HMS Courageous 1916-1939

[Researcher]

Hi every one,

I went on to battleships-cruisers.co.uk and there is a request on the HMS Courageous page for additional pictures.

I have a clear picture of George V visting the aircraft carrier in Weymouth in about 1932 accompanied by Rear-Admiral R.G.H.Henderson, Commanding Aircraft Carriers.

If the picture would be of interest I am happy to upload it to the site at no cost.

[Researcher]

I have answered my own question ;) This is where photos are uplifted !

This is a picture of King George V inspecting the aircraft carrier HMS Courageous at Weymouth in about 1932. He is accompanied by Rear-Admiral R.G.H. Henderson, Commander Aircraft Carriers

[kc]

Excellent photo! Thanks for taking the time to share it on the forum. Here are a couple more of Courageous:

http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/images/hmscourageous21.jpg
At Malta.

http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/images/hmscourageousmpl741.jpg
May 1937.

http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/images/hmscourageous20.jpg
Gun carriages, galleys and men of the South Staffordshire Regiment transporting to Palestine on HMS Courageous during trouble there in September 1929.

[Batstiger]

Here are a couple more pictures of the courageous.

[Batstiger]

In memory of:-

[krissi1001]

Hi,

Sorry if I am posting in the wrong place - I am new to all this!!

My great-uncle died on the HMS Courageous on the day it sank. I have no information on him other than his DOB which was 17/04/15 and that he was on HMS Devonshire with the rank of able-seaman then was in Hong Kong for 2 1/2 years before returning to Portsmouth.

Can anyone advise me on where to start to find out his regiment, what ships he sailed on, medals etc.

Thanks in advance

Krissi

[kc]

Welcome to the forum!

Here is a link to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission entry:

http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2483850

This gives you his service number : D/JX 134571 and a few other bits and pieces which may be useful for you. Good Luck :)

[tim lewin]

I very strongly recomend to you reading the book "War in a stringbag" by Commander Charles Lamb DSO DSC RN who was a very young swordfish pilot in Courageous at the time of her sinking and gives a very vivid first-hand account of her loss, I expect the book is no longer in print bot you easily find a copy through any of the internet bookfinders. ISBN is 0 304 29778 X published in 1977. Cassels. It is an excellent book.
good luck
tim

[tonclass]

A sad day! HMS COURAGEOUS sinking on 17 September 1939 in the Atlantic after being torpedoed by U-29.
Rik

[tonclass]

County/Kent class cruiser HMS DEVONSHIRE.
Rik

[stontamar]

The heading photograph was taken on 12 July 1932 at Weymouth Bay when HM King George V, accompanied by Rear Admiral R.G.H. Henerson, Commanding Aircraft Carriers, embarked on HMS COURAGOUS for a flying demonstration. The first occasion on which the Royal Standard had been hoisted on an aircraft carrier.

Incidentally the aircraft appears to be a Fairy Flycatcher belonging to No. 402 (Fleet Fighter) Flight which had embarked on HMS COURAGOUS in April 1932. By October 1932 the flight was re-equiped with Nimrod and on 3 April 1933 it was absorbed into the new No. 800 Squadron.

Regards

stontamar

[rimbo]

Hi Everyone,
Thought you might like to share these photos sent to me Courtesy of Mitch Stubley.
Son of F/O.Karl Stubley HMS Couragous 1937 Passed over the Bar (1913-1997)
Sorry don't know the name of the BIG Ship or ceremonies being carried on.
Maybe someone does.
regards

[jbryce1437]

Hi Everyone,
Thought you might like to share these photos sent to me Courtesy of Mitch Stubley.
Son of F/O.Karl Stubley HMS Couragous 1937 Passed over the Bar (1913-1997)
Sorry don't know the name of the BIG Ship or ceremonies being carried on.
Maybe someone does.
regards

I think the two destroyers in the pics are H80 Brazen and H60 Crusader. Not sure if the battleship is Royal Oak, or one of her sisters?

[qprdave]

Could some of the others be a Remembrance Sunday Service? Or above a ship that had been sunk or a bit of both!
There seems to be too many wreaths for it to be a burial at sea.

[Dreadnought]

HMS Courageous fitting out on the Tyne late 1916.

Furious, Glorious and Courageous popularly know at the time as 'Outrageous' class, were large light cruisers officially designated as Light Battlecruisers. However, Courageous and Glorious were completely reconstructed as aircraft carriers in May 1928 and January 1930 respectively.

Courageous was sunk on the 17th September 1939 in the Atlantic by German submarine U29.


Photograph from book in my personal collection. No evident copyright restriction.

Although photo may looked "screened", it's fine on magnify ...?

[astraltrader]

There are many pictures of Courageous along with her two sisters in post #1 in the carriers thread.


http://www.worldnavalships.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1864&highlight=courageous

[Dave Hutson]

Ron,

Great pictures. I am going to stick my neck out [ee up ere comes the chop] and say I think the Battlewagon is either Royal Oak or Barham.

Someone raised the question recently on the Pompey thread asking if the Paddle Tugs really had the power to move a Battleship - your photos show it is so and the paddle tugs served for many years.

Thanks for sharing.

Dave H

[Dreadnought]

There are many pictures of Courageous along with her two sisters in post #1 in the carriers thread.


http://www.worldnavalships.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1864&highlight=courageous
Must admit Terry, wasn't quite sure where to put the pic, cos it wasn't a carrier yet .. :o

[astraltrader]

I meant no criticism about where you posted your picture Clive - after all this is a thread about Courageous.

I just added the link in case anybody wished to see other pictures of Courageous, Glorious and Furious. :)

[tjstoneman]

The battleships in post #6 photo 2 are ROYAL OAK (nearest - only one of the class with above-water torpedo tubes in the foc's'le) and RESOLUTION (further from camera - only one with clinker screen to funnel prewar and tripod mainmast). Photo 5 also shows a Royal Sovereign class ship (secondary battery begins well aft - QE class ships would show the battery further forward than in this shot) - but which one of the ships is not clear.
Tim

[jbryce1437]

Thanks for confirming that Tim

Jim

[aptully]

Greetings all,

A visitor from the `other theatre' side as it were. I had a question come up recently, in studying the records of the loss of HMS COURAGEOUS in September 1939. I posted it on J-Air and my Combinedfleet.com boards, and was urged to ask here.

My question was - do any of you have an interior plan view or book source for HMS COURAGEOUS/GLORIOUS where you could describe locations of compartments to me? I have received some excellent reports from Malcom on the sinking, and would like to "find my way around below decks" on the carrier, as it were. I would like to locate the wardroom, main mess, switchboard, engineer's office, to name a few. The one profile I have gives a good idea of the general interior arrangement, but few labeled spaces. (I can post this if needed to provide a reference?).

Also, do any have in plan or text a description of the machinery arrangement? What is meant by "centre forward engine room" in the sources ? (The very same wording of reference appears in John Winton's "Carrier Glorious") Best I can tell, COURAGEOUS has two forward engine rooms (for outboard or was it the inboard shafts?), so what is "center" in this sense - would it not be port forward or starboard forward? From what I can discern, all 18 boilers originally fitted seem to remain in place, with an incredible six boilers each - three wide - in three boiler rooms.

Also, I have found reference to a Co2 compartment forward on COURAGEOUS that might have been source of fire or explosion, and are uncertain what it would be in this context. The reports I have give frame numbers and deck locations, so even a good text description in general where what was located could be a big help.

best wishes and thanks for any pointers,

- Tony

[aptully]

Thought it more useful to go ahead and post the one plan do have, so you can see what I "already have" to assist if possible. I know that frame 93 bisects "B" or Boiler room space No.2, for example. COURAGEOUS reported possible torpedo hit in the frame/station 44-60 range, so I guess that is forward of the island?

TIA,

- Tony

Edit: Major edit! -- I just noticed the "similar thread' feature that shows now moment I posted and activated this. I am going to take a look at those. :) But so far, most of my questions seem still relevant.


Source: "British Carrier Aviation" Norman Friedman

[Sheila1946]

Old photos of my late grandfather. He was in the RNAS and then it became the RAF. Not sure when this would be - any thoughts?

He wrote this on the back.http://Swordfish Landing - Copy.JPG (477.6 KB)

[alanbenn]

Sheila, very interesting photo, thanks ever so much for posting it.

The arrester gear being tested by Hms Courageous took place in June 1931, first plane to land using the arresters.

The date can also be confirmed around that time by the ship in the background.......being Hms Sesame, she was in service from 1918-1934 and had the pennant number H35 in the 1930's.

Hope this helps.

Regards
Alan

[Sheila1946]

Aha, thanks very much for the info. It wasn't until I blew up the pic I could see the number on that ship in the background, so just knew someone on here would know what it was called.

I wish all our fathers and grandfathers would write what the event on the back like mine did. It makes things less difficult!

[tjstoneman]

Minor correction - the aircraft isn't a Swordfish - it's a Fairey IIIF.
Tim

[Sheila1946]

Minor correction - the aircraft isn't a Swordfish - it's a Fairey IIIF.
Tim

Oh righto - I have edited the Thread heading.

[Col-B]

Hi Everyone,
Thought you might like to share these photos sent to me Courtesy of Mitch Stubley.
Son of F/O.Karl Stubley HMS Couragous 1937 Passed over the Bar (1913-1997)
Sorry don't know the name of the BIG Ship or ceremonies being carried on.
Maybe someone does.
regards


Hi Mitch, I wonder if you would get in touch with me via private message. I've been researching the Stubley family tree on & off for some years and your father, (son of George Henry), just happens to be my wife's cousin. I downloaded some of your pictures of him some time ago, & this is the first time that I've been anywhere near to contacting you. Any information on his life would be much appreciated. The last time she saw him was round about 1958-59, just before we were married.
If you do not wish to pass on any data, would you please let me know & I'll fully understand.
Best Wishes, Colin Barsby.

[jbryce1437]

Hello Colin and welcome to the Forum.
You need to send a Private Message to Rimbo, who posted the photos he had received from Mitch. Rimbo may be able to put you in touch with Mitch.

Jim

[Col-B]

Hi Jim,
Thanks anyway, but already tried that, and rimbo had no luck with Mitch's email address. He did suggest that I post a note to Mitch under the photos, just in case he had another look at the site. I now wait with fingers crossed.
Thanks again,
Colin.

[astraltrader]

Colin - please see my PM to you!

[ekd]

Aircraft lift on H.M.S. Courageous.

The hydraulically operated lift utilised the original hydraulic systems which used to move the Big Guns.

I think this picture would have been taken in the late 1930s, but I'm not sure.

[astraltrader]

Thanks - an interesting picture. :)