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Warships: Below Decks World Naval Ships Forums Archive

Warships: Below Decks

Posts 1 to 29

First of an occasional series. We see many overviews and deck scenes of warships on this forum, but, not, I feel, many scenes of life below decks. Glad if others have any to contribute. [B]HMS Hood[/B] Battlecruiser and flagship. A young sub-lieutenant, R.G. Robertson, took the first of these photos of his shared cabin aboard HMS Hood, I guess about 1940. He was not with this ship when she sailed in May, 1941 to intercept the Bismarck, and about 35 years later the photograph was published within a four-part series Robertson wrote on 'The Mighty Hood' in 1975 for [I]Ships Monthly[/I]. I like the suggestion of a married man with photos of his family on one side, and a single man with rather attractive pin-ups on the other. The several other interior scenes in the battlecruiser are from collections published on the HMS Hood Association website. The next two are the admiral's dining room and the admiral's sitting room - both rather extraordinary if one looks at the high 'cielings' of the first, the cosy fireplace and curtained 'windows' of the second: and both in marked contrast tothe spartan crew mess deck, the fourth photo. The next in this sequence are the chapel, engineering control space, and lobby outside the commander's quarters. [B]HMS Cumberland[/B] Contemporary Type 22 missile frigate, from a BBC Cumbria website. Two views of the Captain's quarters, and his bath; officer's and chief petty officers messes; an office with pohotocopier; a control room; officer's cabin with safe; and the wardroom. [B]BACK TO THE HOOD[/B] Three overlooked views from the Keith Evans Collection on the HMS Hood Association website: Commander's office I think; sick bay; and inside the armoured conning position. [B]HMS Kite[/B] WW11 sloop (sunk): Last photo - The guy playing the accordian is in fact a leading seaman of the messdeck More from other ships later. Some of these will be very cramped, so I don't want to destroy RN or USN recruiting efforts too quickly.
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[B]USS Midway[/B] aircraft carrier. These were posted by joits on flickr. Let's see what I can identify: vending machines in a passage flat; chief's mess; an operations room; crew's berthing; officer's lounge; officer's cabin; forecastle; senior officer's wardroom; and sickbay. [B]USS Casimir Pulaski[/B] Polaris nuclear submarine in the 1970s, by ship's recorder Miner, posted on boat's website. EDIT: The 13th (USS Kittyhawk?) and last images here may be mis-placed, some of these scenes are confusing.
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Still talking to myself, but that's okay - I'm still the most interesting man in the room. Anyway, not much of a one for galleys, laundries or sick bays - but I like wardrooms. The first one here is that of destroyer HMS [I]Cavalier[/I]. Then the cramped crew's mess of River Class frigate HMAS [I]Murchison[/I] - legend of the Han River estuary, in Korea - indulging in a typical aussie pastime; crew's mess of destroyer USS [I]Morton[/I] in 1981; admiral's dining room on BB USS [I]Wisconsin[/I] is not as good as the [I]Hood's[/I] was; officer's mess, exec officer's quarters; Broadway on the battleship; and a crew's mess comes last.
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One of my late Dad working at a lathe deep in the bowels of some warship or other. Which one, I haven't a clue, and the date is just as difficult as well!! Mik
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Going below decks on the Nimitz Class super carrier USS [I]Ronald Reagan [/I], approx 95,000 tons full load. Two interesting things about this tour. A blogger states, and provided photographs to show that under the Homeland Security provisions, all weapons on the carrier (and there perhaps most US Navy ships) are manned when she comes into a U.S. port against the terrorism attack. Perhaps all ports now, I guess. A sad comment on the state of affairs in the world I think. The same visitor to the ship (unidentified) says the the [I]Reagan's[/I] hangar decks would easily acomodate the Titanic. Hmmm. Maybe in length, but I'm not sure I totally believe that. These ships are 1096ft long. Here's the pictures from various web sources. Among the visitors shown are wrestler Bill Goldburg showing muscle, and country and western group SHeDAISY.
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If only digital cameras had been available 50 plus years ago ...... These rather dog-eared shots are of the leading stoker's mess on HMS Triumph taken in 1950 with a fairly primitive camera. The mess was located in a wing off the main stoker's messdeck. I can still put names to the faces because, luckily, I wrote them down at the time. As a separate mess away from the main messdeck it was considered the height of luxury. Ken
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Good photos Ken, it's lucky you wrote the names on the back, it's seldom we find that. I marvel at how well our old photos have stood the test of time, even the dog-eared ones taken with the old box brownie. Although small, they still stand up well I think. regards Vivian

I have found the full group taken on the flight deck after Sunday Divisions. I think it was in Hong Kong. I'm the good looking one (?) third from the right at the back Ken
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Here is a link to a pretty unique (to me) series of pictures from [B]MMM's[/B] marvelous find post 'Shanghai 1937' - of life below decks on the French cruiser [I]Lamotte Picquet[/I] in the Far East in the late 1930s. Scroll down, and these are well worth a separate look, but don't miss MMM's main 'Shanghai 1937' thread, which Bob has extrapolated with further posts of some of the wonderful ships in port pictures. [url]http://lamotte.picquet.free.fr/index.php?page=copains[/url]

kookaburra the photo you posted of Kite messdeck is not of a German prisoner of war entertaining Kites crew. This foto is taken from Mike Kembles website and belongs to me. The guy playing the accordian is in fact a leading seaman of the messdeck. My brother Tom died on Kite and that foto came directly to me from a survivor who was a very good freind of mine.

Choppy Sea - please see my PM [private message] to you.

Caption accordingly changed on kookaburras post in accordance with choppy seas wishes.

Interesting thread ... missed it previously... Little h

Forad Seamans mess (2mess) H.M.S.Contest 1958 canteen messing Peeling the potatoes for supper. Benbow30
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ah ha folks... horizontally stowed hammocks again, previously discussed on another thread me thinks!!! Little h

A game of crib (no gambling of course).826 squadron mess HMS Eagle 1955.
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Its now Navy policy that all USN ships, entering, leaving any port domestic or foreign will have on each quarter manned MG units from the ship SDF. Live ammo, not a show. Helicopters swoop in and keep the sailboats away, and the USCG keeps a working perimeter during in port station evolutions. Its post 9 11 world, and I fully expected to see that. All it takes is one light little motorboat swerving by at high speed and getting under the carriers so called blind spot, the port overhang, and pressing a button.

Hi All Two shots from my Uncle Jacks collection. Torpedo workshop and torpedo flat HMS Sandhurst sometime in the 1930's. Mitch Hinde
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HMS Blackpool, Electrical Junior Rates Mess 1962 Nobby_N (who wasn't there when these pics were taken)
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What a shower, Phoebe stokers mess, Xmas 1971 in Hamilton, Bermuda. Even managed to get the local plods in the spirit.
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You could have a great Xmas in Bermuda, we in Troubridge did in 57.

Nice pix Bert. Did we go to Key West for the New Year? or was it Hamilton. Have you seen this Photo of Feebs before Leaving Castries St Lucia ,As i recall we wrecked the jetty by going alongside Stern first. Regards Dave
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Key West for New Year and we celebrated twice, 19:00 local time (midnight U.K. time) and then again at midnight local time. Happy days.

Not much fun if under Pun ? Dave

Life in a blue suit Dave,even puns had it's fun side,and after eight weeks of it on that 8 month trip I got to be a bit of an expert. bert

Remember the Heath Nixon Talks held aboard GLAMORGAN at Hamilton December 1971 ? GLAMORGAN was en-route to the FES when she was re-routed though the Panama Canal to Bermuda for the Talks all hush hush at the time we provided the guard of honor white suits the lot. Dave
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[quote=rumrat;10014241]Remember the Heath Nixon Talks held aboard GLAMORGAN at Hamilton December 1971 ? GLAMORGAN was en-route to the FES when she was re-routed though the Panama Canal to Bermuda for the Talks all hush hush at the time we provided the guard of honor white suits the lot. Dave[/quote] A nice couple of photos Dave. I bet the Chefs in the main galley knew what the hush hush talks were about;) Jim

[QUOTE=jbryce1437;10014273]A nice couple of photos Dave. I bet the Chefs in the main galley knew what the hush hush talks were about;) Jim[/QUOTE] That is a great and unique photo of Tricky Dickey !! Thanks for sharing. Paul

And what were these talks about?

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