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Gallery of Images – HMNZS GAMBIA – Part 1

Frank Rands

HMNZS Gambia – Crown Colony Class Light Cruiser – PART 1
Pennant No: C48
Callsign: GCFX
RNZN Service 22 Sep 1943 to 27 Mar 1946
Aircraft and fittings removed before entering RNZN service.
10450 tons full load
Length – 555.5ft
Beam – 62ft
Draught – 16.5ft
Speed – 33kts
Crew – 730
Armament:
12 x 6in (4×3)
8 x 4in (4×2)
8 x 40mm Bofors AA (4×2)
3 Quadruple Pom-poms
6 x 21in Torpedo Tubes (2×3)
The images below have come for HMNZS TOROA History Museum.
HMNZS Gambia[2]
Comm[2]

Commissioning ceremony 22 September 1943 Liverpool

Marine Band[2]

Royal Marine Band, practising for Commissioning ceremony 22 Sep 1943, Liverpool

Ships Tels[2]

W/T Staff, HMNZS Gambia 2 January 1944

Suez[2]

Gambia transiting the Suez Canal Jan/Feb 1944 en route to join the Eastern Fleet at Trincomalee

Ras[2]

Gambia RAS – not known with whom and where.

battle ensign[2]

Battle ensign being flown during shore bombardment at Soerabaja East Java
(now known as Surabaya, Indonesia) 6 May 1944

twin aa[2]

Twin Oerlikons (20mm) – one of 10 sets of secondary AA guns

pom poms[2]

Pom-Poms in action

hms quality[2]

RAS with HMS Quality – Destroyer Pennant No G62. Gambia was in company with Quality in 1944 – May, June and July.

Broadside[2]

Broadside showing 4 inch and some of the other secondary armament – 2 pounders (Gambia had 10 of these). British battleship HMS HOWE astern.

4 thoughts on “Gallery of Images – HMNZS GAMBIA – Part 1”

  • albert cross
    February 13, 2015 at 10:01 pm
    Permalink

    Hi Frank et al. Kung Hei Fat Choy . Welcome to the Year of the Sheep. ( I remember one October when they shoved 1300 odd sheep into that shearing shed across from NR2 and de-frocked them. Next day we had the coldest blizzard of the entire year . There were not enough tussocks around for them to take shelter under. ) In the photograph of the Gambia’s W/T staff I recognise two :- Front row , Tom Hamilton is the one in the centre and the middle row:- second from right is Gordon (Slinger) Woods (ZL2ALF) who went through an RE’s conversion course and retired as a Chief RE. Both of them are pictured in our 1951 Waiouru W/T Rugby Team. I think the remainder may have been HO’s as their countenances don’t ring a bell. AR.

  • Brian Sweeny
    August 4, 2015 at 8:29 am
    Permalink

    Just been to my brother Tommy`s 90th birthday party, he ( Tommy Sweeny ) served on the HMS / HMNZS Gambia from 1942 till 1947 , he was over the moon when I gave him a present of a painting of his old ship the Gambia, I tried to find a cap tally to go with the painting, but was unsuccessful ,however when I told him, he showed me he still has his own, he has kept it since getting demobbed ,we had a party for him on Saturday 1st of August , although his birthday is really today, Monday 3 rd August , it really made his day to get that painting , I believe he was proud to have served on her , and it really showed .

  • My grandfather was a torpedo man on the Gambia. Ivan Williams. Also served on the Matai & QT4045 fairmile

  • John Hair
    February 26, 2017 at 11:16 pm
    Permalink

    In my day 1958/60 the crane was placed as shown here and was reputed to be for shipping of a sea plane . The hanger space was a large area in the superstructure forward of the crane and used as a cinema in my commission days and hammock sleeping space . There were openings fore and aft where films could be projected fore into the space or aft across the boat deck to a rigged screen .. I have not read anything about carrying of seaplane or about 3rd wireless office where operations were in German or Japanese . Thes photoes yard SuperB

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