HMS Indefatigable Scrapbook / Identification Help

Discussion in 'The War at Sea' started by evand, May 25, 2016.

  1. evand

    evand New Member

    I'm putting together an online gallery of photos from my late granddad Harold Digby's scrapbooks. These scrapbooks were from his time serving on the HMS Indefatigable R10.

    It doesn't look pretty now, and each photo is only annotated with a number:

    HMS Indefatigable
    http://hmsindefatigable.org/

    I would like to annotate these photos as much as possible, so I would appreciate any help in identifying and attaching stories / names of people to the items to fill out the details.

    Hopefully these photos going online will help someone somewhere remember something!

    I've been discussing with my father (his son), but both of our memories are murky. Harold didn't talk about the war much, so help from elsewhere would be appreciated!

    I'm not looking for stories about HMS Indefatigable in general--there are lots of those online. What I'm specifically looking for is help identifying which of my granddad's photos are well known, and which photos are likely personal photos (or at least as yet unseen).

    If any history or individual names can be linked to specific photos, like identifying the specific combat mission tied to a specific photo, I would much appreciate that as well!

    Each photo is numbered to help you in your comments.

    In these scrapbooks are scans of:
    • Prints of media / stock photos (many of which are commonly circulating on the internet) of the ship
    • Personal photos taken by my granddad or his friends of the ship and of each other
    • Personal photos taken during my granddad's various shore leaves
    • Newspaper clippings
    • An original copy of the "cease hostilities against Japan" order communication dated 15 August 1945
    • An original copy of the "all hands splice the mainbrace" order communication (sent shortly after the previous) dated 15 August 1945
    • Invitations to two "farewell" dances in Australia, one held 16 January 1946 and one held 18 January 1946
    • An original copy of a captain's memo regarding the "programme for passage to united kingdom" dated 22nd January 1946
    • A "Track Chart" from Commissioning 10 December 1943 to arrival in Portsmouth 16 March 1946

    Some names in the scrapbook (to help people searching for their own purposes!):
    • Harold Digby
    • HMS Arthur Class 116 - Skegness June 1945
    • Captain Graham
    • King George VI
    • Roger Read (Joined ship Nov 1943 and left Sydney Oct 1945)
    • Bill "Ginger" Oliver
    • Vice-Admiral Sir Philip L. Vian
    • Marine Stupid (the ship mascot)
    Thank you all so much!

    Evan
     
  2. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    some super photos there, thanks for sharing.
     
  3. Hi Evan, I would love to see these photos but the website link doesn't open - does anyone have a link to this scrapbook?

    Many thanks
    Becca
     
  4. evand

    evand New Member

    dbf and timuk like this.
  5. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

    Very interesting collection. Thanks for posting.
    Image 71 is Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser signing the Japanese Instrument of Surrender on board USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay 2 Sep 1945.
    Compare it to this photo.
    [​IMG]

    Tim
     
  6. Wallace2

    Wallace2 Member

    Image no 38.
    The aircraft carrier partially hidden by the tip of the flight deck crane is USS Saratoga. Only two carriers had that very distinctive island and funnel arrangement. The other one, USS Lexington, was sunk in May 1942 in the Coral Sea battle.
     
  7. Wallace2

    Wallace2 Member

    Image no 8.
    The warship is a Colony class cruiser. Searching the ship war records on navalhistory.net narrows the identity down to HMS Jamaica. All the others were elsewhere in the world in July-Aug1944.
    The aircraft flying above the Jamaica are probably Corsairs as they seem to have gull wings.

    The other aircraft are Barracudas armed as dive bombers.
     

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