Crew Quarters and Facilities
Amongst the masses of ammunition, equipment, food and supplies, the Ratings had to snuggle down to sleep as best they could using hammocks slung from the low ceilings. This doesn’t seem too dissimilar to the situation aboard HMS Victory from one hundred and fifty years previously.
Except that here, the ship’s cat seems to have his own hammock!
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Life for the Officers was rather more comfortable, as you can see from these shots.
The chap on the left seems to be getting ready for dinner, and I swear that the seated fellow to the right looks just like Prince Philip!
Meanwhile, below decks, two Officers measure out the daily dose of Rum for the crew. Next door, the ship’s shop is open for business.
Down the corridor, two men peel onions as the Galley crew prepare the daily meals in massive ovens.
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Belfast has been altered a heckuva lot since I was on it. The superstructure has been changed but I can’t find a good photo of the side view to see exactly what has been altered.
I was a RM telegraphist – using morse code in those days – and my usual post was the “Bridge Wireless Office” just aft of the bridge. My “out of watch” post was the Upper Transmitting Room.
I could be wrong on this but I understood that one of the for’ard gun turrets was a ‘dummy’ so Belfast had only nine 6″ guns and not twelve.
Hi Vic,
I served on HMS Belfast also, from January 1950, all through the Korean war until she was delivered to Devonport for the alterations you mention (some 3yrs & 3months) I do not remember you, but you may remember me because I used to run the Cinema.
I am sorry to have to tell you, that whoever told you she only had nine 6″ guns and that one turret was a dummy, has given you false information. I have photographs that will disprove that theory.
Best Regards,
Tony Gatton.
ex LEM.
My ‘oppo’ on boardwas “Paddy Eagleson” – Robert Stewart Eagleson – also a RM signals operator.
The captain during the Korean campaign was Le Messurier.
Hi Vic, me again,
Le Mesurier was Captain of Belfast when I joined her, and he did the first stint in Korea, and left the ship when she returned to Singapore for re-fit. I am fairly sure that he was replaced by Sir Aubrey St Clair Ford, known affectionately as ‘Strawberry’ (now deceased). During the 2nd World War, he was the skipper of the Kimberley, who picked up the survivors of the Kelly (Mountbatten’s famous ship).
The one person killed on the Belfast you mention, was a Chinese Messman or Laundryman who was killed when an 80mm shell came through the ships starboard side into the Chinese Mess. We were going through between an island and the mainland at the time, and ‘Strawberry’ just turned the ship round and came back through again, giving the cliff face broadsides as we traversed. That night and next day, Kenya and an American rocket ship pounded that cliff face. They never got that gun, he was on railway lines we were told afterwards, and they just used to pop out from this cave, have a go at somebody, and pull back out of sight.
Regards,
Tony.
Are you SURE that one person was killed on board Belfast during the Korean campaign? I don’t remember that but certainly HMS Jamaica had one person killed.
My uncle, Leslie Richard Winkett (also known as Les Wynne) recentl passed away. I am the proud recipient of his green beret and campaign medals for Korea, the Canal Zone and Malaya. I would be most grateful to receive memories and photos from these times.