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

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

Greyish - Thematic Photography

When I saw the theme was greyish I immediately thought of battleship grey.

HMS Illustrious - 1940 Aircraft Carrier

 

 

This photo comes from my brother's photos taken during WWII. He served on the Illustrious in the Mediterranean  and may have been aboard when Swordfish aircraft from the carrier attacked the Italian fleet at Taranto.

Swordfish (I think)

Seaplanes also flew off carriers but this one seems to have lost its way.

Grounded - Supermarine Walrus

To add a bit of colour to our greyish theme I'll change to grey and green,

13th Century Parish Church, St Mawgan, Cornwall

Dedicated to St Mauganus and St Nicholas

St Mauganus was a Welshman so I'm told.

In North Yorkshire the best preserved ruins of a Cistercian monastery are those of Fountains Abbey.

Fountains Abbey, North Yorkshire

I have nearly 40 photos of the Abbey but for this greyish theme you will have to be satisfied with one.

For other grey matters you need to pay a visit to Carmi's thematic photographic 185

Metallica - Thematic Photography

I'm not into heavy metal but have found some interesting photos for this week's theme.

It all starts with a WWII 'kiss' from my brother's war photos -

A Swordfish 'Kisses' a Taxi

This grating prevents you accessing a waterwheel.

Waterwheel at Fountains Abbey

Last week I showed a photo of Hope House for the triangular theme. A number of you commented on the viaduct dwarfing the house. This week I'll maintain the viaduct connection.

Blue Plague - Yarm Viaduct

One day I 'll post more about the viaduct but now I'll switch from a metal plaque to railings across the Atlantic in Michigan.

Harbour entrance at Traverse City

For other metallic wonders please check out posts at Carmi's Metallica

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