The Life and Times of MacH

Dedicated to Mac HARTLEY [1924-1999]

Air Mechanic, Squadron 831 Fleet Air Arm: May 1942 to April 1946

After wandering down to the local Naval Recruitment Office early in 1942, aged just 18, Mac volunteered to go to war with the Fleet Air Arm. He had an interview, a brief medical ... he was in for four years. A letter and travel warrant from the Admiralty told him to report to basic field 'discipline' training at HMS Duke ... to turn a boy into a ruthless fighter !

Training and Bases stationed: HMS Duke [Greater Malvern, Worcestershire], HMS Medina [Ryde, Isle of Wight], HMS Daedalus [Lee on Solent, Portsmouth], HMS Merlin [Donibristle nr Edinburgh, Scotland], HMS Heron [Yeovilton, Somerset], HMS Waxwing [Clyde, Scotland], HMS Landrail [Machrihanish, Kintyre, Scotland], HMS Shrike [Maydown, Co.Down, North of Ireland], HMS Sparrowhawk [Hatston, Scapa Flow, Orkneys, Scotland], HMS Jackdaw [Operational Training, Crail near Fife, north of Edinburgh, Scotland], HMS Excellent [Whale Island, Portsmouth]

HMS Duke [Malvern] June 1942

HMS Duke was at Great Malvern Worcestershire. Consisted of row upon row of one storey buildings. Sleeping quarters were two-tier metal bunks, blankets, no sheets. For twelve dozen raw recruits, basic training began in seamanship, rifle drill, and naval discipline, spread over five weeks.
The first morning, AMOs were kitted out at the clothing store [the Slops] with number two and three rigs, basic serge naval uniform complete with drop-front 'Jack Tar' trousers, a hat, two pair of overalls, two sets of duck suits, a heavy navy overcoat, an oilskin coat, a belt, drawers [pants], two pair of boots with gaiters [no shoes], towels, various brushes, a large pocket knife ['pusser's dagger'] with marline spike for cutting/splicing ropes, soap, a big canvas kitbag and a hammock. And the 'Admiralty Manual of Seamanship Volume One'. Also a 'ditty box' for personal possessions, and a 'housewife' consisting of a long piece of blue material with sewing needles, thread, and some wool. You'd be given a large piece of brown paper and a piece of string to wrap your civilian clothes in; you'd address the parcel to post them home. You'd be given a gas mask contained in a cardboard box within a green satchel, carried over your shoulder at all times during the whole war, not that it was ever needed. You weren't issued with a personal knife, fork, or spoon [Irons] or mug ... Irons were in a large tray and as you entered the dining hall you picked your own utensils and mug. All other ships, and shore bases would supply you with your own. All this routine you would come to expect every time you joined another ship or shore base. You then struggled back to your mess hut carrying your kit. No lunch. You'd spend the afternoon marking your name on your kit. Lending and borrowing wasn't allowed so everything had to be marked. If someone else's property was found in your kit it was easily identified and it was assumed you'd stolen it.
Later there was a welcome bugle call 'Hands to Dinner'.

Next morning came a visit to Sickbay for a full medical, then tetanus, toxoid and typhoid innoculations and vaccination jabs.
"Strip off, gear on the bench, then get fell in over here ...". Recruits were standing in line, stark naked, as the medical officer closely examined every intimate detail, silently passing by, both front and rear. Then came individual tests; eye and ear tests, a mouth inspection, chest examination and a blood pressure test. Lastly the jabs. Plenty fainted when they received theirs.
Everyone was given a smart, short haircut. You'd be issued with station card with your watch [port or starboard]. Also a green covered pass book with your photograph, and medical history of jabs.
Each morning after that you'd look at a large display board where all the different orders were shown. If it was raining, oilskins would be worn, other times, number ones, navy uniform, and a heavy coat. You didn't feel the least bit cold. The navy uniform was so tight, you had to help each other in and out of jumpers, until they slackend off. In the morning you'd be woken by a marine bugler and you fell in for divisions, all lined up for inspection by an officer who'd be standing there with a heavy watchkeepers coat [used for the long lonely hours of watchkeeping on board ships, in the cold of the Atlantic, or the Russian convoys]. You marched up and down the parade ground - 'Square Bashing' - as the Royal Marine band played tunes like ‘Hearts of Oak’, ‘A Life on the Ocean Waves’ and, 'Rule Britiania’, all marching tunes of the Royal Navy. You were finally dismissed.
Eventually you'd be given WWI short Lee Enfield rifles for practising those various routines. Very welcome in the Navy was, ‘Stand easy’ at 2200 hours, when they piped you to stand down.
You'd learn to swim at the local Malvern swimming baths ... then with duck suits on, you swam two lengths. Each night before tea you'd run three miles to keep fit.
Finally, you'd finished the discipline course. In the mess deck everyone would be singing "Oh we had to join, Oh we had to join, Old Churchill’s Navy, Ten bob a week, F**k all to eat, Big black boots and blisters on your feet, We had to join ..."

HMS Medina at Ryde, Isle of Wight. Medina was situated in Puckpool Park, Ryde, Isle of Wight, a former Warners Holiday Camp taken over by the Navy in 1940. Puckpool House was taken over by Captain Herbert Edwards. There were row upon row of chalets which slept four on two-tier bunks. Where the putting green and swings are nowadays was the Quarterdeck where all the marching took place. There was a gun emplacement on the Seaview Esplanade, manned by sailors who took over the front room of Beach Cottage. The old Victorian gun emplacements provided anti-aircraft gun positions and were also used as a training area. In the centre of the camp there was a large dining hall and on one wall a huge glass framed roll of honour to officers and ratings lost in the present conflict. A boom had been placed in Spithead, stretching from The Duver at Seaview on the Isle of Wight right across to Southsea. Its purpose was to keep out German submarines from entering Portsmouth Harbour and the naval vessels there. A gap was left in the barrier to enable our ships to enter Spithead Waters [or Portsmouth] and this was guarded by a small naval vessel at each end of the gap.
After parade at 0655 hours you'd march, parade, breakfast, parade, march, go to classes [aircraft recognition], parade, march, maths classes in decimals and algebra, parade, then it was time for dinner; steak and kidney pudding and potatoes, stewed fruit and custard and a mug of tea. Next, parade, more classes [this time navigation], tea, parade ... then it was your turn for 'night duties'; the rest would 'go ashore', or 'stay onboard' ... a shilling [5p] to get in a local music hall was half a day's pay. You could just manage fish n chips and a beer, too ! On board, you could drink in the canteen, play snooker in a smoke-filled hall or just read your 'Manual'' and learn 'How to tie knots' and 'How to lower the ships lifeboat from it’s davits'. Popular drinking games included 'Liars Dice' and 'Cardinal Paf' or 'Puff' as it was called.

A drink ashore was something men looked forward to. The rumours persisted that canteen cooks added potassium bromide to Naval drinks as a sedative ... you were led to believe it 'reduced your sexual urges' but there was little proof of that !

Daedalus 'The Stone Frigate' 1942 Fleet Air Arm HQ, Lee on Solent

HMS Daedalus at Lee on Solent, Portsmouth. It was the start of a five months 'technical' course. In the mornings, 0630 hours sharp, an officer would come into our hut, rattle a stick against the side of the iron beds and shout at all dozen men “Wakey, wakey, rise and shine, shake a leg, wakey, wakey, rise and shine”. Inside, the wartime blackout over the windows kept the hut in pitch dark but outside it was bright morning sunshine. You leapt from your bed to be first in the queue to wash, shave, then dress and fold your bed neatly before the 0655 parade. Next you'd march to the hangars with a bugle band in front. Issued with an exercise book and pencil, you'd make notes as an RAF instructor taught you all about the theory of flight, how a plane flys, by weight, thurst, drag, and lift. All about hydraulics, aerodynamics, angle of incidence, and dihedral angles. Mainplanes, ailerons, stabilisers, flaps, slats, landing wires, flying wires, non return valves. How to splice wire ropes, and all about high tensile nuts and bolts.
AMO Ratings eventually 'went ashore' on the halfpenny Gosport ferry to get fitted for their smart black serge 'number one' suits from Naval outfitters 'Gieves of Portsmouth'. From now onwards, when 'going ashore', you looked like proper sailors. "And remember men, all the nice girls love a sailor ..."
Occasionally, some sailors were troubled with a rash which affected the 'privates' with a terrible itch. You'd report to sickbay and join the long queue. Eventually a WAAF nurse would give you a piece of paper with some greasy looking stuff on top and tell you to go behind the screens and rub it all over the affected parts. You'd drop your trousers and rub between the legs, come out and throw the piece of paper in the bin. As you stepped outside the sickbay, as soon as you hit the outside air, you'd let out a howl as if your 'privates' were on fire ! You'd run down to your hut with your legs wide open and the WAAF nurses would be standing at the door roaring an laughing.

Mac sitting on an aircraft wing. HMS Heron, Yeovilton 1943

The course is finished and you've passed out as an Air Mechanic Ordinary Rating, or 'Erks' as officers called them. You leave tomorrow for work at another base.

HMS Waxwing [Townhill nr. Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland]. This was just a transit camp. You're granted seven days leave. There were a large number of nissen huts, with one large one for the dining hall. The huts had the usual iron stove in the centre to provide heat. A gunnery instructor who had done his training at HMS Medina, "the greatest gunnery school in the world" he says, teaches weoponry drill and all about stoppages when a machine gun jams, and how to rectify it. You're now familar with all the different pipes; up spirits, stand easy, men under punishment, cooks to the galley, and liberty men fall in. In Scotland, breakfast would consist of porridge and kippers rather than egg and bacon. The kippers were like pieces of leather. Rather than eat them, ratings would throw them at each other across the canteen.

HMS Jackdaw [Operational Training, Crail near Fife, north of Edinburgh, Scotland] Practiced loading and dropping torpedos [called 'fish']. At £2000 each, torpedos were carefully looked after and used sparingly. They were 17 feet in length, 18 inches in diameter and were dropped from Barracudas at an altitude of just 100 feet.

In November 1943 Squadron 831 joined No 52 TBR Wing with Squadron 829 at Machrihanish Scotland, undertaking Deck Landing Trials from HMS Victorious in February 1944.

HMS Landrail [Machrihanish, Kintyre, Scotland]. You have a draft chit to HMS Landrail, at that time the biggest airfield in the UK. Your quarters affectionately known as 'Nissen City' [in the far corner of the airfield] was to be your billet for your stay here. A short distance away you can see the village of Ugadale with it’s small pub. At Landrail you'd do daily inspections to see that aircraft were airworthy. Pilots would practice landings on the deck of the carrier, difficult when the ship was pitching and rolling at 30 knots. Pilots were aptly called 'Brylcreem Boys' as they were always impeccably dressed and groomed, wore lots of after-shave and walked like a woman !
Some nights a troopcarrier would convey you up to the main camp to see a film in the gym or go to the canteen for a pint, and join in the sing songs, with the seamen, stokers, and torpedo men. The canteen was always full, with a lot of noise, men running back and forwards to the bar, and shouting to their mates. The songs were sung with a sort of defiance against authority and discipline, and sung very loud. There was a comradeship in the navy you won't find elsewhere. Those songs were the only way you could express yourselves.

Next, another draft chit back to another base, for a ship or overseas draft. Eventually you're told to report for a medical and to be issued with tropical gear. At sickbay you're given more jabs [including cholera]. You'd be on your way to Liverpool to board ship for sea.

British Atlantic Fleet: HMS Victorious 1944

Built by Vickers-Armstrong, Walker-Upon-Tyne. Laid down 4 May 1937, launched 14 September 1939, commissioned 29 May 1941. Served on Malta relief runs in 1942. Loaned to the US fleet 20 November 1942 and refitted at Norfolk, served with the US Pacific Fleet [Pearl Harbour] February 1943 to August 1943.

Squadron 831 Commanding Officers: L/C V RANCE, RN, Jan 1944 to Feb 1944 L/C(A) D BROOKS, DSC, RNVR, Feb 1944 to May 1944 L/C(A) JL FISHER, RNVR May 1944 to Dec 1944

HMS Victorious carried Barracuda II aircraft and covered Russian convoys in the North Atlantic from January to March 1944 - Temperatures of 24 degrees below zero !! Russian convoys travelled through the Arctic Circle towards the port of Murmansk, Russia. The Naval Base was on the Kola Peninsula on the Norwegian/Russian border. The sun never set here, so there was broad daylight even at midnight. Russians entertained the Navy with white fish, cavier, salmon and carafes of Vodka.

On 30 March 1944: Squadrons 827, 829, 830 and 831 of HMS Furious [shown left] and HMS Victorious of the Home Fleet sailed from Scapa Flow in company with a powerful force of battleships and escort carriers, in "Operation Tungsten" [HMS Anson, HMS Duke of York, HMS Emperor, HMS Fencer, HMS Pursuer, and HMS Searcher, along with numerous cruisers and destroyers].

Their objective was to attack the German battleship Tirpitz [see photos left and below], Germany's last surviving heavy surface unit, moored in the supposedly impregnable anchorage of Altenfjord in northern Norway.

Commissioned in 1941, the German Navy's mighty 42,900 ton Tirpitz posed a grave threat to Allied shipping. Sister ship to the more famous Bismarck, the battleship carried a main armament of eight 15 inch guns. She saw limited action, spending her war career in Norwegian waters where she was a constant danger to Allied convoys bound for Russia. Her presence obliged the Allies to maintain a large fleet in northern waters to guard against her. Commanded by KzS Hans Karl Meyer, 24 February 1943 to1 May 1944.

In the early hours of 3 April, having approached to within 120 miles of the Norwegian coast, the carriers launched 42 dive-bombers and 80 fighters in the largest air strike yet undertaken by the Fleet Air Arm.

A Barracuda II air attack from HMS Victorious scored 14 hits on the Tirpitz causing severe damage. Tirpitz lay in Kaafjord and was hit by 15 bombs and badly crippled, and although not sunk, was incapable of putting to sea for several months during the crucial Normandy D-Day invasion period of the Allies. In fact, the attack put Tirpitz out of action for three months. During the operation, Victorious became the first Royal Navy aircraft carrier to operationally use the F4U Corsair fighter. HMS Victorious then returned to Hatston, Scapa Flow, Orkneys.

"Above Us The Waves" [1955] British film starring John Mills tells of an attack on the 'Tirpitz' by Mini-Submarines in 1942.

Early-April 1944: HMS Victorious was involved in attacks against German troops at Bodo and 150 miles north of Bodo, Norway. "Gales for a week ... no sleep !!" The ship returned to Scapa Flow. On 8th April, Field Marshall Montgomery came on board.

Visit by King George VIth on the 19th ... getting ready for D-Day, June 6th. Back to Liverpool, then training at Scapa Flow. Squadron 831 received Battle Honours.

30th May 1944: unsuccessful torpedo attack by German U-Boat U-957 "Good job she missed !!"

U-957 was a member of the 11th Flotilla based at Bergen, Norway. She was a 'V11C-type boat [the same as shown in the German film, 'Das Boot' [1981]] and was produced at Blohm and Voss, Hamburg in 1942. In May 1944 she was on 28 days Arctic patrol out of Narvik, Norway when she attempted to torpedo HMS Victorious.
Her captain was Oberleutnant zur See 'Gerhard SCHAAR' [1919-1983]. Born in Berlin, Gehard later became Kapitänleutnant and was decorated: Iron Cross[2nd], German Cross [Gold], Knights Cross.
On 19 October 1944 at Lofoten, Norway U-957 had a collision with a German steamer. On 21 October 1944 she was taken out of service in Trondheim. On 29 May 1945 she was taken to England where she was broken up.

British Pacific Fleet: HMS Victorious 1944

After operations in the North Atlantic, Squadrons 829 and 831 were merged aboard HMS Victorious and transferred to the Pacific.
8th June 1944, sailed for Gibralta, then Algiers, Alexandria, then through the Suez Canal, into the Red Sea to Aden. "The heat here nearly killed you. You couldn't breathe most of the time, glad to get out of it and into the Indian Ocean. You were bothered with prickly heat [small water blisters appear on your back very itchy]. They disappear when you become acclimatised to the heat. 'Chinky-toe rot' was another problem [athletes foot]. Because of the heat you sleep a lot on deck using your life jacket as a pillow. At Aden the 'bum boats' came alongside to sell you fruit".

King Neptune and Captain meet on HMS Victorious - a photo of King Neptune and the Captain M M Denning as they address each other during a "Crossing the [Time] Line Ceremony" on board HMS Victorious in 1944.

by Mid-June: across the Indian Ocean to Bombay India for 48 hours, then down to Colombo Ceylon.

At Colombo for 10 days refit ... and a 'jolly' ... "Good Oh!"

Barracudas were based at Katukurunda, Ceylon [HMS Ukussa]. The main Naval Air Station was at Trincomalee, China Bay [HMS Bambara], where the US were also based. If you went ashore, a petty officer was waiting at the quayside, and told you to load your hammocks, kitbags and other gear on to a troopcarrier. You climbed aboard another, and were driven through the streets, and soon came onto rough sandy road with jungle either side. All around you were young , very pretty native girls, all topless. They'd smile at you. In the troopcarrier all the young men are shouting and whistling to the girls until the petty officer sitting beside the driver tells them to "pipe down" [shut up]. The bromide obviously isn't working !
In the morning you'd line up on the quarter deck with the 'Chief' facing you. You'd stand at ease, wearing khaki shorts, shirts, long stockings, and white hats. The gunnery officer would then let out a roar; “ Atten-tion !”, and in the same breath, “Stand still !”.
The camp situation here was row upon row of long huts made from palm fronds with a concrete base and no door or windows. Each hut contained at least forty men with a bed and locker each. The heads [toilets] were situated outside at the far end of the hut. No drain toilets here. There were eight dry closets consisting of a wooden compartment with a pail, in cubicles with half doors. Baths consisted of a concrete 'horse' trough. Showers were 'open air', fed from a large tank of water supported on tall poles. They were operated by pulling a chain. However the tanks would be full of frogs and terrapins so often the shower would stop as the pipes became blocked. It was a lot easier to shower in the mid-day rain ... the daily downpour would soak you to the skin in seconds.
Huts would constantly be invaded by wildlife; chipmunks, snakes, lizards, six-inch long centipedes, bees the size of a tennis ball, and mosquitos, mosquitos, mosquitos, everywhere, hence you had netting around your bed. You'd keep guns and machetes handy for protection against wildlife ... and local native 'robbers'.
On entering the dining hall there was a fifty gallon barrel of ice cold lime water which you are advised to drink, for the prevention of the dreaded disease Scurvy [symptoms were painful and swollen legs, the flesh when pressed in would not return to it’s former state. You suffer from bleeding, and extreme debility, accompanied by swollen gums which prevents you from opening your mouth, your breath smells and in the olden days you were lucky if you lasted a week. Then it was the lack of fresh provisions]. Most meals would consist of a curry. Alcohol would be local gin, beer and a strong toddy called 'arrack'', made from fermented coconut sap and rice and tasting like a mixture of whisky and rum.
You'd fall in at the middle gate where a troopcarrier is waiting to take you down to the airfield, where you'd work all day on aircraft. After a while you were so brown you looked mahogany coloured. Pilots would practice 'dive bombing'. They'd dive vertically from 10 000 feet down to 2 000 feet, in preparation for bombing Japanese land bases. As well as carrying one torpedo, alternatively Barracudas were capable of carrying three 500lb bombs.
Night came at about 1900 hours. Millions of fireflies and cicadas [crickets] would descend to light up the darkness and blast out their 'calling songs'. Evening entertainment would be held in the Village Hall, usually an ENSA show or an old film.

The following week, more exercises with a squadron that hadn't been on a carrier before."

In July 1944: "Operation Crimson". She led a strike against Palembang with HMS Illustrious, then on 25 July she led a strike against the Andaman Islands with HMS Indomitable. Led strikes on Japanese oil storage and airfields at Sabang harbour [Sumatra], the first time British naval forces brought guns to bear [as opposed to air strikes] on Japanese shore installations. Admiral Lord Mountbatten, Supreme Allied Commander, South-East Asia, signalled, “The results will hearten all forces in south-east Asia”. Squadron 831 received Battle Honours.

August 1944: "Operation Banquet". Strikes on Padang [Sumatra] and Emmahaven [Indonesia]

September 1944: 2nd September: attended HMS Ukussa at Katukurunda Ceylon for medical treatment.
"Operation Light". 14th September off to raid, strafe, bomb and photograph Madong and other ports in Northern Sumatra. Strikes on a Japanese railway repair yard at Sigli, North Sumatra were carried out by 20 aircraft from each carrier. Armourers would take bombs and torpedos from the carriers' magaine stores, wheel them to the aircraft on trollies, then winch them up onto the aircraft after being fused and detonators inserted. Ammunition belts were also inserted into the guns on the wings.
18th September all raids completed and back again to Trincomalee, Ceylon .
30th September: Steering problem. Back to Bombay for repairs
"I hope we are going home soon, the heat is terrible, I can't stand the sweat, fed up wiping it off. Absolutely fed up with Foreign Service and wish I could go home for good and not come back to this red hot hell hole".

October 1944: "Operation Mullet". Strikes on the Nicobar Islands, Nancowry Harbour [190 kilometers North West of Sumatra in the Bay of Bengal]
22nd October 1944: Victorious was assigned to the British Pacific Fleet, together with HMS Indominable, HMS Illustrious, HMS Implacable, HMS Indefatigable and HMS Formidable. There were two battleships, HMS King George V and HMS Howe.

November 1944: Victorious went to Bombay for about one month for small repairs, dry dock, bottom scraped. The flying speed of Barracudas had been slowed down a lot by the tropical heat. It didn't help, either, that an order had come through to "cut three inches off each propella to prevent them from clipping the flight deck on landing" ... unfortunately the message had been intended for another aircraft, not the Barracuda ! Offically, however, "due to the poor performance of the Barracuda II aircraft in the tropical climate", in November 1944 the squadron left its aircraft at stores located at Coimbatore, India, and returned to the UK, firstly aboard HMS Battler and then were transferred to HMS Thane to Clyde Scotland, disbanding in December 1944.

So MacH was safely returned to England.

HMS Battler

HMS Thane. After returning to the UK she operated in the North Atlantic protecting convoys and ferrying aircraft for use in the European Theatre until she was torpedoed by U-1172 and severely damaged on 15 January 1945 while in the Irish Sea.

HMS Victorious

1945 - onwards. What happened to HMS Victorious? The British Pacific Fleet finally departed Ceylon on 13 January 1945, en route to Sydney, Australia. Aircraft from the fleet attacked installations on Sumatra and Java on the 24th and 29th January [Operation Meridian]. In April 1945, Victorious along with Illustrious, Indefatigable, and Indomitable, launched strikes against Okinawa, along with the US 5th Fleet.
9th May 1945: HMS Victorious was hit by two Japanese Kamikaze piloted aircraft, suffering only minor damage due to her armoured flight deck, which was more resilent to such attacks than the wooden decks of American carriers.
In July, aircraft from No. 849 Squadron, embarked aboard Victorious, located and attacked the Japanese escort carrier Kaiyo, seriously damaging her while at Beppu Bay, Kyu-shu-. She was stricken from the Japanese naval register a few months later.
Final WWII light AA armament was 5 8-barrel 2 pound, 2 quad 40 mm, 2 dual 40 mm, 9 single 40 mm, 45 20 mm. Served as a troopship postwar. Decommissioned to reserve January 1947 due to lack of crew, but recommissioned as a harbor training ship October 1947. Designation changed to R38 under NATO designation system. Extensively reconstructed as an attack carrier at Portsmouth Dockyard starting March 1950; see postwar carriers list for details. Recommissioned 14 Jan 1958. Refitted 1962-63 with 2 dual 3/50 and all 40 mm removed, flight deck strengthened and enlarged. Minor fire while in refit November 1967; it was decided not to repair the damage and the ship was decommissioned 13 March 1968 due to carrier force level cuts. Sold 1969 and scrapped at Faslane starting July 1969
* HMS Victorious Displacement: 35,500 tons full load Dimensions: 740 x 103.5 x 31 feet/225.5 x 21.5 x 9.5 meters Extreme Dimensions: 781 x 157 x 31 feet/238 x 47.9 x 9.5 meters Propulsion: Steam turbines, 6 boilers, 3 shafts, 110,000 shp, 31 knots Armor: 4 inch belt and hangar sides, 3 inch flight deck Crew: 2400 Armament: 6 dual 3/50, 6 40 mm Aircraft: 36 Concept/Program: A WWII-era carrier completely rebuilt postwar to serve as an attack carrier. Plans to convert two sisterships were cancelled due to their poor condition. Design/Conversion: Complete reconstruction 1950-1958: totally gutted and stripped of all structure down to hangar floor, hull widened, deepened and lengthened, machinery replaced, hangar and angled flight deck rebuilt, new capapults fitted. Was an essentially new ship following reconstruction. Modifications: Refitted 1962-63 with 2 dual 3/50 and all 40 mm removed, flight deck strengthened and enlarged. Departure from Service/Disposal: Suffered minor fire while in refit 1968; it was decided not to repair the damage and the ship was decommissioned due to carrier force level cuts.

August 1945. "We were sitting in the canteen listening to the radio when the announcer cut in for a news flash. A Japanese city had been bombed by the Americans using an atom bomb. Tens of thousands of Japanese civilians and Korean POWs had been killed by just one massive explosion. The whole city had been destroyed, buildings, people, animals, almost everything. Days later came another atom bomb on another Japanese city. Six days after that the Japanese surrendered. The war in the Far East had ended."

Some of the places Mac had visited around the World ...

Norway, Gibralta, Algiers, Alexandria, Egypt, Suez, Aden, India, Ceylon, Sumatra, Indonesia

Columbo, Ceylon

Passing through Suez Canal Deckercise

Fleet Air Arm: May 1942 to April 1946

Squadron 831 Air Mechanics. "What Oh!". Mac's AMO mess mates ...

[left-right] Baldy, Poopdeck-Pape, officer, Brum.

[top-standing] Sharp, Rich, Poopdeck-Pape, Jack, Wright, Brum, MacH. [bottom-sitting] Tojo, Baldy, Taff, Sharp.

[left-right] Rich, Taff, Jack, Tojo, Brum, Sharp, Baldy, officer, Poopdeck-Pape.

[top] female, Tojo [middle left-right] officer, Poopdeck-Pape, Rich. [bottom left-right] Taff, Baldy, Brum.

MacH, far right

MacH, on left

... and finally, the Royal Naval Film Unit/Section.

Do you know the names of anybody in the photo below ? I know of the following who worked at the Royal Naval Instructional Film Unit ... Joe Henry Mendoza [Leading Seaman], 'Puck' Bishop [WRDutchNS], Hazel Wilkinson [WRNS, Editing Supervisor], Dora Wright [Production Manager], Humphrey Jennings [Director]. Two camera crews, an animation section [Ken Hardy [Sergeant Petty Officer, later Sub-Lieutenant]].

MacH is in the photo, rear right, standing.

The Royal Navy "Forties Navy - Flying Machines" DVD features "Carrier Flying" shown on the clapperboard in the above photo.

The Life and Times of MacH ... Mac, the Family Man.

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