National Historic Ships: HMS Belfast - World Naval Ships Forums Archive (Page 2)

Naval History by Country :

ROYAL
NAVY

US
NAVY

GERMAN
NAVY

FRENCH
NAVY

*VIEW ALL OF OUR CURRENT ART SPECIAL OFFERS ON ONE PAGE HERE*
NAVAL ART	AVIATION ART	MILITARY ART	SPORT ART

ALWAYS GREAT OFFERS :

20% FURTHER PRICE REDUCTIONS ON HUNDREDS OF LIMITED EDITION ART PRINTS

BUY ONE GET ONE HALF PRICE ON THOUSANDS OF PAINTINGS AND PRINTS

FOR MORE OFFERS SIGN UP TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER

National Historic Ships: HMS Belfast - World Naval Ships Forums Archive (Page 2)

National Historic Ships: HMS Belfast (Page 2)

Posts 51 to 100

Hi - I'm new at this but I'm trying to research my family tree, and have some meagre forces information. Apparently my paternal grandfather was a Major in the Royal Marine Commandos, and at some point on the Belfast, and his father was a Chief Petty Officer and at some point associated with HMS Vivid. I would be really grateful if anyone has any ideas as to how I might go about researching this! Toby

Hi Toby Welcome to the forum The best way to start is to get their Service Records. Below is a link showing you how to go about it. [url]http://www.worldnavalships.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3131[/url] Use the search facility on this website (top of the page) and put in Vivid and Belfast, individually, of course. Don't put HMS before as the search facility won't look for 3 digit words. Good luck on your search

Thanks very much for the answer. I shall send off for more information though I have no idea as to dates/periods! Toby

[QUOTE=tim lewin;540]In 1939 my father, the newest officer in the Navy joined HMS Belfast, the newest cruiser in the Navy. Here are some contemporary pictures of those times. Stories will follow. tim[/QUOTE] Hi Tim, Love the pictures of Belfast. My Dad was on board for the same time that your Dad was. Dad was a submarine detector. He claimed that in his short sea going wartime career that he sank a U-boat but was never given credit for it. Do you have any knowledge of the Belfast ever attacking a U-boat? For the remainder of the war he was shore based. Regards, Ken Ettie [email]ken_ettie@hotmail.com[/email]

In the early summer of 1962, I was living in Pearl City, Hawaii, next to Pearl Harbor. I used to ride my bike over to the navy base and hang out on weekends with friends. I saw HMS Belfast there, moored at the pier close to Merry Point landing. She was and is the only British warship I've ever seen up close and personal. All the RN and RAN ships in Singapore I saw from a distance four years later. I seem to remember that her paint had a greenish cast to it compared to the duller gray of the US Navy vessels in harbor at the time (which included the heavy cruiser St. Paul). Pear harbor's waters can take on a greenish cast, so I wonder if this impression was more reflective than anything -- didn't RN ships on the China station wear a white paint scheme???

Thats right Don - white to fo's'c'le deck level, medium grey above, or sometimes all white. I am not sure when it changed.

Was not buff used for some upperworks?

Don.............I remember USS ST PAUL, she was on opposite side of jetty to us (HMS CEYLON), in Hong Kong........1959, and we were berthed "69" (our bows ,opposite her stern). Shortly after that we sailed for home, having been relieved by HMS BELFAST, whom in 1959 at least, was painted standard RN light grey.

dear Ken, just seen our post; let me investigate with the museum and get back to you. this could be a whole new story! tim PS I visit the ship frequently, the director is a good friend, so i will try to take some pics for you next time, this will be week after next.

[QUOTE=Alan B;571]When they brought the Belfast home for a refit.[/QUOTE] Great photo !!

I think all ex-Naval men consider the paint used on H.M.Ships was nicknamed "Crabfat". Cheers,Stan

[QUOTE=Scurs;85983]Don.............I remember USS ST PAUL, she was on opposite side of jetty to us (HMS CEYLON), in Hong Kong........1959, and we were berthed "69" (our bows ,opposite her stern). Shortly after that we sailed for home, having been relieved by HMS BELFAST, whom in 1959 at least, was painted standard RN light grey.[/QUOTE] "69"? Why (blush) we always referred to it as a "Chinese landing." Wonder where that came from? :) St. Paul and Los Angeles were in and out of Pearl a lot in those days. They were the last all-gun Baltimores in service. Only the Newport News lasted longer as a gun ship. I miss ships like that...big gun bruisers, who's main function was so obvious compared to todays pared-down sleek vessels with their minimal gun armament and missiles tucked away in vertical launchers. Terry and all: Thanks for clairifying the paint scheme. That pale off-green tint I remember after all these years was simply reflective. Regards,

Don...........bit off topic........but...............SEATO Exercise 1959..............long line of warships line astern. Do you recall, PTA's (Pilotless Target Aircraft) used in AA Shoots? At each "pass" the next ship in line fired at it...............Head of Line, our friend ST PAUL, followed by ROCHESTER, CEYLON, NEWFOUNDLAND, ROYALIST - all Cruisers........then enough Destroyers & Frigates to start a small war. Each ship fired - PTA flew on happily.........until..........right at end of line came HMS ALERT, no gunnery radar, no gunnery director, One Twin 4" more for display than threat - Bang, one shot............splash one PTA! It had defied the combined firepower of all !

Dear Scurs, watching a historic video of the development of the Gloster Meteor the other day there was a bit about the 'planes success at downing V1 bombs; the clip showed a V1 flying straing and level at a fixed speed/heading with a massive amount of artillery blasting away at it and missing every time; a chap with a shotgun might have done better.

Tim............way back when............either I read it somewhere, or was told it on a course......was the fact that the MRS3 with associate 965 radar, was the first AA system in the RN whereby radar was the PRIMARY mode of control (hitherto VISUAL had been), and even then, the accuracy rate was around 48%!! On the strength of the above statement, one of the articles I wrote for 2nd Commission, HMS AJAX, Magazine was titled "What goes up, usually misses" :D

[QUOTE=Scurs;86062]Don...........bit off topic........but...............SEATO Exercise 1959..............long line of warships line astern. Do you recall, PTA's (Pilotless Target Aircraft) used in AA Shoots? At each "pass" the next ship in line fired at it...............Head of Line, our friend ST PAUL, followed by ROCHESTER, CEYLON, NEWFOUNDLAND, ROYALIST - all Cruisers........then enough Destroyers & Frigates to start a small war. Each ship fired - PTA flew on happily.........until..........right at end of line came HMS ALERT, no gunnery radar, no gunnery director, One Twin 4" more for display than threat - Bang, one shot............splash one PTA! It had defied the combined firepower of all ![/QUOTE] The big boys occasionally need their hawse pipes rubbed in it to bring out the best in the gunnery departments! I would bet words were said by Captains to gunnery officers after, and their must have been some good ribbing! :) I would bet HMS Alert had an expert war-trained gunnery team. 1959 was before my time, but I know all the ships. Rochester has always been my all-time favorite American heavy cruiser with her two sisters Albany and the strangely abandoned Oregon City. These modified Baltimore-class ships were completed too late to see duty in WWII, but their compacted bridge structures, designed to clear arcs of fire for the AA battery, and single stack made for particularly handsome ships. Rochester served in the Pacific for many years as a flagship. My father as an Air Force Captain rode Rochester from Japan to Viet Nam as part of one of the first Military Assistance Groups we sent over there.

I agree with Don about the Rochester being the most handsome of all the American heavy cruisers. Without any doubt she was a beautifully proportioned ship. This picture shows her as she was in 1957.
Attachments :

And that's my very favorite photo of Rochester, probably the best ever taken of her. Modified slightly from her "as built" condition with the removal of a quad 40 mm. (now a twin 3"/50 cal.) from amidships to expand office space for her flagship role. She would soon loose the bow twin 3 inch as well, as it was always getting damaged in heavy seas. Fast, sleek, powerful, the epitome of what a heavy cruiser was! Thanks for the post, Terry. Regards,

Guys, dumb question about Belfast! when she took scharnie on in 1943, was she the one to finish her off? she was also, in Korean War.. Nikki

[QUOTE=tim lewin;86006]dear Ken, just seen our post; let me investigate with the museum and get back to you. this could be a whole new story! tim PS I visit the ship frequently, the director is a good friend, so i will try to take some pics for you next time, this will be week after next.[/QUOTE] Tim, I had the pleasure of visiting the Belfast in 2002 and was given special permission to visit the ASDIC room. What a thrill to see where my dad had worked and "was blown up". Dad said that the ship rose so high in the water that when it settled he and many others found themselves temporarily pinned to the ceiling. What a surprise that must have been. Ken

[QUOTE=NASAAN101;86250]Guys, dumb question about Belfast! when she took scharnie on in 1943, was she the one to finish her off? she was also, in Korean War.. Nikki[/QUOTE] A little off topic perhaps, and simply a note of interest, but my uncle was a gunner on the KGV and was sickened by the carnage. He did what he had to do but there is no glory in killing especially when you consider how many times the Bismarck was hit. He visited with the Bismarck survivors some years ago, as a special guest, when a TV documentary was made of the event. When asked about them all he said was "they were a fine bunch of lads". Co-incidentally one of my friends father and two uncles were on the Bismarck. The uncles did not survive. This tends to change one's perspective on the matter. Of course one cannot take such events out of context or one's perspective becomes distorted but we should not lose sight of the human element.

Here's me on board HMS Belfast last Thursday (I'm the one on the right). The female Medical Services officer is Lt Cdr Jan Ouvry, grand-daughter of Cdr John Ouvry DSO RN who was the first to render safe a German magnetic mine in WW II. See entry for 27 Nov 09 on the '[URL="http://www.mcdoa.org.uk/News_Frames.htm"]Latest News[/URL]' page of the MCDOA website for further information and photos of this commemorative event.
Attachments :

[quote=Rob Hoole;86269]Here's me on board HMS Belfast last Thursday (I'm the one on the right). [CENTER][/CENTER] The female Medical Services officer is Lt Cdr Jan Ouvry, grand-daughter of Cdr John Ouvry DSO RN who was the first to render safe a German magnetic mine in WW II. See entry for 27 Nov 09 on the '[URL="http://www.mcdoa.org.uk/News_Frames.htm"]Latest News[/URL]' page of the MCDOA website for further information and photos of this commemorative event.[/quote] I see behind you the ship's bell. Can anyone tell me how this is so when the Belfast's bell is on display at the Ulster Transport Museum near Belfast?

That is a silver bell presented to the ship by the (I think) City of Belfast. Most large ships have several bells. The frigates I served in had at least two, one for harbour use and a "christening" bell which has engraved on it the names of children christened on board. I have a better photo of the silver bell, but I would have to re-size it in order to post it. Cheers Don

I was in the Quarterdeck Guard on Belfast in 1971 when she was handed over in the Pool of London. On completion we were allowed to tour the ship and see what the accomodation and messdecks were like. Being a Gunner the most interesting parts were of course the TS and the Turrets. We wre also lashed up to free beer which went down exceedingly well. I have tried to find the photographs taken but to no avail.

By the by, the officer responsible for delivering HMS Belfast to her current berth near Tower Bridge was Lt Cdr Robbie Robinson MBE, RN, a dear old friend now deceased. He was a fascinating character and his DT obituary [URL="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1456681/Lt-Cdr-Robbie-Robinson.html"]here[/URL] is well worth reading.

Nice to read his obit. He must have been a nice man. Jim

the silver bell aboard HMS Belfast was presented to her when she was commissioned by the City of Belfast but then put into store when the war began, very shortly afterwards, and a standard pussers brass bell issued for war service. After war service the brass bell was replaced by the "Belfast" bell. If you look inside the rim you will find the names of the 54 childred who were christened aboard during her service. This silver bell was refurbished a couple of years ago and the names re-inscribed as was the lettering as years of elbow grease was wearing them away. I forget the excact weight of the silver but I think its in the region of 34 kilos, very heavy, you wouldn't run very far carrying it! tim

Pardon my ignorance, but why would christenings take place on board RN ships? Is this a Navy tradition for serving seaman's children?

[QUOTE=emason;87895]Pardon my ignorance, but why would christenings take place on board RN ships? Is this a Navy tradition for serving seaman's children?[/QUOTE] There is a long standing tradition of having christenings onboard, the ships bell inverted is used & the childs name engraved on the bell. My son was christened in Tiger, I don't know the origin of this tradition, but I expect someone will give an explanation.

I have just found this thread Tim and viewed the video - it worked fine. The contemporary footage of the Belfast and Scharnhorst was particularly interesting. I thought the Battle of the North Cape was covered well in the time available, simplified perhaps but all the essentials were there. Pity the second line of subtitles was clipped though. How is the appeal going?

Although the site says that the clip lasts for 13 minutes. It appeared to stop after 2 minutes. Some nice footage on view. Jim

[quote=jbryce1437;91159]Although the site says that the clip lasts for 13 minutes. It appeared to stop after 2 minutes. Some nice footage on view.[/quote] I noticed that it stops and starts again. Try again and wait a bit longer.

Many thanks Bill, tried a couple of more times with AOL and it wouldnt run past two minutes. Managed to view it with Firefox though;) Jim

On the occasions Belfast has been moved to drydock for maintenance, has she been towed as essentially an inert object, or has she had manual / emergency stearing ?

She was last moved over seven years ago when she was towed to Portsmouth for docking and painting. She has no power and therefore depended entirely upon the tow. I had an office onboard BELFAST at the time and we were moved ashore to Tooley Street for the period of the docking. It was quite impressive to see her being towed under Tower Bridge and then brought back.

I know it is a ludicrous idea but I wonder what it would both take and cost to get her back to full working order??!!

Just wish she could be re-docked and that ridiculous paint-scheme removed. She looks awful dazzle-painted in her current build !!!!!!

Terry...........get her back in working order? Be cheaper to build a couple more aircraft carriers (large) I reckon! :D

Probably right my friend! :)

I was wondering about that...who decided to put her in the Atlantic camo scheme Belfast is in? I think the decided to put the USS North Carolina in a camo scheme as well. All that does is cost more money for paint. I liked the paint scheme Belfast had in her last visit to Pearl Harbor. That very light paint color made her the bell of the ball in harbor that week! Made the American gray even duller looking. :)

We did as well Don. Sadly the decision to paint her in "wartime dazzle" was probably a misguided attempt to make her more attractive to tourists!!

Terry, Bite me:P i like the color she has.. Nikki

[QUOTE=astraltrader;98629]I know it is a ludicrous idea but I wonder what it would both take and cost to get her back to full working order??!![/QUOTE] That would be fantastic!

Why not move HMS [I]Belfast[/I] to the new RN museum?

Hi Jackaroo.I think the RNA london would complain bitterly about that! Their branch uses the Wardroom for their meetings!!...Steve:rolleyes:

[quote=steve roberts;98976]Hi Jackaroo.I think the RNA london would complain bitterly about that! Their branch uses the Wardroom for their meetings!!...Steve:rolleyes:[/quote] They can move somewhere else:D

But then Jackaroo they would have to shell out for the meeting place.:eek: My sis's office is adjacent to her berth and she recently had lunch on board. Said it was a great tour but still couldn't see why her brothers spent years in grey boxes on rough waters. Girls !!! I ask yer :confused: Invincible - You probably knew Scouse Hill [Ronnie - Ex Chief Sparker] who operated the RNARS station on board, usually over the Easter Weekends ?? Dave H

some of you might remember our long fought campaign, actually slightly longer that the real campaign, to bring the plight of Belfast's masts to the awareness ofr our Russian friends in recognition of her two years on the Artic convoys. Well, I am delighted to tell you that results are now a-coming. The Russian Government and big industry has heard our call and in swinging into action. This report from the Evening Standard will hopefully be the first of several culminating in the full job being accomplished. I shall keep you all closely informed and with pictures as the situation develops. In the words of the Admiralty to Adm B.F. aboard Duke of York after hearing of the sinking of the Scharnhorst "Grand, well done".... Which was followed by a signal from Adm. Fraser to "uncle Bob" aboard Belfast, "I'm off to Russia, follow me when you can"!! tim
Attachments :

Hi Tim.That's great news! No more than the grand old lady deserves...Regards Steve.:)

Previous Posts

More Posts

Everything we obtain for this site is shown on the site, we do not have any more photos, crew lists or further information on any of the ships.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE. ALL IMAGES DISPLAYED ON THIS WEBSITE ARE PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT LAW, AND ARE OWNED BY CRANSTON FINE ARTS OR THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS. NO REPRODUCTION OR COPYING ALLOWED ON OTHER WEBSITES, BOOKS OR ARTICLES WITHOUT PRIOR AGREEMENT.

Contact Details
Shipping Info
Terms and Conditions
Cookie Policy
Privacy Policy

Sign Up To Our Newsletter!

Stay up to date with all our latest offers, deals and events as well as new releases and exclusive subscriber content!

This website is owned by Cranston Fine Arts. Torwood House, Torwoodhill Road, Rhu, Helensburgh, Scotland, G848LE

Contact: Tel: (+44) (0) 1436 820269. Email: cranstonorders -at- outlook.com

Return to Home Page