atholbight

Thank you for sharing. These are gold.

Great to see one of the Repair and Refit twins We lost a good family friend on 10 December when the Old Lady was sunk with POW

Glad you are enjoying the images, the Wilkinson collection is quite extensive so keep an eye out for more! Bela bazas we will try & share some more images of REPULSE especially.

Not 1934 (see below) its 1924 also suggest dating is wrong for month. 1 9 2 3 January to October Atlantic Fleet service in continuation Prepared for World Cruise to British Empire ports. November 27th - Joined battlecruiser HMS HOOD and cruisers HM Ships DELHI, DANAE, DAUNTLESS, DRAGON and DUNEDIN and took passage for Freetown. December Called at Freetown. 21st - Visited Cape Town. Sailed with same ships to Zanzibar. 1 9 2 4 January 1st - Arrived at Zanzibar. 17th - Took passage to Fremantle. February 24th - At Fremantle March Visited Albany, Adelaide and Melbourne April Visited Hobart, Tasmania 9th - Arrived at Sydney. 20th - Sailed for Wellington, New Zealand. May 7th - Sailed from Wellington for visits to Pacific Islands 16th - Commenced calls in Pacific. (Note: These included Suva, Samara, Fiji, Apia, W Samoa) June Passage to Victoria, British Colombia. 6th - Arrived at Victoria. July 6th - Visited Vancouver. (Note: The five cruisers detached and took passage to visit ports in South America) August Visited ports in USA with the HMS HOOD. September Took passage to Portsmouth via Panama Canal. 29th - Arrived at Portsmouth. (NB During cruise ship steamed over 30 000 miles) October to December Resumed Atlantic Fleet duties. Deployed at Portsmouth. Nominated for special duties to take Prince of Wales to visit ports in South Africa and South America. 1 9 2 5 Carried special duties for Royal Visits to Portugal, South Africa and east coast of South America with Prince of Wales. Resumed Atlantic Fleet duties on return after seven months detached service. Nominated for reduction of complement. 1 9 2 6 t o 1 9 3 2 Deployed with 60% of full complement in Atlantic Fleet including visits and Fleet exercises. (NB These included annual exercises in Atlantic and Mediterranean with ships of the Mediterranean Fleet based in Atlantic and Mediterranean based at Gibraltar). During 1927 in a flying accident two pilots from the ship were killed. This period included three Full Commissions. Nominated for major refit. 1 9 3 3 to 1 9 3 5 Taken in hand for refit. The work carried out included: Installation of a catapult for launch of aircraft together with construction of a Hangar to accommodate four seaplanes and provide suitable repair and maintenance facilities. Stowage of petrol was also needed. 1 9 3 6 On completion of refit carried out harbour and sea trials after recommissioning for service in Mediterranean Fleet based in Malta. Took part in Fleet exercise and visits programmes. 1 9 3 7 January to May Mediterranean Fleet deployment in continuation June to December During Fleet programme visited Spanish waters. During August was involved in negotiating the release of a British mercantile stopped by Spanish cruiser MIGUEL CERVANTES. 1 9 3 8 January to September Home Fleet deployment in continuation including Fleet Exercises and Visits Programme Nominated for refit October Under refit. (NB AA was improved to limited extent without replacement of most 4'in DP AA) December AA mountings which were of original design used during build. No work was done on machinery. 1 9 3 9 January to February Under refit (NB Selected for conversion to suit use for taking HM King George VI and HM Queen Elizabeth to Canada with the Royal Family. This was later changed because of the increased possibility of war with Germany as all major warships were to remain in Home waters) March Refit work completed. Carried out sea trials. April Deployed as escort for RMS EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA during initial stage of passage. May Completed workup with RN Home Fleet ships June Home Fleet deployment in continuation. July to August Completed harbour and sea trials. Carried out shakedown and workup prior to resuming service in Home Fleet. Rejoined Home Fleet for service in 1st Battle Squadron with battlecruisers HMS RENOWN and HMS HOOD. 30th HMS REPULSE Captain Ernest John Spooner DSO RN and HMS HOOD arrived at Scapa Flow from Rosyth. 31st – At 1900 hours the 1st BCS comprising HMS REPULSE and HMS HOOD escorted by the Tribal class destroyers HM Ships SOMALI, ASHANTI, BEDOUIN, ESKIMO, MASHONA, and TARTAR of the 6th D departed Scapa Flow to patrol with the Home Fleet in the northern North Sea. The intention of the CinC Home Fleet being to detach the battlecruisers to shadow any German forces met. HMS BEDOUIN had mechanical defects and returned to Scapa Flow for repairs. At 2300 hours west of the Orkneys the 1st BCS joined the Home Fleet. WAR DECLARED.

Wartime Service Stops in Australia are - September 1941 15th Convoy WS 11S arrived at Freetown. 18th At 1400 hours HMS REPULSE, HMS DERBYSHIRE and destroyers HMS WRESTLER and HMS VELOX sailed from Freetown escorting convoy WS 11 which now comprised, DUCHESS OF YORK, CITY OF MANCHESTER, NIEUW ZEELAND, CITY OF EDINBURGH, KINA II, LARGS BAY, VICEROY OF INDIA, ORONTES, GLAUCUS, BHUTAN, GLENORCHY, MOOLTAN, EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA, SCYTHIA, OTRANTO, BARRISTER and MANCHESTER PROGRESS. 20th The destroyers HMS WRESTLER and HMS VELOX detached from WS 11 and returned to Freetown. 23rd HMS REPULSE detached from WS 11 to refuel at St Helena. 25th HMS REPULSE rejoined WS 11. 29th At 1300 hours DERBYSHIRE with DUCHESS OF YORK, CITY OF MANCHESTER, NIEUW ZEELAND, CITY OF EDINBURGH, KINA II, LARGS BAY, VICEROY OF INDIA, ORONTES, GLAUCUS, BHUTAN and GLENORCHY detached for Cape Town. October 3rd HMS REPULSE with MOOLTAN, EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA, SCYTHIA, OTRANTO, BARRISTER and MANCHESTER PROGRESS arrived at Durban. 7th At 1400 hours HMS REPULSE with DILWARA, CITY OF CANTERBURY, PULASKI, EASTERN PRINCE, LLANDAFF CASTLE, NIEUW HOLLAND, BARRISTER and MANCHESTER PROGRESS sailed from Durban. 8 At 1000 hours in approximate position 29-20S, 36-10E HMS REPULSE and her charges RV with DERBYSHIRE and also with DUCHESS OF YORK, CITY OF MANCHESTER, NIEUW ZEELAND, CITY OF EDINBURGH, KINA II, LARGS BAY, VICEROY OF INDIA, ORONTES, GLAUCUS, BHUTAN and GLENORCHY. DERBYSHIRE then detached for Durban and the reconstituted convoy WS 11 then formed into 6 columns and steered for the Mozambique Channel. 11th The troopship JOHANN DE WITT, delayed at Durban, joined convoy WS 11. 13th At 1500 hours in approximate position 6S, 41-30E the cruiser HMS CERES joined convoy WS 11 from Mombasa. Following which HMS REPULSE detached for Mombasa. 14th At 0200 hours HMS REPULSE arrived at Mombasa. On arrival at Mombasa she joined the aircraft carrier HMS HERMES and the cruiser HMS EMERALD to form Force T. For the remainder of October Force T operated out of Mombasa searching for German raiders. November 1st HMS REPULSE sailed from Mombasa for Durban. 5th HMS REPULSE arrived at Durban. Whilst in Durban, the South African Prime Minister Jan Smuts visited HMS REPULSE and addressed the crew. 8th HMS REPULSE sailed from Durban escorting convoy WS 12 which comprised 9 troopships and 3 MT ships. In position 29-35S, 34-06E the Durban section of WS 12 RV with the Cape Town section escorted by the AMC HMS DUNNOTTAR CASTLE. Following which the HMS DUNNOTTAR CASTLE detached for Durban. 14th At 0700 hours in position 5-10S, 44E the battleship HMS REVENGE joined convoy WS 12, following which HMS REPULSE detached for Mombasa. At 2330 hours HMS REPULSE arrived at Mombasa. 15th HMS REPULSE sailed from Mombasa for Colombo. 22nd HMS REPULSE arrived at Colombo. 26th HMS REPULSE sailed from Colombo for Trincomalee. 27th HMS REPULSE arrived at Trincomalee. (On 28 Nov 1941 the United States Naval and Military authorities in Washington ordered their forces in the Pacific to assume the first state of readiness. Also on this date the Japanese became aware of the arrival of HMS PRINCE OF WALES in Colombo. Following which HMS PRINCE OF WALES and HMS REPULSE would head for Singapore. In response to this intelligence the Japanese sent a further 26 torpedo equipped Mitsubishi G4M’s (Betty) aircraft to Indo-China to reinforce those already there). 29th At 1800 hours HMS REPULSE sailed from Trincomalee to RV with the battleship HMS PRINCE OF WALES. 30th At 1000 hours in approximate position 6N, 83E, HMS REPULSE RV with HMS PRINCE OF WALES and destroyers HM Ships JUPITER, ENCOUNTER, ELECTRA and EXPRESS. Captain Tenant RN of HMS REPULSE as senior officer took command of the force which was designated Force G. Course was then set for Singapore. December 2nd At 1200 hours the force arrived at Sembawang naval dockyard, Singapore; on arrival the force was designated Force Z. HMS REPULSE entered dry dock for a quick bottom scrape. 3rd An undetected Japanese reconnaissance aircraft located Force Z at Singapore. 5th HMS REPULSE escorted by the destroyers HMS TENEDOS and HMAS VAMPIRE sailed from Singapore for Darwin for a 'showing the flag' visit to Australia. 6th At 1330 hours eroute to Darwin, HMS REPULSE and her escort were recalled to Singapore (At 1030 hours three Lockheed Hudson reconnaissance aircraft of 1 RAAF Squadron took off from Kota Bharu Malaya, on a reconnaissance flight over the South China Sea. One of these aircraft sighted the Japanese invasion fleet and reported as follows: 1212 hours 3 ships in position 7-51N, 105- 00E, course 310 degrees. 1246 hours 25 ships escorted by 6 cruisers, 10 destroyers, in position 8N, 106-08E., course 270 degrees. 1300 hours 10 ships escorted by 2 cruisers, 10 destroyers, in position 7-40N, 106-20E, course 270 degrees. 1835 hours 1 cruiser, 1 transport, in position 8N, 102-30E. The cruiser opened fire on the Hudson. The actual forces employed by the Japanese were 28 transports escorted by the light cruiser IJNS SENDAI (flag, Rear-Admiral Hashimoto), 10 destroyers, 6 minesweepers and 3 submarine chasers. This force moved into the Gulf of Siam. The whole Southern Expeditionary Force was commanded by Vice-Admiral Ozawa, with his flag in the heavy cruiser IJNS CHOKAI with the 7th cruiser division of the heavy cruisers IJNS KUMANO (Flag Vice-Admiral Kurita), IJN Ships SUZUYA, MIKUMA and MOGAMI and four destroyers in support. Off the southeast coast of IndoChina, were the battleships IJN Ships KONGO, HARUNA, heavy cruisers ATAGO (flag Vice-Admiral Kondo) and TAKAO and 10 destroyers. Following receipt of these reports Rear Admiral AFE Palliser DSC RN, Admiral Tom Phillips RNs Chief of Staff ordered the recall of HMS REPULSE and her escorts). 7th At 1200 hours HMS REPULSE, HMS TENEDOS and HMAS VAMPIRE arrived back at Sembawang naval dockyard. WAR DECLARED Pacific. As can be seen from the above HMS Repulse never came to Australia after 1939, and the only prewar visit she made was in the 1920s. hope this is of use! stephen

wow...

It's a lovely stern shot of the old ship, Mr. Wilson did a great job on this one.

FrigateRN Glad you liked the image! Will put up a few more in the coming days from the same photographer.

Australian National Maritime Museum on The Commons That is great news, your pictures will be looked forward to. Thank you for your kindness, much appreciated.