H.M.S. PATROLLER Gllery

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HMS PATROLLER gallery

Images marked ♣ are courtesy of Mr. Desmond Field, Sick Berth Petty Officer on PATROLLER January 1945-June 1946. Images marked † are courtesy of Mrs Kay Morgan (nee Howlett whose father, Leslie Howlett, was an Air Mechanic serving with the Naval Air Equipment Unit at Colombo.Additional Images, marked © IWM, are reproduced under the terms of the IWM Non-Commercial Licence.

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.

On loan to the US Army as a ferry carrier in the Pacific

April 1944 ferrying US Army P.40 Warhawks. At Pearl Harbour, during her second voyage for the US Army, a US Navy band entertains the crew members of HMS PATROLLER on her flight deck.

Modification period at Vancouver: May – July 1944

The removal of the original rounddown in preparation for fitting the flight deck extension. (1)

The removal of the original rounddown in preparation for fitting the flight deck extension. (2)

The removal of the original rounddown in preparation for fitting the flight deck extension. (3)

The removal of the original rounddown in preparation for fitting the flight deck extension. (4)

The first section of the longer rounddown is in place for the flight deck extension.

ft starboard quarter view showing the first section of the longer rounddown is in place for the flight deck extension.

Stern view showing the first section of the longer rounddown is in place for the flight deck extension. .

Members of the ship’s company mustered on the flight deck for Sunday divisions, somewhere in the Pacific. Note the aircraft lifts are in the down position to increase ventilation through the hangar deck.

Installing a twin Oerlikon gun mount in place of a single one. Thjis is the starboard bow mount.

Installing a twin Oerlikon gun mount in place of a single one.

Installing twin Oerlikon gun mounts in place of single ones. There are four sets of guns in each battery mounted along the deck edge, on either side of the ship.

High and dry in the floating dock at Burrard’s North Yard, Vancouver. Patroller spent five days in dock for remedial work before returning to No 5 berth on June 22nd, where her alterations were completed.

Late July 1944: PATROLLER off Vancouver during her post-modification workup, prior to her sailing for the UK.

PATROLLER on her maiden voyage, a round trip from San Francisco to India via Australia and New Zealand. Her flight deck has a mixed ferry load of American Lend-Lease airframes for the RN and RAF, bound for Cochin, Southern India.

Ship's company

The small ferry crew that formed the ship's company of HMS PATROLLER in her first period of service as a ferry carrier.

Members of the engineering department pictured in Colombo c.1945 (X marks Stoker Ernest Rogers)

Honour Guard, Scotland C.1945.

Captain J.I. Robertson RN meets the winning Deck Hockey team – May 1946.

The winning Deck Hockey team – March 1944.

More hockey players with the ship's cat. date unknown.

Six shipmates c.1946 - AB Clive Frederick Stokes is in the canter of the group.

Flight operations: November - December 1944

A Firefly from 768 Deck Landing Training Squadron leaves the deck, November 19441944.

A Corsair belonging to 1843 Squadron from RNAS Eglinton operating from PATROLLER in December 1944.

Operation in the Far East 1945

PATROLLER in standard Admiralty camouflage C. 1945

PATROLLER, probably at Trincomalee.

March 31st 1946, Colombo harbour: PATROLLER has just arrived at Colombo and, along with QUEEN moored in front of her, is being employed in dumping surplus airframes and equipment out at sea. The airframes, engines and other gear were jettisoned on April 1st during the return voyage to the UK en route to Aden. †

March 31st 1946, Colombo harbour: PATROLLER has just arrived at Colombo and is being employed in dumping surplus airframes and equipment out at sea. Stripped down Barracuda Torpedo Bombers are being hoisted aboard QUEEN by personnel from the Naval Air Equipment Unit at Colombo. †

PATROLLER on her return to the UK in October 1946 flying her paying off pennant with members of the crew line the flight deck in the traditional act of 'dressing ship' for entering harbour.