HMS Pioneer Gallery

HMS PIONEER gallery

Images and memorabilia from the private collection of Petty Officer Air Fitter (Airframes) L. Butt, Petty Officer Air Fitter (?) W. Russell.

Most of these images are sized to fit the screen, however where possible those containing groups of personnel will open large enough to see individuals. Many, but not all, of these images are available in larger, high-res versions and copies can be supplied upon receipt of a photo request. If you have pictures or other memorabilia that you can contribute to this project please contact the Webmaster using the Offer of assistance form.

The Royal Navy Research Archive is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License See our terms of use for conditions regarding using these images in other works.

Sea trialss

January1945, HMS PIONEER at anchor during her builders trials. © IWM A 28018

January1945, HMS PIONEER at anchor during her builders trials. © IWM A 28020

January1945, HMS PIONEER at anchor during her builders trials.© IWM FL 17459

With the British pacific Fleet off Pityilu Island

Pityilu Island

All aircraft movements were by aircraft lighter.

Believed to be Lieutenant (E) M.A.J.M. Hayward, one of PIONEER’s Air Engineering Officer Pilots with the test flight set-up ashore by PIONEER.

Maintenance personnel from either the FAP or PIONEER's test flight with a Firefly.

July 1945, Andy- The-He-Man’ Andrews, part of the HMS PIONEER test flight.

July 1945, Sergeant Bob Moss RAF, part of the HMS PIONEER test flight..

Dumping surplus aircraft at sea

PIONEER arriving back at Sydney from Hong Kong in December 1945 to begin fettling surplus airframes for disposal at sea the following month.

A Corsair is craned onboard at Sydney in January 1946 for disposal at sea off the New South Wales coast.

January 1946, an Avenger, its wings and fuselage punctured by axe blows is going over the bows into deep water off the New South Wales coast.

January 1946, a Barracuda, its wings and fuselage punctured by axe blows is going over the bows into deep water off the New South Wales coast.

January 1946, section of Barracuda fuselage going over the side into deep water off the New South Wales coast.

JJanuary 1946, section of Barracuda fuselage going over the side into deep water off the New South Wales coast.

January 1946, an American rotary engine going over the side into deep water off the New South Wales coast.

Crew

Air department senior rates , photo taken at Melbourne February 1946.

The men of 37 mess, photo taken at Melbourne February 1946.

The men of 18 mess, photo taken at Melbourne February 1946.

Petty Officer Air Fitter William Russell aka Tim, Sydney date unknown.

Petty Officer Air Fitter William Russell (right) and colleague. Sydney date unknown.

August 1945 off Pityilu Island: Andy, Bob, Des and Tim sporting a beard

August 1945 off Pityilu Island: Tim, second from tight, and colleges.

JKing Neptune’s court and the other players that comprise the crossing the line ceremony cast.

The crossing the line ceremony underway, the ‘polliwogs’ are meeting the surgeon barber before being thrown to thew ‘bears’ in the pit.

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The British Pacific and East Indies Fleets

The forgotten fleets that fought the Japanese in the Pacific and Indian Oceans