Naval Operations

HMS Glorius played the first Royal Navy role in the Malta conflict by dropping off the bi-planes later known as Faith, Hope & Charity.
This ship later was lost during the evacuation of allied troops from Norway under mysterious circumstances. To date no clear explanation has been given as to her loss. Some reports state that the ships Captain put the air commander in custody prior to the conflict & attacked the 2 battleships Scharnhorst & Gniesenau.
Apparently, orders at this time stated that on engagement with a battleship the carrier should retreat.
Other reports suggest she was deliberately sacrificed on orders from the admiralty to act as a diversion so that the Norwegian Royal family could escape in safety to England.
Further reports state that no radio contact was made during the engagement with other ships, although one ship did pick up messages from Glorius (according to literature). On reporting the messages the officer concerned never went to sea again.
Strangely, this ship has a 100 year blanket of secrecy over it regarding official information on her sinking. Also, it is strange that the admiralty has paintings of most warships except Glorius & has issued a ban on naming any further warships the same name.
Apparently no land based memorial exists for this ship. WHY?
My uncle, Arthur Parker served on her pre-war years.
There is a great website with many photographs from the Scharnhorst attacking HMS Glorius during Operation Juno
http://www.scharnhorst-class.dk/scharnhorst/gallery/gallscharnjuno.html

HMS Manxman. Fast minelayer said to be the fastest ship in the Navy at the time, capable of 40 knots.
Along with her sister ship HMS Welshman they ran supplies of food, arms & personnel from Gibraltar at a time when the Island was under siege.
See page on Manxman & Welshman

Verdala Guards on a special farewell parade taken at Fort St Angelo steps. The Guard of honour was for the departure of Vice Admiral Malta.
When the vice admiral left the steps after the parade, on his barge there was a Scottish Piper that played the tune " Will he no come back again".
Photo courtesy of Les Hutton

Photo courtesy of Nick Lewis of a pre-war Squadron in Sliema Creek taken in the 1930's. The photo on the right shows the ships marked up. Four of the Squadron are out of shot. Thanks Nick.

Nick's father served on HMS Gipsy from Sept.1937 until she was sunk off Harwich by a German magnetic mine layed earlier in the day.

HMS Birmingham, Grand Harbour pre-war.
Photo courtesy of the HMS Hood Association.

HMS Forth Berthed in Msida Creek. Manoel Island in the background.
An old postcard kindly supplied by Ian Caruana.

US Navy Omaha on a visit to Malta. Date unknown.
Photo courtesy of Cheryl Beasley

Transport ship bringing airmen to Malta.
Photo courtesy of Cheryl Beasley

HMS Wishart escort to HMS Glorious. Probably taken prewar.
Photo courtesy of Cheryl Beasley

Unknown
Photo courtesy of Cheryl Beasley

Possibly HMS Basilisk
Photo courtesy of Cheryl Beasley

Unknown
Photo courtesy of Cheryl Beasley

HMS Ajax
Photo courtesy of Cheryl Beasley

HMS Achilles
Photo courtesy of Cheryl Beasley

Unknown
Photo courtesy of Cheryl Beasley

Unknown. Probably the same ship as the one on the left. Back of photo not legible but reads 'Canarie.....'
Photo courtesy of Cheryl Beasley

On exercise laying a smoke screen.
Photo courtesy of Cheryl Beasley

HMS Searcher - H20 taken July 1936. An Admiralty 'S' Class Destroyer completed in 1918 and sold in 1938.
Photo courtesy of Norman Tarrant

HMS Valliant taken in February 1937
Photo courtesy of Norman Tarrant

HMS Waterwitch. These ships were known as Fleet Sweepers or Fast Sweepers.
Used to sweep mines.
Photo courtesy of Les Hutton.

HMS Active after collision with HMS Worcester. No date on photo but HMS Worcester was known to have been in Malta in 1937.
Photo coutesy of Charles Grima & Jason Pisani

The following 18 frames were taken from old Maltese post cards with no descriptions or dates.
I would appreciate some help in putting accurate titles to these photos. Some photos may not have been taken around Malta.

Photo # 1 - Possibly HMS Glorious

Photo # 3 - Aircraft Carrier. Tony O'Toole considers it may be HMS Hermes which was sunk in the Indian Ocean in early 1942 by Japanese bombers at the time of the air raids on Ceylon.

Photo # 2 - HMS Forth with submarines

Photo # 5 - Aircraft Carrier unknown

Photo # 6 - Aircraft Carrier unknown

Photo # 7 Merchantman unknown

Photo # 8 Two Merchantmen & Aircraft Carrier

Photo # 4 - Three ships unknown possibly pre WWII

Photo # 10

Photo # 9 Aircraft Carrier unknown

Photo # 11 - HMS Undine

Photo # 12

Photo # 13 Aircraft Carrier leaving harbour

Photo # 14

Photo # 15

Photo # 16

Photo # 17

Photo # 18 pre-'Popeye'

ooo00O00ooo

Santa Elisa taken 17th January 1942.

Almeria Lykes taken 16th May 1942.

Deucalion

Glenorchy

Empire Hope

Empire Song Mined off Pantellaria 9.5.1941

Wairangi

Waimarangi

Clan Ferguson

Port Chalmers

Most of the small photos below will expand to a bigger size with a left click of the mouse.

HMT Dilwara sailing to Malta in March 1939.
Photo courtesy of John Allan Lester.

H.M.S Ark Royal in Malta.
Photo courtesy of John Allan Lester.

HMS Ark Royal with Spitfires on her deck en route to Malta.

Damaged launch, possibly used by RAF air-sea rescue?.
Photo courtesy of J.A.Lester.

HMS Formidable in Valletta Harbour.
Photo courtesy of John Pearson.

Landing Craft LST 427 taken in 1943.

The Merchant tanker Ohio entering Valletta Harbour.

HMS Sikh escorting a merchantman into harbour.

H67 on convoy duty with HMS Nelson in the background.
Photo courtesy of Tony Cox.

Battleship escorting convoy en route to Malta.

HMS Ithuriel ramming Italian submarine Cobalto.

HMS Lightning G 55.
Photo courtesy of Tony Cox.

Peter Deacon from correspondance considers this to be HMS Sirius (on which he served) in action against attacking aircraft on a Malta convoy operation.

HMS Lightning G55 escorting HMS Nelson.
Photo courtesy of Tony Cox.

HMS Eagle passing Gibraltar. She was sunk by a U boat on the 11th August 1942 with the loss of 230 crew.
Photo courtesy of John Pearson.

Unloading wharf, Grand Harbour, Valletta.
Photo courtesy of Tony Cox.

Photo courtesy of Sandra Meacock

The following 14 photo's were sent courtesy of Sandra Meacock whose father was a Royal Marine who came to Malta first in 1935 on HMS DURBAN and then during the war on HMS FORMIDABLE
Shots depict dry dock, harbour & scenes.
Click the photo's below for larger images.

Photo courtesy of Sandra Meacock

HMS Formidable, Malta.
Photo courtesy of Sandra Meacock

Photo courtesy of Sandra Meacock

Photo collection HMS Durban 1934 / 1935.
Left click this image for a full screen image.
Photo courtesy of Sandra Meacock.

HMS Durban 2nd Summer cruise 1935.
Left click this image for a full screen image.
Photo courtesy of Sandra Meacock.

Looking out over Grand Harbour.
Photo courtesy of Tony Cox

Convoy at dawn.
Photo courtesy of Tony Cox.

Sub, Malta.
Photo courtesy of Tony Cox.

Arrival of Queen Elizabeth 1 in Grand Harbour 1943.
Photo courtesy of Tony Cox.

MV. Melbourne Star enters Grand Harbour, Valetta, August 1942.
Photo courtesy of Llyn Ruddock.

Signatures around the edges are from those serving on the vessel.
Left click the photo for larger image.

Royal Navy ships at anchor in Grand Harbour 1943.
Photo courtesy of Tony Cox.

Yacht racing in Valletta Harbour 1942.
Photo courtesy of Tony Cox.

Taken outside Sick Bay at St Clements Entrenchment Fort, Verdala. It's one of the Guard of Honour for a speech by the VAM
( Vice Admiral of Malta) VJ DAY Speech.
Photo courtesy of Les Hutton via Martin Powell. Les is in this photo somewhere.