Help please identifying photo details
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Thanks for that, a_a.
Yes, I found that pic as well. I debated ordering it for research's sake, but decided that the pic doesn't look like anything on this side of the house (as far as one can tell from such a small image) so it would have to be on the far side so I couldn't justify it.
The nice people at Rosely went and asked the former owner of Ashbrook House, and they say my photo wasn't taken there - so another dead end.
Methinks a trip to Yeovilton is in order.
Yes, I found that pic as well. I debated ordering it for research's sake, but decided that the pic doesn't look like anything on this side of the house (as far as one can tell from such a small image) so it would have to be on the far side so I couldn't justify it.
The nice people at Rosely went and asked the former owner of Ashbrook House, and they say my photo wasn't taken there - so another dead end.
Methinks a trip to Yeovilton is in order.
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CS - You may be able to do it by email with the Curator at VL:
David Hill - 01935 842611 - [email protected]
David Hill - 01935 842611 - [email protected]
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Photograph is likely post-war, not during?
I am researching flag officers and compiling an index of admirals and RM generals from the earliest days to the present and my searching for information on Rear-Admiral Sir Cloudesley Robinson led me to the staff photograph and this site.
I do not know who the admiral is but, once identified, I'd certainly want to link the admiral in my index to the photograph. Sadly I can throw no light on the location.
However, these thoughts may help:
I do not know who the admiral is but, once identified, I'd certainly want to link the admiral in my index to the photograph. Sadly I can throw no light on the location.
However, these thoughts may help:
- I don't think the photograph was taken in wartime and my guess is that it's likely to be post August 1945. This I suggest because not one officer has a black cap cover, yet most seemed to wear black cap covers in the war and, certainly, many wartime photographs have at least a mixture of black and white cap covers.
- This thought is re-inforced by my being almost certain that your father - presumably the flag lieutenant or assistant secretary - is a white striper two-and-a-half (and not a Lieutenant). The white stripes of the pusser make identification of the number of gold stripes tricky but there is a clue in the larger photograph: the paymaster with the spectacles is most definitely a Lt Cdr. I think the width/depth of your father's stripes lend weight to his being also a Lt Cdr. What is odd, in this photo, is that only one officer has aiguillettes as one would expect to find at least two (admiral's secretary and flag lieutenant/assistant secretary). I am not certain whether, prior to the introduction of the General List in 1956, paymasters would ever hold the post of flag lieutenant; unlikely methinks but I will ask the one surviving four-star pusser (a pilot indeed) who is likely to know that answer. The paymaster commander, I would think, is the admiral's secretary.
- At present I can offer no more but the clarity of the faces in this photograph means that there are many still alive who would be able to identify a relative among their number - or even themselves. It strikes me that Navy News could offer a service, here, whereby readers are pointed to a webpage, or to the photograph reproduced on their website. Many a story might emerge that would enliven their columns. I will write to the managing editor about that idea, too, using this photograph to illustrate the idea.
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Location Found
Hi, Lestermay
I came across this picture recently and I know the location as it is in fact, my house! Currently, I am writing this from the window on the right hand side - my livingroom, the former dining room of the mansion. In the 1970's the mansion was split into 4 houses. The house is actually Woodside House, about 100 yards from the RM Condor Marine base. Our garden backs onto the Condor base. It was occupied by the Navy during the war and the ten years which followed before being returned to the Grant family (descendants of Provost Grant). Provost Grant was a boot maker who made his fortune with three shoe shops in Arbroath and a shoe factory. He was instrumental in bringing electricity, water supply and making the Victoria Park in Arbroath, and a road to the famous cliffs at Arbroath.
I hope you find this information useful, even if it is 6 years later. If you have any questions about Woodside House please do not hesitate to ask! I could hardly believe it myself when I came across this picture...
Paul
I came across this picture recently and I know the location as it is in fact, my house! Currently, I am writing this from the window on the right hand side - my livingroom, the former dining room of the mansion. In the 1970's the mansion was split into 4 houses. The house is actually Woodside House, about 100 yards from the RM Condor Marine base. Our garden backs onto the Condor base. It was occupied by the Navy during the war and the ten years which followed before being returned to the Grant family (descendants of Provost Grant). Provost Grant was a boot maker who made his fortune with three shoe shops in Arbroath and a shoe factory. He was instrumental in bringing electricity, water supply and making the Victoria Park in Arbroath, and a road to the famous cliffs at Arbroath.
I hope you find this information useful, even if it is 6 years later. If you have any questions about Woodside House please do not hesitate to ask! I could hardly believe it myself when I came across this picture...
Paul
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http://artuk.org/discover/artworks/sir-cloudesley-varyl-robinson-18831959-176175
Sir Cloudesley Robinson
Sir Cloudesley Robinson
Last edited by NutLoose; 4th Jul 2016 at 10:14.
Chief Bottle Washer
Danny,
Most of us posting are also pretty knowledgable about the RN, hence the 'in' joke about lookers (aka Observers)
And the location has just been identified by paulrds in the post two above yours. Thanks, Paul
Most of us posting are also pretty knowledgable about the RN, hence the 'in' joke about lookers (aka Observers)
And the location has just been identified by paulrds in the post two above yours. Thanks, Paul
Depends how long you've been overseas !
Union Jack hasn't looked in. Pretty knowledgeable about the RN. - Danny
Well thank you, Danny!
I haven't quite been overseas, but was staying only some 20 yards from the sea, having just returned from a very enjoyable few days playing golf in Aldeburgh, which is why I haven't looked in for a few days.
Most of us posting are also pretty knowledgeable about the RN, hence the 'in' joke about lookers (aka Observers) - SPlot
Pretty knowledgeable enough to "observe" that the distinguished senior officer in NutLoose's post is actually none other than ABC himself, Admiral of the Fleet The Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope KT GCB OM DSO**. That said, here's what I hope is a better link to a picture of Rear Admiral Robinson Sir Cloudesley Varyl Robinson (1883?1959) | Art UK Art UK | Discover Artworks Sir Cloudesley Varyl Robinson (1883?1959)
He reverted to the Retired List on 4 August 1945 which, suggests that he may have been paying a farewell visit to CONDOR shortly before being succeeded as Flag Officer Naval Air Stations by the then Vice Admiral Denis Boyd of Boyd Trophy fame, in a renamed appointment, and white caps could indeed have been worn at that time.
For Captain Stable's benefit, here's a link indicating the latest list of officers at DAEDALUS that I can find, namely January 1945, which shows Admiral Robinson as Flag Officer Naval Air Stations http://www.archive.org/stream/navyli.../2538/mode/2up , and for BEagle's benefit, here's a link indicating the WRNS officers at CONDOR in January 1945 http://www.archive.org/stream/navyli.../2500/mode/2up
Finally, and in view of SPlot's interesting point about the lack of lookers - WRNS officers tactfully excluded! - I note that there were over 100 observers appointed to CONDOR in January 1945, some of whom appear on the same page as the WRNS officers.
Jack
Union Jack hasn't looked in. Pretty knowledgeable about the RN. - Danny
Well thank you, Danny!
I haven't quite been overseas, but was staying only some 20 yards from the sea, having just returned from a very enjoyable few days playing golf in Aldeburgh, which is why I haven't looked in for a few days.Most of us posting are also pretty knowledgeable about the RN, hence the 'in' joke about lookers (aka Observers) - SPlot
Pretty knowledgeable enough to "observe" that the distinguished senior officer in NutLoose's post is actually none other than ABC himself, Admiral of the Fleet The Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope KT GCB OM DSO**. That said, here's what I hope is a better link to a picture of Rear Admiral Robinson Sir Cloudesley Varyl Robinson (1883?1959) | Art UK Art UK | Discover Artworks Sir Cloudesley Varyl Robinson (1883?1959)
He reverted to the Retired List on 4 August 1945 which, suggests that he may have been paying a farewell visit to CONDOR shortly before being succeeded as Flag Officer Naval Air Stations by the then Vice Admiral Denis Boyd of Boyd Trophy fame, in a renamed appointment, and white caps could indeed have been worn at that time. For Captain Stable's benefit, here's a link indicating the latest list of officers at DAEDALUS that I can find, namely January 1945, which shows Admiral Robinson as Flag Officer Naval Air Stations http://www.archive.org/stream/navyli.../2538/mode/2up , and for BEagle's benefit, here's a link indicating the WRNS officers at CONDOR in January 1945 http://www.archive.org/stream/navyli.../2500/mode/2up
Finally, and in view of SPlot's interesting point about the lack of lookers - WRNS officers tactfully excluded! - I note that there were over 100 observers appointed to CONDOR in January 1945, some of whom appear on the same page as the WRNS officers.
Jack
Last edited by Union Jack; 4th Jul 2016 at 16:32. Reason: Decided to research and enter the last two paragraphs
Do Naval officers' parents seek to influence their offsprings' careers by the names they bestow - Cloudsley has been there before (Sir Cloudsley Shovell) and Varyl followed - (Sir Varyl Begg took my Grad Parade)
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Wander00,
The Cloudsley Shovell referred to seems to have been an expensive ornament to the Navy:
Wasn't there an "Antiques Roadshow" some time ago on which a ruby ring appeared, probably having been robbed from the finger of Sir Cloudsley when his corpse was washed up on a local beach ?
Danny.
The Cloudsley Shovell referred to seems to have been an expensive ornament to the Navy:
...Scilly naval disaster of 1707 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scilly...saster_of_1707
Sir Cloudesley Shovell, (1650–1707). Oil by Michael Dahl. The Scilly naval disaster of 1707 was the loss of four warships of a Royal Navy fleet off the Isles...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scilly...saster_of_1707
Sir Cloudesley Shovell, (1650–1707). Oil by Michael Dahl. The Scilly naval disaster of 1707 was the loss of four warships of a Royal Navy fleet off the Isles...
Danny.
Last edited by Danny42C; 4th Jul 2016 at 17:46. Reason: Sudden Flash of Memory.
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Fantastic posts by lestermay and paulrds.
Was it not Sir Cloudsley Shovell's demise (and of his fleet) that led to the institution of the Longitude Prize, won by Harrison for the invention of the chronometer
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Wasn't it Sir Cloudsley Shovell who, when advised by a sailor that they were in danger of going aground near the Scilly Isles, had the same sailor hanged on the spot for being cheeky?
And shortly after that, they ran aground on the Scillies......
Danny. And according to the version that I heard, the woman who stole his ring, finished him off as he was only a bit tired from swimming when she found him.
I hope not.
And shortly after that, they ran aground on the Scillies......
Danny. And according to the version that I heard, the woman who stole his ring, finished him off as he was only a bit tired from swimming when she found him.
I hope not.
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Wasn't it Sir Cloudsley Shovell who, when advised by a sailor that they were in danger of going aground near the Scilly Isles, had the same sailor hanged on the spot for being cheeky?
And shortly after that, they ran aground on the Scillies......
Danny. And according to the version that I heard, the woman who stole his ring, finished him off as he was only a bit tired from swimming when she found him.
I hope not.
And shortly after that, they ran aground on the Scillies......
Danny. And according to the version that I heard, the woman who stole his ring, finished him off as he was only a bit tired from swimming when she found him.
I hope not.
Sounds like the horrible sod deserved it.
