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Wednesday 28 March 2012

War Work -Sepia Saturday

I've waited a time before showing some more of my brother's photos from WWII on board aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean.

Aircraft Recovery
I believe this is a Swordfish but will stand correcting if anyone knows better.

Two planes in a collision
It is difficult to imagine how they finished up like this.

Finally one on its nose.

Precarious position
This is a post in which I am lost for words other than I'm glad my brother came home safely.

For different types of work you should visit Sepia-saturday-119



24 comments:

Shannon Lawrence said...

Oh my, those are definitely scary, even after the fact! My grandfather made an album from his WWII experiences, and it is surreal looking at all those photos.

Shannon at The Warrior Muse, co-host of the 2012 #atozchallenge! Twitter: @AprilA2Z

Martha said...

Wow, what amazing photos! I'm stopping by from the A-Z challenge list to say hello before the challenge begins. I'm a new follower here :)

Alan Burnett said...

Indeed yes, although as well as saying that we are all glad he came home safely, how magnificent he brought these photographs with him. Great visual records at a time when there were so few records being taken other than by official photographers.

Oregon Gifts of Comfort and Joy said...

Oh, my gosh! These photos give me chills. Hope that nobody was hurt. These have to be super rare pictures, Bob.

Thanks for your visit, and hope your weekend is great!

Kathy M.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Bob .. amazing photos - especially the last where the pilot is being helped out ..

Thankfully many survived, though very sadly many were lost ..

You've reminded me .. there's a chap here who was the archivist at the Imperial War Museum - clerical type - he's very pugnacious and talks a great deal - he has lots of memories to tell .. it's time to sit with him - trying to get one story out is challenging! I get hundreds and they all roll into one - I sort of never catch my breath -or my brains .. but I must make the effort.

Glad you reminded me.

Now castles - ah ha .. will we snap each other .. one or two we might, but I have a feeling they'll all be different ..

See you Sunday .. cheers Hilary

Wendy said...

How can one not swell with pride and patriotism when looking at such photos? Stellar post, Bob!

Little Nell said...

These are amazing photos Bob. Thank goodness your brother came home safe and sound and brought such a wonderful record for us all to marvel at. My husband immediately said ‘Swordfish’ when I flashed the picture at him.

Postcardy said...

Those are amazing photos and it is amazing that the photos survived so long.

North County Film Club said...

Really chilling photos. Especially since my uncle was one of those pilots that didn't survive. Barbara, my sister, has posted on Sepia Saturday about our Uncle Bob who went down while training somewhere in Alaska. He or his plane were never found. So sad.
Nancy

Lavender and Vanilla Friends of the Gardens said...

It is so controversial, to build to destroy!

Christine H. said...

I'm glad he came home safely too - and likely with many stories to tell.

Wibbo said...

Great photographs this week!

Unknown said...

Certainly photos of high level work in a scary time. I wonder how your brother got the photos too. But ditto to he made it home safely.

Sheila @ A Postcard a Day said...

Really, quite incredible!

Linda said...

These are exciting photos, because they show the behind the scenes work of war. So many little successes and failures we never hear about. Glad your brother made it home!

Kristin said...

If that is the pilot climbing out of the plane in the last photo that is truly amazing!

tony said...

These Days....British Aircraft Carriers Wouldnt Have This Problem (we have no planes!)

North County Film Club said...

Wow! Talk about "Work"...This was real work, especially for the pilot. It also must have been a lot of work to clear this all up. What a mess. It's incredible that the pilot wasn't killed.
Barbara

Tattered and Lost said...

These photos remind me of so many stories my dad told about all his years training and aboard carriers as an aviator. He even crashed one, prop into the deck. They just push the plane overboard.

He also has memories of a friend coming in for a landing whose hook didn't catch and he went right off the side of the ship. Plane sank immediately with no chance to save the pilot.

Yadin Bromberg said...

Nice Post :D I came across your blog via the A-Z Challenge and I now follow your blog. You can check mine out at http://yadinbromberg.blogspot.com

Thanks and good luck with A-Z :)

Cheers!
-Yadin

Anonymous said...

Glad your brother came home safely and with these great photos. During WWII, my grandfather (Douglas) worked in a factory in Fife which made aeroplane wings - they shipped them out, they were bolted on and off the pilots went again.

Bruno Laliberté said...

You're speechless?
How do you think we feel?
Wow!!
It was always risky business on these carriers, and we have the proof here.
:/~
HUGZ

21 Wits said...

Oh my goodness these are fantastic Bob! Thankfully your brother made it back home safely, but so wonderful too that he had a camera and brought these amazing photos back too!

Unknown said...

Thank goodness he did come home safely. When looking at photos like these one wonders how. It always amazes me to see a plane land on a carrier. Well in a movie since I have never seen one in reality.
QMM