Cromarty Image Library | Aircraft Carrier leaving the Firth

	585
	Clem Watson
	1957

Aircraft Carrier leaving the Firth

Picture Added on 28 November 2003.

Comments

(Editor Comment - when this photo was orginally posted, it was dated 1964)

I think this vessel is HMS Eagle - sister ship to the Ark Royal. In 1964 she had just had a major refit. For another picture have a look at www.hazegray.org/navhist/carriers/images/rn/r05-1-3.jpg.
Added by Calum Davidson on 28 November 2003.

This photograph was actually taken with a simple Ensign Box Camera, which I still possess as a collecter's piece.
Added by Clem Watson on 04 February 2005.

Clem - was she HMS Eagle?
Added by Calum Davidson on 04 February 2005.

Calum
The number below the 'funnel' is illegible unfortunately. I'm certain it is HMS Eagle.
She was carrying Westland Wyvern single seat naval strike aircraft up for'hd, and they
all carried the letter 'J' on the fin. The prefix letter for Carriers was the letter 'R', in
Eagle's case, she was R 0? Maybe some 'sailor of the sixties' who was stationed on board
could positively identify? Retired matlots over to you!
Added by Clem Watson on 04 February 2005.

Clem - if she was carrying Wyverns it dates the photo to between September 1954 and March 1958, not 1964. The FAA only operated that type of Aircraft between those dates. HMS Eagle operated Wyverns - as 813 Squadron RNAS - from May 57 to March 58. The cars in the photo look more 50's than 60's so may be it was an earlier visit to the Firth?

However I'm certain your photo shows HMS Eagle - there is a very similar shot at www.navyphotos.co.uk/eagle10b.jpg
Added by Calum Davidson on 06 February 2005.

Calum, Thanks for help on that one. Your date is correct. The Home Fleet had bi-annual visits to the Firth all through the 50's, as Spring and Autumn Exercises. My father was given a list of all ships arriving on those visits in his capacity as Lifeboat Cox., and operating the Cromarty/Invergordon Ferry.
Added by Clem Watson on 06 February 2005.

Clem - I've changed the date to 1957.
Added by Calum Davidson on 12 February 2005.

Me and my brother were just talking about the Eagle and we're wondering whether she suffered the same fate as The Ark Royal or is she still on the reserve list?
Added by Dave Smith on 06 June 2005.

Dave - HMS Eagle is long gone - she was scrapped in 1978, at Cairnryan I seem to recall.
Added by Calum Davidson on 07 June 2005.

I served on the Eagle from September 57 to May 59 I was on board when we sailed from the The Firth. The ship in the photo looks like the Eagle - however if my memory serves me well the weather was not very good - the photo looks as if it was taken in bright sunlight. I have some good photos of my time on the ship, both on deck and in the messdeck.
Added by Brian Harper ex ME1 National Service on 26 July 2005.

I served on Eagle from 1957/1959.
I think this was us leaving Cromarty Firth after picking up various bits and pieces including ratings who had been on courses whilst in refit. I can certainly remember about 20 Comms Ratings coming into 5g1 mess. You will note no 'threepenny piece radar' above the bridge which was added when she went in for massive refit in 1959. Great memories .
Added by Harry Donkin (Signalman) on 16 October 2005.

Has to be Eagle. Ark Royal had a side lift & forward star. turrets removed at this time.
Eagle had 813 & 827 easter 55-nov 55, 830 in 56 (Suez), 813 in 57-58 all Wyverns
Eagle visited Firth autumn 55 & mid 57. It left autumn 55 for Norway with 3 other carriers in foul weather, I know, being air electronics cpo 827. So we have 1957.
Added by Bryan Gibbs on 04 November 2005.

Squadron on board Eagle 1955-1956 had prefix J on tail fins. I served on her as cook(s) for that time.
Added by Bob Lawrence on 10 December 2005.

I have old black and white photos from my father (Gronwy (Taff) Jones) who was stationed at RSM CONDOR Arbroath in the mid 50's and early 60's and who also served aboard the Eagle. The photos are similar to those on show.

Can anyone who may have came into contact with my father please get in touch, thanks.
Added by Vince Jones on 10 December 2005.

I served onboard H.M.S. Hermes and as i recall she was the only carrier of this time to have a side lift. Both the Big E and the Ark had for'd and aft lifts with only one of these servicing the lower hangar.
Added by Maurice Oliver on 25 December 2005.

H.m.s eagle was r05, ark royal was r07.
Added by Johnny man on 02 March 2006.

If this is the Eagle, it was taken prior to the big refit during which the main radar antenna, a large drum shaped object above the bridge was fitted, cant be more specific, it was a long time ago, and I was POME on her so anything above the waterline not my part of ship.
Added by Len Carter on 23 June 2006.

The radar you are talking about on the Eagle is the 984 3d radar and comprehensive display system (CDS) it was an aircraft control system.Victorious and Hermes also had that system. I was an aircraft handler on Eagle on its last commission. I also served on Ark royal and Hermes. Ark Royals pennant number was R09 Eagle r05 and Hermes was r12
Added by Fred Daly on 12 July 2006.

Hope this will bring the 'Eagle Saga' to a close!
Taken from the official book of HMS Eagle Third Commission Feb 1957 - May 1959.
The Work Up August 1957.....
Another Friday, the 2nd August, saw us away at last for our work-up. We had little time left before 'Strikeback', (huge NATO exercise) so Bank Holiday Monday found us off Ford embarking our squadrons in such poor visibility that the pilots at times lost the ship on the down-wind leg of the circuit. For most of them this was their introduction to carrier flying, but they all did their deck-landing qualification and landed on in a day. Our squadrons consisted of 803 and 806 Sea Hawks, 894 Sea venoms, 813 Wyverns, 814 Gannets, and 849 'A' Flight Skyraiders. It was the first experience of this sort of thing for most of the ship's company, too, and there was no lack of spectators in the 'Goofers' positions.
And so to the seas around Lossiemouth, where it is always fine weather at this time of year - or nearly so. But the Lossiemouth weather of August 1957 was a nightmare for a carrier working-up in a hurry. We gave up our visits to Invergordon and Lossiemouth in order to make up for lost flying days, but consoled ourselves with the prospect of a visit to Rosyth later. ..... we did however go into Cromarty to pick up crew and stores!!!!
I was on the flag deck that wonderful evening when we entered the Cromarty Firth

|Harry Donking (Signalman)
Added by Harry Donkin on 12 July 2006.

My father, Norman Chadwick ME1 DSKX 898052, would have known if this was Eagle as he served on this carrier and the Ark Royal between 1951/58 but he died 5/7/06. I am going through all sites of these carriers finding just what my dad's life was like in his service. He loved nothing more but to tell you stories of where he had been. If anyone knew my dad please e-mail me. Thank you.
Added by Jeff Chadwick on 17 July 2006.

looking for george morrow (jock~)who served on the hms eagle 1957 to 1959
Added by George Williams (bungy) on 11 February 2007.

Looking for anyone who knew of or has any information about William (Bill) Fogden who served on HMS Eagle 1955-1956. If anyone knew my grand-dad please e-mail me.
Added by Jonathan Thomson on 04 March 2007.

Yes it's the Eagle.I was a boy seaman on 'Apollo' and was on exercise with the big'E', she then went to Rosyth and we went back to Invergordon to prepare for the Fleet Review by Queen Elizabeth on HMY Britannia in Sept '57. I believe a CPO Hogg from Cromarty was serving on Britannia at that time.
Added by Padric MacDonald on 21 March 2007.

If anyone knew of the accident on 20th August 1957 in which the observer and flying tel were killed when a Gannet went over the side I should like to know My late husband was the flying tel concerned
many thanks
Added by Bunny on 06 April 2007.

Hi Padric, CPO Hogg would have been my great uncle Donald Hogg from 76 Big Vennel.
Added by Alan Pike on 09 July 2007.

With regards to Bunny's request for info of a Gannet going over the side in August 1957. I can find no mention of this accident in Neil McCart's book history of the Eagle. I did not join the ship until September 1957 but had no knowledge of this accident.
Brian harper ck 973088
Added by Brian Harper on 10 July 2007.

re the last message, i saw the gannet go off the flight deck, backwards, as it was staged by the round down, and reported it to the compass platform.i was on duty on the flag deck.
Added by Barry Wells Ex Rn Bunting Tosser on 12 November 2007.

I can not make out the pennant number, but Eagle was RO5.When I served on her, (her last commision), she had a large radar fitted, which looked like a large dustbin upturned. I joined her in Singapore in august1971.We retuned to the UK via Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and finally Gibraltar, berthing in Portsmouth in February 1972, where the grand old lady was decomissioned.She was then towed to Plymouth where she laid up in the harbour for a few years, slowly being stripped of her spares for the Ark. Eagle was the longer and wider ship of the two, and of course I would have to say the happier(moral wise). The ark became longer after adding two twelve foot extensions at the bow, so that the F4 phantoms were able to take off.
Added by Tony Fraser-Mackenzie(nee Archer) on 13 November 2007.

It made an old matelot very happy when the announcement was made that two new carriers are to be built...but I am not in agreement with their names...Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles. Let's use carrier names ie. "EAGLE" and "GLORIOUS"
Added by Padric MacDonald on 13 November 2007.

Padric, I couldn't agree more! Let's just hope they're the same size as the old big E.
Added by Tony Fraser-Mackenzie(nee Archer) on 14 November 2007.

There is another 'photo of HMS 'EAGLE'on the Invergordon Image/archive, 'photo No.885. I think it was taken before 1957 and pre the big re-fit. I have written a wee yarn on there as well...
Added by Padric MacDonald on 23 November 2007.

Can anyone help me answer a question in a quiz on a French naval website? What happened on board the EAGLE at 3.15 pm on 15 June 1953? I'm sure it was in the Coronation Review at Spithead at the time, when EAGLE was alongside the Soviet cruiser SVERDLOV to starboard, VANGUARD ahead and I think INDOMITABLE was astern. I've searched as many sites as I can find but no luck so far. The French say it was 'an exceptional event on a warship' and it only happened once on HMS EAGLE. Can't believe the French could know any more than the British about it......
Added by Ian D on 26 November 2007.

Ian
You are right about the coronation review at spithead. At 3.15 on June 15th 1953 as the royal salute of 21 guns was fired a Mrs W.McCracken gave birth to a daughter on board the Eagle which she named Elizabeth.
Added by Brian Harper Ck 973088 on 27 November 2007.

I unfortunately ran out of time to answer the question but the French tell me that Mrs W G S McCracken, a guest on board HMS Eagle, gave birth at that moment to a daughter whom she named, of course, Elizabeth. Eighteen years later this same little girl was received ceremonially on board the Eagle in Sydney Harbour by Captain Robertson on one of Eagle's last calls in Australia, between the 4th and 9th of August, 1971. The Frenchman who set the question had found the information in Neil McCart's book HMS EAGLE 1942-1978, PP 25-26.

Some of you may well have tried to communicate the answer without success - I'm afraid I left one symbol out of my e-mail address - My apologies for this!
Added by Ian D on 28 November 2007.

Thanks for the confirmation, Brian. Somebody actually did make what they must have thought was a wild guess (..un accouchement? a birth?) and got the correct answer in time!
Added by Ian D on 30 November 2007.

When tne Gannet went over the side in August 57. She was on the stern of the flight deck waiting for free take off, Eagle turned into the wind doing a fair speed, the chocks were removed and she appeared to blown over the stern.
Added by John Churchill Ex Stoker on 29 December 2007.

I served in HMS EAGLE Feb, 57 to June 59. I was one of 4 Radio Electricians Mates(A)in a mixed mess 5J1 of fishheads and cowboys and we all got on well. I ended having been a naughty boy in the Aircraft Battery Charging Room 5 deck, for 18 months AND it was the best job I ever had, besides HMS Osprey.
Added by ROBIN H (SLINGER) WOOD on 07 February 2008.

According to Air-Britain's book "Fleet Air Arm Fixed Wing Aircraft since 1946" the Gannet AS.4 lost on 20/8/57 was XA416 (285) of 814 Sqdn. To Quote: "Parked on aft end of flight deck, port wing lifted prior to free take-off, a/c swung through 180 deg and slid over stern inverted, HMS Eagle, Moray Firth. Cat ZZ 20/8/57 (Lt TMB Seymour OK; Lt WPH Swayne & L/tel (A) RK Llewellyn both killed." This is slightly at odds with with the eye-witness accounts above. The book suggests that the a/c did a 180 and went over the round-down nose first whereas the witnesses say tail first. I think tail first would explain why the pilot survived. There is a book on the Gannet coming out this year, perhaps it will comment on this sad incident.
Added by Ken Law on 12 May 2008.