UK Carrier Film footage 50's – 60's

Just had a look in my good book. HMS Eagle and HMS Albion exercised with the USS Coral Sea and USS Intrepid (OK, so the US Sixth Fleet also joined in) in the Med between 12 August 1955 and 19th August 1955 – I stand corrected. Looking at my photos I would also concur it is the Eagle in the photo.

It has Yank Navy markings so do you still think it is the Eagle? Looking at the carrier in the background (and the amount of ‘goofers’), a Yank carrier?

I was hoping the smiley would give away my leg pulling, but also if you know enough about the subject you would know that Eagle was coded ‘J’ in that period!

As has been pointed out it is definitely a British carrier (design & ensign), and it looks Audacious Class, the picture says Eagle and if the date is correct it is unlikely to be Ark Royal which had just been commissioned but was still undergoing mods work.
As Rob says there was a well known cross decking excercise with Eagle then, which also involved the Gannets, and I dare say the rest of the air-group.

Bager, thanks for your info, I can never get my head around the USN way of doing things!

ZRX61, would love to see the Gannet shots you have

Both pics are really nice…they look like a ‘touch and go’ rather than a ‘bolter’ because the hook is up.

cheers baz

Thanks for that Bager1968. The USS Antietam was a guess hence the ‘possibly’.

I also have this photo that i found on the Air Britain website and is credited to Andy Davey. It also is marked as being a Cutlass on Eagle, in 1955.
As the markings tie in for both pics i can only assume they were taken at the same time.

Anyway, be good to see some more examples or actual footage if JonL gets a result.

Besides, no US carrier had that funnel shape!

Definitely not USS Antietam… during her Jan-March 1955 med-cruise she carried S2F-1 (VS-26), HSS-1 (HS-1), and AD-5W (VC-12 Det.)… no Cutlasses.

Browsing here: http://navysite.de/carriers.htm (click on the carrier you want then scan down the page until you find a sentence telling you to “click here” to see a list of deployments) finds this, however.

USS INTREPID CV-11: March 12, 1956-September 5, 1956; CVG-8; VA-83 (F7U-8); Tail code E; Area of Operations: Mediterranean (her tail code for her 1955 Med-cruise was F, and she had no F7U aboard then).

The ship that had tail code E assigned in 1955 was USS Lake Champlain CV-39… but she had no F7U aboard for her September 28, 1954-April 22, 1955 Med-cruise.

The only other ship to carry F7Us into the Med in 1954-57 (the only years the F7U was deployed aboard ship) was:
USS Ticonderoga CV-14: November 4, 1955-August 2, 1956; VA-66 (F7U-3); Tail code K

Thus, it seems that 1956 must be the actual year of the photo and CV-11 USS Intrepid the ship… especially as you can make out VA-83 on the port vertical stabilizer of the Cutlass!!

The only units to have taken the type to sea were:
VF-124, USS Hancock (CVA-19), August 1955 – March 1956; VF-81, USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14), November 1955 – August 1956; VF-86, USS Forrestal (CVA-59), January – March 1956; VF-83, USS Intrepid (CVA-11), March – September 1956; VF-212, USS Bon Homme Richard (CVA-31), August 1956 – February 1957.

Some place back home is a series of photos my dad took of a Gannet going over the side of HMS Bulwark..

Looking at the carrier in the background (and the amount of ‘goofers’), a Yank carrier?

Isn’t that the White Ensign flying behind the funnel?

😀 Cheers Baz. Not sure what the technical term is for them.. elevons or something!?

Wow Rob…now that is what you call Full up elevator (cue the flying control police 🙂 )…nice pic

rgds baz

I’d be surprised if it isn’t Eagle. James is just pulling your leg about the ‘E’.

I have a pic of her with Wyverns and Seahawks ranged on her deck, taken by a crew member at the same time and marked 813 / 827, 1955 (Med).. and the three distinctive rounded viewing points, the masts and their positioning are the same as the pic above.

Your welcome.
Can’t remember where i unearthed it but as i understand it Eagle’s Wyverns were cross decking with the Cutlass’ home carrier, possibly the USS Antietam, in the Med during 1955.

Must of been a fantastic sight.. and it looks like the entire crew has turned out to watch the spectacle.

It has Yank Navy markings so do you still think it is the Eagle? Looking at the carrier in the background (and the amount of ‘goofers’), a Yank carrier?

Cor thanks for that Rob, where did that come from?
You can tell it’s on Eagle, it carries the ‘E’ code!:D

Hi Jon, thanks for posting all that info and would love to see any ot that footage that you have, I’ve never seen pictures or film of Cutlasses on UK carriers. Anymore pictures and info would be very welcome here aswel.

You mean like this James. 😉

I can make out 82, so it has to be XL482 (seems to fit the rest of the image) which still survives in the ‘States.

Edit, My records confim XL482 as being ‘412’ of 849 Sqn HQ Flt of RNAS Culdrose (the flight being there from 1960-65) Aug 1960 – Aug 1963.

While we’re at it – can anyone identify this Gannet?

The serial is written under the wing, it looks like it would be legible on your original print – though not quite on this small scan.

Hi Jon, thanks for posting all that info and would love to see any ot that footage that you have, I’ve never seen pictures or film of Cutlasses on UK carriers. Anymore pictures and info would be very welcome here aswel.
All my Gannet info is at home at the moment but I will be able to identify it from its nose code.
It’s obviously an AEW.3 of 849 Sqn, and just from memory (not brilliant!) at the moment I would say early HQ Flight (early 1960s), if so it would have been based at Culdrose.

What great footage.
My brother in laws father recently died, and in amongst his stuff he found a lot of movie film taken in the mid – late 50’s, including Cutlasses landing on a british carrier, in the med – not sure which one. He was Alan Mason, and normally flew Skyraiders, and then Gannets, but most of the footage was taken from helicopters, alongside.
I’m currently attempting to get him to get the film converted and posted up on You Tube….here’s hoping.
While we’re at it – can anyone identify this Gannet?

Fascinating clip. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks Flytst. Very interesting stuff. Some observations:

Disposable catapult strops – that’s them falling into the sea after launch. The sea floor must be littered with them in training areas.

The Sea Vixen touch-and-goes make the carrier look like a shoe box. I’ve sat in a Sea Vixen. There’s no room to pass wind. No idea how full-sized blokes could fly them with such precision. Both jets land like bricks and there’s no margin for error. No wonder both aircraft suffered such high attrition rates due to accidents . . . although I have read that many Sea Vixens were lost due to fuel management issues. And ultimate respect to the observers who served in the Sea Vixen’s coal hole. What a way to earn a crust.