HMS Belfast

[Ian7633]

My dad served 24 years in the Royal Navy as a communications officer, many of those years on the Belfast. He was on the North Atlantic convoys as an escort ship, later as part of the peace keeping forces in the far East and finally the Korean war. After Korea he spent some time in Japan and wanted to stay when his posting ended but mum didn't want to go.
He took me on a very personal guided tour of the Belfast, I got to see parts of the ship not normally accessible and dad's first hand knowledge.
I'm very interested in the Belfast, lots of books and online stuff and I've just finished building a 1:600 scale model. A few photos below.
I'm now looking for information on HMS Pandora, a WW2 submarine dad briefly served on during the North Atlantic convoys.

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[JohnJo]

Very interesting Ian. Thanks for sharing.

[Ian7633]

HMS Belfast is 80 years old this year but was almost lost within months of her launch. She was torpedoed near Iceland and sustained huge damage but it was decided to repair her as she was so new. She is a Town class cruiser armed with 12 6" guns plus machine guns and depth charges. She was fast too being able to steam at 32 knots, quick in her time.
I thoroughly recommend taking a look around her if you get the chance.
This photo is of my dad on the crane deck whilst moored in the Sea of Japan.

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[tapid]

Must be proud of him Ian. Always a good look round on the Belfast, must go again soon.

[Macca]

What era is the camouflage pattern Ian?


I went on the tour round her once, sometime in the early 1980s I think.

[Ian7633]

What era is the camouflage pattern Ian?


I went on the tour round her once, sometime in the early 1980s I think.

I'm not entirely sure of the pattern Martin, it looks like the Atlantic pattern but the colours are wrong. I followed the guide that came with the kit but I can change colours if the guide proves to be wrong. It was a fiddly bugger to make, I think the moulds are quite worn as there was a lot of excess plastic to clean off. There is another model from Japan that is a lot bigger, I might have a go at that next......while listening to music of course.

[Spectral Morn]

I'm not entirely sure of the pattern Martin, it looks like the Atlantic pattern but the colours are wrong. I followed the guide that came with the kit but I can change colours if the guide proves to be wrong. It was a fiddly bugger to make, I think the moulds are quite worn as there was a lot of excess plastic to clean off. There is another model from Japan that is a lot bigger, I might have a go at that next......while listening to music of course.

Looks like it might be from the old AirFix mold. I have a 1 72 scale Flower Class Corvette sitting in the roofspace that I should build someday, big kit though. Havent built a midel in at least 7 years.

[Lawrence001]

Looks like it might be from the old AirFix mold. I have a 1 72 scale Flower Class Corvette sitting in the roofspace that I should build someday, big kit though. Havent built a midel in at least 7 years.

Reminds me of The Cruel Sea, one of my favourite films.

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[Spectral Morn]

Reminds me of The Cruel Sea, one of my favourite films.

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Yes one of mine as well. As is In Which We Serve also. The kit I have is the matchbox one, bit of a collectable now.

[Joe]

Looks like it might be from the old AirFix mold. I have a 1 72 scale Flower Class Corvette sitting in the roofspace that I should build someday, big kit though.

By a strange coincidence, so do I (though mine's in the wardrobe). I bought it to make for my father, who served on Flower Class corvettes during WWII, but sadly he died shortly after I bought it, and I haven't been able to face building it.