HMS Glorious, 1930-1932, in the Med near Gibraltar.

Have recently come across some old photographs. As far as I can see they are of HMS Glorious after her conversion to an Aircraft Carrier. Amongst the photo's was one showing the places that the 'Glorious' went to during 1930-1932. It seems that she was in a collision with a French liner, called the 'Florida', on the 1st April 1931, 78 years ago today.. I have some other photo's of what appears to be aircraft of the squadron carried aboard her. I will need help to identify them. The first photo's I will try to send are of the collision.[/img]

 

2nd set of photos.

These are some of the aircraft photos. Any idea what they are?

[/img]

 

3rd set. (while I'm on a roll!) These show thw 'Glorious' and her commission travels during 1930-32.


[/img]

 

I would say that these are Fairey IIIFs.






Entered the FAA in 1927 as a recon plane. The other squadrons embarked on her were made up of Fairey Flycatchers and Blackburn Ripons. Later some Fairey Swordfish and Gloster Gladiator were carried. She could carry 48 aircraft.

Good Photos!

 

Spitfire shape :idea:

 

At the time of the collision with FLORIDA, GLORIOUS had 10 Ripons, 3 Fairey IIIFs and 14 Flycatchers airborne - according to my book of serial numbers, S1804 is a Fairey IIIF Mk4, as is J9146. Well worth reading is John Winton's "CARRIER GLORIOUS", paperback by Arrow Books, 1989 ISBN 0 09 958840. Some of the dits concerning the Crab detachments and their attitude to RN standards are priceless. A cracking good read.

 

A few more aircraft pictures from, I think, the 'Glorious'. Is the float plane the same as the others? ie possibly Fairey 111's. adapted. I see one has broken! Bet he had a big 'slops' bill!

[/img]

 

My best guess at your seaplane is a Blackburn Ripon. It's not an Fairey IIIf because the inner most pair of wing spars are attached at opposing angles to the fuselage from the bottommost wing, then again from the fuselage to the uppermost.

If it is a Blackburn Ripon then that's quite a rare photograph because very few were converted into seaplanes since they were mostly used as underslung torpedo bombers.