NAVY DAY IN 54MM

Its been an extremely busy start to the year sorting out paperwork and other matters relating to the passing of my father in late December. What spare time I have allowed myself has been directed towards consolidating my research notes on various topics, and this has proved a valuable excursion. As I haven't posted anything since before Christmas, I wanted to put something up which might work on several levels.

My father served in the Fleet Air Arm, perhaps influenced by his father having served in the Royal Naval Air Service during WW1. In the late 1960s I was taken to Portsmouth for a Navy Day, and remember being impressed by the row after row of ordnance grey Royal Navy ships, and there were others representing navies from around the world. Like most 'Brits', any vessels from Australia, Canada, or New Zealand aren't really foreign, they are British folk that just live a bit further away, but it was still nice to see our cousins represented. There was also a French vessel, which to my young mind was confusing, what was it doing in a British harbour, and why was it still afloat? (I am just jesting.)

My father admitted that he was granted a very great deal of time to just roam around the aircraft carrier with a camera. Uncannily, my grandfather was employed to take aerial photographs of the German trenches, but under rather more risqué conditions.

I include a photograph of my father, as it shows him wearing the blue naval cap, which was used during WW2, it was abolished in 1956, when the white cap was adopted for all stations/regions.

And I include my own Navy Day in miniature, it seems a nice link.

From my father's Royal Navy Album

And finally, I include one of my recent watercolours, linked to my own researches.

MGB