A place/building to be visited - Sunday Stamps II

Two of my older stamps caught my attention for this theme.

In 1946 the Smithsonian Institution celebrated its centenary,

USA - 10 August 1946

During WWII my elder brother served on the aircraft carriers protecting the convoys of ships delivering goods to what was to become the George Cross island. I have some of his photos including one among some ruins there. Hence my choice of this stamp from - 

Malta - 1970

To see places or buildings that others would like to see please visit Sunday-stamps-II-136.

Island Stamps - Sunday Stamps II

One stamp from a Mediterranean island and one from the Indian Ocean are my selection this week.

Maldives

The grey heron on this stamp from the Republic of Maldives is seen in America and Europe too.

During WWII my elder brother served on aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean involved in the defence of Malta and this is the reason I have included a stamp from there.

Malta - 1938

George VI was our King during the war.

Mdina Cathedral is shown on the stamp. There were settlements in Mdina going back 4000 years. The walled medieval town is situated on a hill in the centre of the island. Called the Silent City by its inhabitants possibly because today it has no cars other than than those of its few hundred residents, emergency vehicles, wedding cars and hearses.

For stamps from other islands visit Sunday-stamps-ii-14.

A Blurry War - Thematic Photography

When I think of the hundreds of blurry photos that I have taken and destroyed or deleted I know why I have struggled with this week's blurred vision theme.

So I have had to resort to photos taken in the Mediterranean during WWII.

Malta blurred by German bombs.

Aircraft Carrier under attack

View astern

These shots are from my brother's war photos. He served in the Fleet Air Arm aboard carriers. If I had been there with my camera I'm sure my vision would have been blurred as well.

For other blurry shots visit  Carmi's thematic-photographic-253-blurred-vision.

Men of War - Sepia Saturday

 Alan has departed on a cruise, Kat has posted a picture of some soldiers for us.

I decided to go to war with the Fleet Air Arm and post more shots from my brother's album.

Fleet Air Arm

I have no means of knowing where this was taken. By straining my eyes I believe that my brother (George Arthur Scotney) is eight from the right on the first standing row. The aircraft is a Swordfish; the photo must have been taken c1939.

Arthur's war service took him to the Mediterranean and Ceylon during WWII. I know he spent time on the carriers Illustrious, Indefatigable and shore establishments at Dekheila in Egypt (now Alexandria airport) and Malta. Post war his service record show him as having been at HMS Daedalus (Royal Naval Air Station Lee-on-Solent), HMS Blackcap (RNAS Stretton) and at several airfields on Malta.

However I am unable to place where the following pictures were taken.

Arthur - informal but smart - on the left

Bearded - in the centre

A Group of NCOs

Among the Palm Trees (Egypt or Ceylon)

And finally the pilots.

Pilots (and a Spitfire?)

What chance is there of someone recognising any of them? These men would all be in their 90s if they are still alive.

For other groups of men you need to dash over to the sergeants at  Sepia-saturday-147

My Brother's War

One of my earliest memories is what my elder brother told me to say if anyone should ask where he had gone.

At the start of WWII I was only two and Arthur would have been eighteen or nineteen. He had signed up for 22 years service in the Fleet Air Arm.

I don’t know which year it was, but probably 1940, when I told the wife of Air Vice Marshal Sir John Baldwin what Arthur said. At the age of three it would have been difficult for me to see over the top of the gate to the drive of our cottage. But I did as I was told and explained to the lady, “Arthur has gone to stick a bayonet up Hitler’s arse.”

***

My niece recently sent me a video containing over 120 frames of Arthur’s wartime photographs. I am converting them back to individual photos. This is the first:

George Arthur Scotney

Amongst the rest are a series of photos of planes which I think meet this week’s theme.

Landing on Aircraft Carrier(My sepia effect)

 No problem apparently with this one’s engine, but perhaps the engine of the next was too heavy for the plane.

Nose Down

The engine on the flying boat below is plain to see, but perhaps the aircraft should have landed on the sea.

Flying Boat 'grounded'

***

I am still trying to identify the type of planes and the name of the aircraft carrier. What follows is at this stage conjecture on my part.

Another of Arthur's photos is an aerial view of a port under attack from the air. I’m reasonably sure that it is the Italian port of Taranto which was attacked by Swordfish aircraft from HMS Illustrious on the night of 11 November 1940. This successful attack is said to have been used as a model for the later Japanese attack on the US fleet at Pearl Harbour.

I know that Arthur served on the Illustrious and visited Malta as part of his service when the carrier protected convoys supplying the island. Was he aboard when the Illustrious was bombed by German planes?  On 10 January 1941 HMS Illustrious made it to Valetta’s Grand Harbour with 196 of its crew killed and 91 injured – the convoy arrived safely.

I have a lot more detective work to do.

Arthur died in 1977, aged just 56.

This is a Sepia Saturday post; there's more at Sepia Saturday 80