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Naval Page

Due to the complexity of the site now & in particular the large amount of warships operating or passing through Malta over the years I have decided to create
links to seperate pages on this page.
It is difficult to list ships in areas of conflicts served as many fought in several wars or times of greater tension so I list below in alphabetic order.
By putting a seperate page for each ship I can better add photos or data at later times.

Submarines are listed on the 'submarines' page.

See also Operations page for a timetable of convoy operations 1940 - 42.

The last view of 'Blighty' for many convoys en route to Malta. This photo departing Greenock, Scotland, 12th July 1941 from HMS Pasteur.
Photo courtesy of Paul from his father (Bill Lazell's) collection.

HMS Glorius played the first Royal Navy role in the Malta conflict by dropping off the bi-planes later known as Faith, Hope & Charity.
This ship later was lost during the evacuation of allied troops from Norway under mysterious circumstances. To date no clear explanation has been given as to her loss.
Some reports state that the ships Captain put the air commander in custody prior to the conflict & attacked the 2 battleships Scharnhorst & Gniesenau.
Apparently, orders at this time stated that on engagement with a battleship the carrier should retreat.
Other reports suggest she was deliberately sacrificed on orders from the admiralty to act as a diversion so that the Norwegian Royal family could escape in safety to England.
Further reports state that no radio contact was made during the engagement with other ships, although one ship did pick up messages from Glorius (according to literature).
On reporting the messages the officer concerned never went to sea again.
Strangely, this ship has a 100 year blanket of secrecy over it regarding official information on her sinking. Also, it is strange that the admiralty has paintings of most warships
except Glorius & has issued a ban on naming any further warships the same name.
Apparently no land based memorial exists for this ship. WHY?
My uncle, Arthur Parker served on her pre-war years.
There is a great website with many photographs from the Scharnhorst attacking HMS Glorius during Operation Juno
http://www.scharnhorst-class.dk/scharnhorst/gallery/gallscharnjuno.html

HMS Manxman. Fast minelayer said to be the fastest ship in the Navy at the time, capable of 40 knots.
Along with her sister ship HMS Welshman they ran supplies of food, arms & personnel from Gibraltar at a time when the Island was under siege.
See page on Manxman & Welshman

Verdala Guards on a special farewell parade taken at Fort St Angelo steps. The Guard of honour was for the departure of Vice Admiral Malta.
When the vice admiral left the steps after the parade, on his barge there was a Scottish Piper that played the tune " Will he no come back again".
Photo courtesy of Les Hutton

Photo courtesy of Nick Lewis of a pre-war Squadron in Sliema Creek taken in 1938. The photo on the right shows the ships marked up. Four of the Squadron are out of shot. Thanks Nick.

Nick's father served on HMS Gipsy from Sept.1937 until she was sunk off Harwich by a German magnetic mine layed earlier in the day.

HMS Birmingham, Grand Harbour pre-war.
Photo courtesy of the HMS Hood Association.

US Navy Omaha on a visit to Malta. Date unknown.
Photo courtesy of Cheryl Beasley

 

Unknown ship. Photo courtesy of Andrew Hili

Transport ship possibly HMT Dilwara bringing airmen to Malta.
Photo courtesy of Cheryl Beasley

HMT Dilwara sailing to Malta in March 1939.
Photo courtesy of John Allan Lester.

Built in 1936 & used to ferry troops until 1960. Scrapped in 1972.

Unknown ship. Photo courtesy of Andrew Hili

Unknown ship. Photo courtesy of Andrew Hili

Unknown Ship. Photo courtesy of Ian Ling

HMS Wishart escort to HMS Glorious. Probably taken prewar.
Photo courtesy of Cheryl Beasley

Unknown
Photo courtesy of Cheryl Beasley

Possibly HMS Basilisk
Photo courtesy of Cheryl Beasley

Unknown - possibly HMS Barham or Valliant
Photo courtesy of Cheryl Beasley

HMS Ajax
Photo courtesy of Cheryl Beasley

HMS Achilles
Photo courtesy of Cheryl Beasley

On exercise laying a smoke screen.
Photo courtesy of Cheryl Beasley

County Class cruiser in Grand Harbour with Lascaris Bastion in the rear. Taken 20th June 1941
Photo courtesy of Yvonne Sutton

HMS Searcher - H20 taken July 1936. An Admiralty 'S' Class Destroyer completed in 1918 and sold in 1938.
Photo courtesy of Norman Tarrant

HMS Valliant taken in February 1937. Later, badly damaged by delayed action mines set by Italian frogmen in Alexandria.
Photo courtesy of Norman Tarrant

 

HMS Active after collision with HMS Worcester. No date on photo but HMS Worcester was known to have been in Malta in 1937.
Photo coutesy of Charles Grima & Jason Pisani

 

The following 18 frames were taken from old Maltese post cards with no descriptions or dates.
I would appreciate some help in putting accurate titles to these photos. Some photos may not have been taken around Malta.

Photo # 1 - Possibly HMS Glorious

Photo # 5 - Aircraft Carrier unknown

Photo # 6 - Aircraft Carrier unknown

Photo # 7 Merchantman unknown

Photo # 8 Two Merchantmen & Aircraft Carrier

Photo # 4 - Three ships unknown possibly pre WWII

Photo # 10

Photo # 9 Aircraft Carrier unknown

Photo # 11 - HMS Undine

Photo # 12

Photo # 13 Aircraft Carrier leaving harbour

Photo # 16

Photo # 17

Photo # 18 pre-'Popeye'

ooo00O00ooo

Empire Song Mined off Pantellaria 9.5.1941

Peter Deacon from correspondance considers this to be HMS Sirius (on which he served) in action against attacking aircraft on a Malta convoy operation.

H67 on convoy duty with HMS Nelson in the background.
Photo courtesy of Tony Cox.

Battleship escorting convoy en route to Malta.

Damaged launch, possibly used by RAF air-sea rescue?.
Photo courtesy of J.A.Lester.

HMS Formidable in Valletta Harbour.
Photo courtesy of John Pearson.

Unloading wharf, Grand Harbour, Valletta.
Photo courtesy of Tony Cox.

Photo courtesy of Sandra Meacock

Photo courtesy of Sandra Meacock

Photo courtesy of Sandra Meacock

Photo courtesy of Sandra Meacock
The following 14 photo's were sent courtesy of Sandra Meacock whose father was a Royal Marine who came to Malta first in 1935 on HMS DURBAN and then during the war on HMS FORMIDABLE
Shots depict dry dock, harbour & scenes.
Click the photo's below for larger images.

Photo courtesy of Sandra Meacock

Photo courtesy of Sandra Meacock

Photo courtesy of Sandra Meacock

Photo courtesy of Sandra Meacock

Photo courtesy of Sandra Meacock

Photo courtesy of Sandra Meacock

Photo courtesy of Sandra Meacock

Photo courtesy of Sandra Meacock

HMS Formidable, Malta.
Photo courtesy of Sandra Meacock

 

Photo courtesy of Sandra Meacock

Royal Navy ships at anchor in Grand Harbour 1943.
Photo courtesy of Tony Cox.

Yacht racing in Valletta Harbour 1942.
Photo courtesy of Tony Cox.

 

Photo collection HMS Durban 1934 / 1935.
Left click this image for a full screen image.
Photo courtesy of Sandra Meacock.

HMS Durban 2nd Summer cruise 1935.
Left click this image for a full screen image.
Photo courtesy of Sandra Meacock.

Looking out over Grand Harbour.
Photo courtesy of Tony Cox

Convoy at dawn.
Photo courtesy of Tony Cox.

 

Taken outside Sick Bay at St Clements Entrenchment Fort, Verdala. It's one of the Guard of Honour for a speech by the VAM
( Vice Admiral of Malta) VJ DAY Speech.
Photo courtesy of Les Hutton via Martin Powell. Les is in this photo somewhere.

Links: Wikepedia lists Royal Navy ships including numbers which is a useful starting tool in finding out more information. I use it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Royal_Navy_ship_names

http://www.naval-history.net/WW2CampaignsRNMed.htm