Mauritius
His Majesty's Ship and her Westcountry crew in
World War Two
in the Med', Malta and the action at Sicily
photos from "Johno" Les Johnson CPO, ERA, Devonport Division
also photos of HMS MARNE, LIVERPOOL and ILLUSTRIOUS, early post-war
click on image:"Johno"is standing, arms folded at far right
Taken at Devonport Aug.26 1944 after Mauritius had been in action off Brittany
another Steve Johnson Cyberheritage "content over style" web page, bringing history to your front room. Steve Johnson is a winner of the Devon Heritage Award for excellence in outreach education
ships company HMS Marne 1948: click on image
HMS Liverpool, Malta, 1948,
ERA`s..."Johno" is fourth from right
HMS Liverpool, Malta, Victory Day
1946
August 1943, "Ave
Maria"icon found in Italian gun position at Augusta, Sicily shelled by HMS Mauritius,
a cruiser
as above showing barricade and
shelled gun position
ERA`s mess, HMS Mauritius, Christmas
1943, Malta, "Johno" is standing second from left...with cigar? CLICK HERE for whose who!
Engine room, HMS Mauritius, ERA`s
Russell, Lowe, Henderson, and ? with stokers too
HMS Mauritius at sea and making smoke
HMS Marne in rough seas January 1946 from stern of HMS Musketeer while en route to Algiers, and a view off Cape ? in heavy seas
HMS Liverpool`s ERA`s Gig crew
Suez Canal
1942
press cutting from Western
Evening Herald Sat 26 August 1944; see main title photo
HMS Illustrious, Capt. H.D.
Stephens RN, Spithead 1946, another one of "Johno`s" ships; but hey, look at
this, just read what somebody has written in pencil on the back....not about or to do with
"Johno" tho` CLICK HERE to find about about Betty Grable,
come in L/WTR(Ty) R.P. Court D/MX 537018...you`ve been rumbled!
To see a "Blue Nose" certificate from HMS Illustrious in 1952 when in Artic waters, CLICK HERE
These photos which came to light after the completion of the main page:
a group of ERA`s from HMS Liverpool
relax at Malta in 1942/43
here is "Johno"at left
with Rowland Simpson at Cape Town on Monday 20 April 1942
some more ERA`s, except soldier in
helmet, aboard Dominion Monarch in March 1942, on route to Bombay, "Johno" is in
front row at far right
this is a beautiful shot taken from
HMS Mauritius in rough sea with a beautiful sky, download this one!
this is a shore musical band shot
of ERA apprentices at HMS Fisgard, Torpoint, Cornwall 1941-2, just across the Tamar from
Plymouth, "Johno" is second from left
here is an upper deck slide on HMS
Liverpool at a "V Day" party, probably at Malta on June (May?) 8 1946
Nov 45 sees "Johno" at
left walking along Via Roma, the main road and shopping area of Naples
shots taken at Mt. Levina,
Ceylon, in May 42.left is beach and hotel, centre is "Johno"at right and Herby,
right photo is Smiler Burton
"Johno" here at left on
board HMS?, while other two show him relaxing at 8, Swilly Crescent, home of his fiancé
Gladys Eileen Fleming...my mum! in May 1941. Her parents were Frank and Maud Fleming,
Frank , my Grandfather was a dockyard shipwright. At far right "Johno" is with
Lofty Hayward in the coppersmiths shop on HMS Liverpool eating jelly and ice cream
at left is HMS Surprise referred
to on the back of the photo as the "Admirals pleasure boat" for entertaining
wives and top brass big wigs....next are camels at Suez,, then an unknown alongside shot,
next R.M.S. Queen Mary steams in the distance, and finally any unknown vessel steams
through the Suez canal
These next two links show a "log" of HMS Mauritius between 1940 and 44, lots of statistics, distances steamed, days at sea.....troops carried, and something to do with "bricks"...this is at the bottom of page 2
For a high quality scan of a Christmas card from HMS Mauritius sent to "Gladys and Johnny (Johno)" from Chick, alias Doug CLICK HERE
more views of battlefield after
naval gunnery bombardment at Augusta, Sicily, August 1943
Pete Dawson, Mac and Baron, Mech.
Chief Stokers, enjoy the water at English Point, Mombassa, East Africa in May 43
ERA`s from HMS Mauritius, click here for whose who
left to right: all Augusta,
Sicily, Augusta 1943,
left, picking grapes in Sicilian vineyard, next Sicilian peasants, then a "ginger" nice guy, went on to officer training in UK, may be called Bert,....and ?
all these are HMS Mauritius ERA`s 1942-43
Bill Lowe and "me"???
Bill Lowe and
"Tiny" Fulcher, for a different shot of same people, click
here
For a large scan 350k, CLICK HERE for a copy dated 15th April 1942 of King Neptunes certificate to "Johno" for crossing the equatorial line in the Indian Ocean on HMS Enterprise under the command of Capt. G.E.M. O`Donnell DSO, RN
April 15 was later to become "Johno" and Gladys wedding day in the future
another Steve Johnson Cyberheritage "content over style" web page