An aerial photograph of the Royal Naval Training Base, HMS Excellent, on Whale Island, ...

Accession Number P05468.016
Collection type Photograph
Object type Black & white - Print silver gelatin
Maker Unknown
Place made United Kingdom: England, Hampshire, Portsmouth
Date made c 1940 - 1942
Conflict Second World War, 1939-1945
Copyright

Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain

Public Domain Mark This item is in the Public Domain

Description

An aerial photograph of the Royal Naval Training Base, HMS Excellent, on Whale Island, Portsmouth. Moored at the left are many small vessels plus several larger ships which include, destroyers, frigates and minesweepers. This image is from the collection of Lieutenant (Lt) Hugh Randall Syme, GC, GM and bar, Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve who was based at HMS Vernon, Portsmouth, from 1940 to 1942. Lt Syme rapidly developed a reputation for bravery, especially in delousing the unfamiliar German magnetic mines. He was awarded the George Cross and the George Medal and Bar for a string of successful mine recoveries. In January 1943 he returned to Australia and was appointed as the Commanding Officer of a bomb disposal section at HMAS Cerberus. He left the Navy in 1944, returning to the family business of running The Age newspaper in Melbourne.