Hi I’m New to the forum. Looking for a bit of help. Myself & my dad have requested my grandads royal navy records. Sadly he’s no longer with us. We are still waiting for the records. I think corona has slowed the process down a lot. I’m looking to see if anyone can place the location of the attached picture. we believe the location to be Malta but can’t confirm. Anyway, As far as we can tell, he served from 1943-47 on u96 hms peacock. Atlantic & artic escorting and then onto Malta post war. we believe he took the picture. Any help or info would be appreciated. hopefully the upload works. And thanks in advance for any replies. Mark
Hi Mark - I lived in Malta many years ago and none of it was/is as hilly as the photo. So not Malta. Could be Sicily or Italy? The spikey tower thingy over the destroyer’s bows might be a good clue for someone. Best John
I have had a quick look in Wikipedia which, for all its faults, can be quite helpful as a start point. Anyhow here is the link: HMS Peacock (U96) - Wikipedia. It would seem that U96 served in the Artic during the war but was transferred, as you say, to the Med at the war’s end. If this is correct, your photograph would therefore date from after the war. Wikipedia mentions she was deployed on anti-Jewish immigration patrols so it is possible that the coastline is Palestine. She is still displaying L96 and not her new pennant number F96, which might also be a clue. Best John
Hi john I was hoping the tower on the hill or the little sentry box on this side of water may be clue to someone. when u say about the lack of high hills in Malta,that actually makes sense as I was told a while back that Malta wasn’t particularly hilly but I don’t know having never been there Thanks for your input John
Hi Robert-w - the top photo is certainly not Malta all the rest are! Who knows where the top photo is - Ruritania?!
ye I did a bit of my own research and it seems for as long as he was On HMS Peacock, it was penant no u96. He was demobbed in 1947. I don’t know anything about his possible duties with the Israel/Palestine issue
No that is not Malta. I've been there and it doesnt look like that. Do a Google Image search on it . Croatia was one result. You've taken the thread off track yet again. As for the OP image I don't know.
And isn't this keeping it there? I only asked because I once had relatives living in Malta and it isn't completely flat - Ghajn Tuffieha for example
Just to muddy the waters, didn't a lot of Artic convoys leave from Scotland? Send member Hugh McLean a message.
This crossed my mind Was it maybe possibly the Clyde? I live in Glasgow (and so did my grandad) but it doesn’t look like any area i can think of. Also, I felt the sentry box did looked Mediterranean but who knows
Welcome to the forum by the way. I'm over here in Angus. My father came from Maryhill. His brother was Merchant Navy and lost in 1941 and I don't know much about the Royal Navy as the Merchant Navy was my main sea interest. I was able to find ship movement cards for the ships my Uncle Sandy served on before being torpedoed by a uboat after leaving Gibraltar. I don't know what the equivalent is for RN, but have a look through these at the National Archive at Kew in London. There are a couple of forum members (under normal circumstances) can copy any file for you for a small fee. Don't order direct from Kew, it's too pricey. Search results: HMS peacock | The National Archives Have a search on YouTube and also check out the Imperial War Museum on line. You never know what you might find. Better than twiddling your thumbs waiting on everything opening up again after this Covid business. I don't know why the picture struck me as Scottish. It was the white tower in the background reminded of something similar as you sail into Montrose harbour (but it's definitely not there). I suppose there was lots going on at Gourock & Greenock as well as Loch Ewe and the Clyde as you say. Anyway, best of luck and enjoy the adventure you're embarking on. Prepare to become addicted ha ha. Cheers - Maria
Random picture of Trieste from a quick google search - the tower on the right looks right as do the hills.
Sons of Soldiers This ebook link does also confirms HMS Peacocks presence in Trieste around this time. There is a Key word search function Incase anyone has a look for themselves
Thanks Maria Funny enough my grandad lived in Maryhill for his whole adult life. But Sadly He died in 1999. So these National archives, can you look through them before ordering or do you need to take a punt and pay, in the hope you will find some relevant stuff ? ps. Totally addicted already lol