I've found some new photos today on Wikicommons.
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| By Royal Navy official photographer [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons |
French sailor carrying fresh pineapples
on board the submarine depot ship HMS MERCATOR
at Freetown, Sierra Leone, August 1943.
HMS MERCATOR was a three masted barquentine
which had been commissioned by the
Royal Navy
as a floating rest home for submarine men
when they returned to
harbour after Atlantic patrol.
This is what my dad wrote in his diary:
"The oranges' season is now well in and the crop is excellent.
Pineapples are also in and I had my first the other day.
They are quite juicy but rather woody.
I think I prefer the tinned variety."
20th January 1944
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| By Royal Navy official photographer [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons |
One of HMS MERCATOR'S signalman,
from Sierra Leone,
using semaphore to pass a message
to a submarine preparing to come alongside.
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| By Intelligence, Freetown, Royal Navy official photographer [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons |
Unloading a cargo of timber from America
at the West African port of Freetown.
The timber was required for new docks and harbour works.
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| By Royal Navy official photographer [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons |
The Motor Minesweper J 821 moored in Freetown harbour.
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| By Royal Navy official photographer [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons |
Men of HMS WOLVERINE
do a "spot of dhobeying"naval slang for washing.
Washing clothes on the upper deck
during a spell in harbour at Freetown, Sierra Leone.
There isn't a great deal of information with the photos but they're an interesting collection.
I'll put the others in a separate post so the page won't take too long to load.