Since I have a HiMold 1/700 Barham about 75% done, I've been following the discussion on the decks with interest, and would like to share the following picture of
Barham, from a private photo album. My understanding is that the photo was taken from
Queen Elizabeth. I'm not sure of the location - could it be Alexandria?
While the angle is poor, it appears the decks are darker than the 507C on the turrets sides, and may be painted/stained.
Attachment:
File comment: Barham from Queen Elizabeth. Norman A. Robinson collection, via Mike Dobrzelecki
HMS_Barham_Image_portside_cropped.jpg [ 158.53 KiB | Viewed 6178 times ]
The photo was originally shown to me by Mike Dobrzelecki, who is a member of my local IPMS/USA club (New Jersey IPMS). Mike works with the late Mr. Robinson's son, who, in the course of conversation, told Mike that his Dad was in the Royal Navy during the war. Ian then brought some photos for Mike to see and eventually scan. According to Mike:
Mike Dobrzelecki wrote:
The photo was given to me by an engineer, Ian Robinson, I work with here at XYZ Corporation. It was part of the collection of photos kept by his father – Norman A.Robinson. Robinson joined the Royal Navy early in war, or just before it. He had a quite interesting service life. He first served aboard the cruiser, HMS Ajax, and participated in the hunt for the Graf Spee.=2 0He related that they were very relieved that the Spee was scuttled by her captain. He then transferred to the battleship, HMS Queen Elizabeth serving on a 40mm quad pompom anti-aircraft gun, which gave him a ring side seat for the combat s the QE participated in. Prior to sailing from England the HMS Queen Elizabeth took on a lot of cold weather gear they were going to need for convoy escort work for Artic run to Murmansk, Russia, but, in classic military fashion they were redirected to the Mediterranean. He was aboard when the Queen Elizabeth was sunk at anchor by the Italian Miale chariot mini-subs. He spent a lot of time languishing in North Africa until the QE completed temporary repairs sufficient enough to sail to a port for more extensive drydock repairs. Rather than go straight west past Gibraltar, the Royal Navy thought it was a better idea for QE to pass through the Suez Canal, go round the Cape of Good Hope off South Africa and make their way across the Atlantic to the US Navy base at Norfolk for drydocking, repair and refit. Since a good portion of the crew had nothing really to do many were transferred to other Royal Navy vessels. Norman was employed in transporting LST’s and landing craft across the Atlantic. During the D-Day invasion he was based in Portsmouth England sending off the invasion fleet and resupply ships to the coast of France.
Ian Robinson’s uncle on his mother’s side, Albert Sanderson, served aboard the HMS Rodney and took part in the Hunt for the Bismark.
When I asked what Mr. Sanderson's duties on
Rodney were, Mike replied that:
Mike Dobrzelecki wrote:
Ian Robinson’s uncle was in the Royal Marine detachment aboard the Rodney. As Ian recalls, his uncle was topside for some of the action and, at the end, he witnessed the final moments of the Bismark, remarking how he saw German sailors standing the deck through powerful binoculars.
Mr Sanderson is still alive and living in Florida. Mike is trying to arrange, through his co-worker, to talk to him.
Hopefully this picture will further the discussion of the deck colors and the radar (or lack thereof).
_________________
Martin"Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday." John Wayne
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. Back to the deck colour, I was wondering if someone could find something like a document from the Admiralty stating "From....decks are to be painted..." Such a document would really help. In other words, from when was the first deck painted on a RN Battleship ?
, but you can, on some pictures, clearly see the Ensign mentioned by Mike
