HMS Vindex - Escort Carrier

Manonthefence · **Posted:** Tue Mar 01, 2011 4:39 pm

I have been given access to the family photos of a friends father who served on HMS Vindex during the war. Most of the shots are the usual shots of him posing with comerades however there are a few nice ones of which a couple are below

I have put together a Blog post HERE in the hope of gathering more information. If you can help I'd appreciate your comments.

Thanks

Pathfinder · **Joined:** Tue Nov 10, 2009 7:35 pm **Posts:** 587

I have about 40 minutes in the observers seat of a Swordfish (yes in flight!) standing up!!!

Would like to see more on your site!

BTW in researching the uniforms of Fleet AiIr Arm personnel of WW2 there are practically NO photos published of PEOPLE in uniform. Those happy snaps of his mates would be priceless to the uniform researcher!

JDK · **Posted:** Tue Mar 01, 2011 9:55 pm

Hi Nick,
Great stuff, like it. (Good watermark too - does the job but isn't obtrusive.)

You seem to mention a last (Corsairs in S Africa?) shot that doesn't appear in the blog post. I'm very interested in it as it could be a RN MONAB in Aus.

Cheers!

SaxMan · **Posted:** Tue Mar 01, 2011 11:02 pm

That's interesting that the Vindex was a "home grown" escort carrier. I thought the Royal Navy's Escort Carriers were all Lend-Lease ships of the Long Island and Bogue class escort carriers. I think the contributions of the "baby flattops" is too often overlooked by the general public.

Manonthefence · **Posted:** Wed Mar 02, 2011 3:38 am

James, it should be on now (sorry I just seemed to miss putting it on).

My Friend left the ship in South Africa and as I said helped in the decommisioning of Lend Lease aircraft. He returned home a couple of years after the war ended after deciding the pull of home was too great to ignore.

JDK · **Posted:** Wed Mar 02, 2011 3:53 am

Easily done, Nick!

Doesn't look like an Aus based MONAB, but I'm no expert. If that's not a stain on the left of the image, could it be Tabletop Mountain, Capetown, SA?

Saxman - don't for get the MAC Ships etc. as well. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of ... t_carriers

Apparently six Escort Carriers were converted by the British, in addition to US production.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escort_aircraft_carrier

Manonthefence · **Posted:** Wed Mar 02, 2011 3:56 am

I will have a look at the scan this evening. Sadly the original image is very small. The others are more normal sizes for photos.

JDK · **Posted:** Wed Mar 02, 2011 4:07 am

Nick, it's definitely a stab in the dark by me. WIX member BearcatSA might be able to id it.

Not forgetting the Fleet Air Arm Museum...

lmritger · **Posted:** Wed Mar 02, 2011 10:33 am

The Martlet VI in the gallery is particularly noteworthy to me, as it shows rocket rails fitted... perhaps I'm just well behind the curve, but I can't recall having seen that before.

Thanks for posting these!

Lynn

Manonthefence · **Posted:** Wed Mar 02, 2011 1:49 pm

Lynn

By then we were calling Martlets by their American name of Wildcat.

James

Its not a mark on the print, its a large "hill" with a flat top. I couldnt say for certain it was table mountain though.

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HMS Vindex - Escort Carrier

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