Model Boat Mayhem

Mess Deck: General Section => Full Scale Ships => Topic started by: Crossie on March 06, 2016, 12:08:52 pm

Title: Unknown boats
Post by: Crossie on March 06, 2016, 12:08:52 pm: Maybe one of you guys with loads of RN history knowledge can help me out? I have acquired a stack of photos from my deceased Mother's albums and I would if possible like to identify the type/class of ship/boat which I post here ,maybe even where, there's no dates or any other clues except all photos are from 39-45 war years

Trevor
Title: Re: Unknown boats
Post by: John W E on March 06, 2016, 12:25:38 pm: Hi there, these are a Fairmile B Class boat and if you do a search on this site there is a good deal of information about them. Look out for Fairmile B in Mountbatten Pink on this form.

aye

John
Title: Re: Unknown boats
Post by: John W E on March 06, 2016, 02:50:09 pm: Hi ya Trevor

I am looking at John Lambert's books which has the information about these vessels. I cannot see any photographs of these vessels with that type of radar on the top. The radar looks as if it may be a post-war one of the type 268U. I think this photograph may date round about 1946 or a bit later than that. All is not lost though. If Christian Shepherd picks this thread up he may be able to shed a lot more light on this as he has a great amount of knowledge - Christian is MTB Hulls on this forum.

We will keep on looking and see what else we may find out such as info and photographs.

aye
John
Title: Re: Unknown boats
Post by: Crossie on March 06, 2016, 03:34:47 pm: Thank you for your efforts and advice John which I have followed up and reading in bits and pieces as time allows. Would some of these vessels possibly have been in India in 1945/6? A relative served there at that time, until '46 .
When enlarged this photo clearly shows crew shirtless and canopies over the vessels so I presume this wasn't good 'ole Blighty!

Trevor
Title: Re: Unknown boats
Post by: Jonty on March 06, 2016, 06:25:51 pm: Can you make out any pendant numbers on the hulls? Fairmile Bs were actually built in India, quite apart from the ones posted there.
Title: Re: Unknown boats
Post by: Crossie on March 06, 2016, 07:38:09 pm: Thanks for your interest in this subject Jonty, but no, I'm afraid not. I've tried expanding the picture until it becomes pixilated and there's no trace of painted out hull numbers such as I have seen in some photos. The original is a very small picture about 2 1/2 x 3 a very common size many years ago.

Trevor
Title: Re: Unknown boats
Post by: MTB Hulls on March 22, 2016, 02:05:36 pm: As John pointed out the radars are Type 268, I know only of some Cairo built boats which had these they were in the batch of 40 ordered 22.12.42 MLs 860-900. I have posted pictures of MLs 878 and 880 with the strengthened double width mast supporting the radar. That model of radar was introduced in 1944 but I think only boats completed in 1945 would have had them. If this theory is correct then the boats in the picture could be in the 871-890 range.
Title: Re: Unknown boats
Post by: Ship Worm on October 30, 2016, 10:19:59 am: When I grew up in Torbay (in the 50's) there were 4 Fairmile 'B's in service as ferries around the bay. See Wikipedia for the 'Western Ladies' they were termed Western Lady I, II, III, and IV. I think the last one was only replaced a few years ago in the noughties, when the council stopped them berthing on the Princess pier for some reason.
Title: Re: Unknown boats
Post by: Netleyned on October 30, 2016, 03:29:55 pm: Type B Fairmile RML 497
Was Western Lady IV
Then Greenways Ferries had her
as The Fairmile.
After a ferry price war in Torbay
she was sold to the RN Museum
Portsmouth
Had many happy trips on her.

Ned.
Title: Re: Unknown boats
Post by: Ship Worm on October 30, 2016, 03:54:30 pm: I am sure somewhere in the back of the grey matter seeing some pictures of them in Dartmouth, but I cant recall where I saw them. Any ideas?