. I will hopefully update these as more info comes to light from the museums etc.
Kermie <img src="smile.gif" border="0">
<a href="http://photos.yahoo.com/flyjoe180" target="_blank">RN Photos</a>
[ 07 January 2002: Message edited by: Kermit 180 ]</p>
Special thanks go to Mr B Dunlop for the info on the tail letters and the Storch. I will hopefully update these as more info comes to light from the museums etc.
Kermie <img src="smile.gif" border="0">
<a href="http://photos.yahoo.com/flyjoe180" target="_blank">RN Photos</a>
[ 07 January 2002: Message edited by: Kermit 180 ]</p>
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A great collection of photos Kermit, thanks for sharing them with us.
#4 the Seafire takeoff, looks as if there is plenty of FOD on the flight deck which would be no worry to those guys but not allowed now.
In the mid 1950's we had a FAA pilot on our squadron for a while and he had an amazing collection of cine film. It was entirely composed of the deck landing accidents/incidents that he had suffered.
Each one was only the last 15 to 20 secs of each flight but the whole film ran for about 20 minutes !. Many of those guys certainly had an exciting flying life.
#4 the Seafire takeoff, looks as if there is plenty of FOD on the flight deck which would be no worry to those guys but not allowed now.
In the mid 1950's we had a FAA pilot on our squadron for a while and he had an amazing collection of cine film. It was entirely composed of the deck landing accidents/incidents that he had suffered.
Each one was only the last 15 to 20 secs of each flight but the whole film ran for about 20 minutes !. Many of those guys certainly had an exciting flying life.
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I have discovered from the NZFPM that HMS Triumph was a Colossus-class Light Fleet Carrier, built Tyne 1942-46, commissioned 9 April 1946, active service Korea and Malaya 1950, cadet training ship from 1953, repair ship from 7 January 1964. She was laid up in 1974 and sold to scrap in 1982.
The squadrons that operated from her during the period of the photos were 827 from Jan 1947 to Nov 1950 with the Firefly FR.1 and 800 Squadron with the Seafire F.XVII/FR.47.
The squadrons saw operational service against both Malaya and Korea.
RNAS Rattray (or Rattray Head) was know as Crimond.
The FAA archive museum has yet to reply, but will no doubt add more info to these photos.
Kermie
[ 08 January 2002: Message edited by: Kermit 180 ]</p>
The squadrons that operated from her during the period of the photos were 827 from Jan 1947 to Nov 1950 with the Firefly FR.1 and 800 Squadron with the Seafire F.XVII/FR.47.
The squadrons saw operational service against both Malaya and Korea.
RNAS Rattray (or Rattray Head) was know as Crimond.
The FAA archive museum has yet to reply, but will no doubt add more info to these photos.
Kermie
[ 08 January 2002: Message edited by: Kermit 180 ]</p>
Since Speechless Two has mentioned the FAAOA, I must take the opportunity of plugging (on their behalf) an absolutely excellent book recently published through the good offices of those august gentlemen.
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0850527325/qid=1011046083/sr=1-1/ref=sr_sp_re/026-7054955-2379669" target="_blank">'Fly Navy'</a> (ed. Charles Manning). Pen & Sword Books / Leo Cooper; ISBN: 0850527325
£16.96 from Amazon, and well worth over twice that. The photos are only surpassed by the stories. <img src="eek.gif" border="0">
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0850527325/qid=1011046083/sr=1-1/ref=sr_sp_re/026-7054955-2379669" target="_blank">'Fly Navy'</a> (ed. Charles Manning). Pen & Sword Books / Leo Cooper; ISBN: 0850527325
£16.96 from Amazon, and well worth over twice that. The photos are only surpassed by the stories. <img src="eek.gif" border="0">
