HMS ATTACKER Gallery page 1

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HMS ATTACKER gallery

Images and memorabilia from the private collections of: Images marked ♥ are courtesy of David Hamilton, his uncle, SSX28439 Leading Seaman William Massey, served on ATTACKER as a member of the 4" Gun crew. He joined her at San Francisco and left after the Salerno landings. Images marked ♦ are courtesy of Christopher Pegler, his father, Major Richard Pegler, Royal Artillery, was the Army Liaison Officer on board during the ship’s operations in the Mediterranean, in particular Operations AVALANCHE and DRAGOON. Images marked ♣ are courtesy of George Clarke, his father Sub Lt. (A) William Anthony Clarke, RNVR (P) served with 879 squadron March - October 1944. He flew missions during Operation DRAGOON, the invasion of Southern France, Operation OUTING I & OUTING II in the Dodecanese Islands, and Operation MANNA, the reoccupation of Piraeus. Images marked ♠ are courtesy of Courtesy of Peter Small, his father was Surg. Lt William Small RNVR who served aboard ATTACKER.

Most of these images are sized to fit the screen, however where possible those containing groups of personnel will open large enough to see individuals. Many, but not all, of these images are available in larger, high-res versions and copies can be supplied upon receipt of a photo request. If you have pictures or other memorabilia that you can contribute to this project please contact the Webmaster using the Offer of assistance form.

The Royal Navy Research Archive is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License See our terms of use for conditions regarding using these images in other works.

Commissioning, working-up and arrival at Greenock ready for deployment: October 1942 - July 1943

Port broadside view of HMS ATTACKER during her trials with swordfish of 838 squadron aboard in San Francisco Bay. C. November 1942.

HMS ATTACKER alongside Pier 26 in San Francisco.

October 7th 1942, Captain W. W. P. Shirley-Rollison RN reads the commissioning warrant for HMS ATTACKER alongside Pier 26 in San Francisco. (1) ♥

October 7th 1942, Captain W. W. P. Shirley-Rollison RN reads the commissioning warrant for HMS ATTACKER alongside Pier 26 in San Francisco. (2) ♥

October 7th 1942, Captain W. W. P. Shirley-Rollison RN reads the commissioning warrant for HMS ATTACKER alongside Pier 26 in San Francisco. (3) ♥

October 7th 1942, Captain W. W. P. Shirley-Rollison RN reads the commissioning warrant for HMS ATTACKER alongside Pier 26 in San Francisco. (4) ♥

Captain W. W. P. Shirley-Rollison RN ♥

October 7th 1942, the White Ensign is raised as ACV- 7 commissions as HMS ATTACKER ♥

Swordfish V4387 '2C' of 838 squadron making its approach to land on but crashing on deck (1) ♥

Swordfish V4387 '2C' of 838 squadron making its approach to land on but crashing on deck (2) ♥

Swordfish V4387 '2C' of 838 squadron making its approach to land on but crashing on deck (3) ♥

Swordfish V4387 '2C' of 838 squadron making its approach to land on but crashing on deck (4) ª

ATTACKER at sea working-up. ♥

Lt. Hamilton RNVR watches HMS ATTACKER leaving Willemstad, Curacao March 194.3 ♥

Crew of the Port, aft twin 40 mm Bofors gun closed up at action stations during Atlantic crossing 1943. ♥

The crew of the Port 4" gun - picture taken during Atlantic crossing 1943. William Massey is at the back wearing the cap. ♥

ATTACKER at Greenock July 7th 1943, © IWM A 17850

ATTACKER at Greenock July 7th 1943, executive officer Cdr J D Southern, executive officer and the ship’s commanding officer Capt W W P Shirley-Rollinson © IWM (A 17855)

Observer Lieut Cdr A. Paterson, RN, Air Staff Officer HMS ATTACKER © IWM A 19684

879 & 886 squadrons embark for Operation AVALANCHE: July - September1943

Officers of 886 squadron with one of their Seafires on the front of the flight deck as the ship prepares to depart harbour with the ships' company ling lining the deck. ♦

Members of 886 squadron on the flight deck, Swordfish can be seen on the right as the ship prepares to depart harbour with the ships' company ling lining the deck. ♦

This photo is taken from low to the deck looking across the front of the flight deck and shows Seafires parked on the bow as the ship leaves harbour with the ships' company ling lining the deck. ♦

An unidentified Swordfish of 886 squadron after suffering serious damage - it is not known whether this was a crash on deck or damage done during the serious storm encountered 3-4 August during passage to Gibraltar. ♦

The wreckage of the unidentified Swordfish of 886 squadron pictured above - one of he pilots thinks this piece of a wing would make a great surf board! ♦

Flight deck personnel removing one of the wing sections from the 886 squadron Swordfish. ♦

'Bats' the Deck Landing Control Officer (DCLO) guides a Seafire in for a landing - 'steady as you go'. ♦

'Bats' the Deck Landing Control Officer (DCLO) guides a Seafire in for a landing - 'cut engine' the aircraft should catch an arrestor wire. ♦

An unidentified Seafire which landed on after an op, missed all the arrestor wires and is stopped by the safety barrier; caught by its undercarriage it nosed into the deck and broke its engine mounts. (1) ♠

The unidentified Seafire was a write-off and after stripping salvageable parts it was jettisoned overboard. Maintainers are puncturing the aircraft skin with axes to make it sink faster ♥

The unidentified Seafire was jettisoned overboard somewhere in the Mediterranean. ♥

September 9th 1943: Seafire NM965 precariously perched on the starboard bow Oerlikon mount – Sub-Lt G. Calder RNVR (879 squadron) crashed through the barriers and through the aircraft park pushing NM94I overboard. NM965 was severely damaged and it too was jettisoned overboard. ♥

Seafire L.IIc NM944 of 879 squadron on HMS ATTACKER: An officer removes her previous marking 'Q' from her her fuselage worn during her time with 814 squadron. On September 10th 1943 the aircraft suffered a jammed u/c lever and Lt. R.J. Sturges RNVR made a forced landing on Salerno beach, where she was abandoned. ♦

September 12th 1943: This Seafire L.IIc belongs to 880 squadron embarked in HMS STALKER - she landed on ATTACKER due to a fouled deck on STALKER during AVALANCHE operations.

The landing beaches and objectives for Operation AVALANCHE. ♦

Aerial recon photo of he landing beaches and objectives for Operation AVALANCHE. ♦

The airfield at Monticorvino, a major target for the allies in Operation ‘AVALANCHE’ ♦

September 12th 1943: View from ATTACKER of the CVEs BATTLER, HUNTER and STALKER, as they approach Palermo after Operation ‘AVALANCHE’ ♥

The CVEs of of Force 'V' leaving the Naples area after the Salerno landings. ATTACKER leading STALKER seen trailing BATTLER; the group is lead by HUNTER.

The burial at sea of D/JX 399986 Ordinary Seaman, Edwin Kershaw, off Palermo, Sicily. A member of the Aircraft Handling Party, he ran into a propeller and was instantaneously killed on September 10th 1943 (1) ♥

The burial at sea of D/JX 399986 Ordinary Seaman, Edwin Kershaw, off Palermo, Sicily. He died on board on September 10th 1943 (2) ♥

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