Royal Navy Research Archive

Stephen Porter

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 20:29:07 +0000

my great uncle mr leslie thomas was a male nurse during the war and from recollection was on a medical ship that stopped at addu atol in 1943. i have a small picture he gave me of a ship anchored there at the time. on researching this ship was 3 funnelled and is considered to be the queen mary!!. i am trying to identify the ship he may have been on so i can then use this as a point to try to look up his movements during the war. there are no other relatives alive to ask for help. trying a long shot.any help or advice ? thanks

Terry E Luckhurst MBE

Sun, 31 Mar 2019 11:20:32 +0100

Hello Malcolm
Unfortunately, all the photos I have of Addu Atoll (Port T - WWII) were accessed from the public domain. For my purpose of writing up the history of EAF Gan I also referred to "From Port T to RAF Gan" by Peter Doling. But that book has no RN fleet images at Port T. However, he names a few RN ships that took part in the surveys and development of Port T and from there you could Google for images. After the fall of Singapore the Eastern Fleet withdrew to Killindini Mombassa Kenya and not as intended Addu Atoll. The RNAS station Gan was never operated by shore base Fleet Air Arm aircraft. This would appear to be the best site for your quest - focusing on the Eastern Fleet. Regards Terry

Malcolm Dunstan

Tue, 26 Mar 2019 11:04:43 +0000

My father served on HMS Revenge during the last War and spent some time at Port T. I have been searching for photographs of the fleet anchored in the Atoll during that period, but without success, although I have many of the period after the War when it was an RAF station. Do you have any photographs of the War period?

Terry E Luckhurst MBE

Tue, 01 Jan 2019 16:34:37 +0000

Please note that in the first section under "Secret Bases" you refer to a landing of 150 Royal Marine engineers on "Villingilli" in Aug 1941. As an RAF Gannite who is currently reading into the history of the development of RAF Gan from Port T you may be aware that the island immediately east of Gan in the Addu Atoll was called Wilingili, at least when I served there in 1965/66 and also back in 1940 to 1965. There is a Villingilli island in the North Male atoll and therefore for correctness you should make a distinction probably by adding the atoll after the island. TY