75th Anniversary of Royal Family Visit to South Africa Day2

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Day 2: 1st February 1947

The leaving day on the start of 5947 nautical miles to Cape Town

Notes from the Captain Agnew’s diary.

HMS Vanguard slipped away from the Southern Railway Jetty at 7.20am in poor visibility due to snow & mist. Ashore the Guards and Bands were paraded and ships companies massed to cheer.

There was a local flotilla which took over escort duties and the visibility improved which allowed an air escort of Mosquitoes and Sunderland’s arrived.

The local flotilla left at 10.40am, at 11.00am Vanguard met the Home Fleet and passed in between two columns of the Home Fleet.


    


  

The above picture appeared in the newspaper and this is the commentary that goes with it.

Then the ships Implacable, Cleopatra, Diadem & St James formed an escort for HMS Vanguard.


This is a wirephoto, telephotography or radiophoto is the sending of pictures by telegraph, telephone or radio. The above is the raw and converts to this picture below.
                                     


There was an arrival of 3 Helicopters and at 11.35am a Sikorsky R4Hoverfly helicopter landed on the quarterdeck. 6 mins later it takes off with film and mail and returned to Gosport.





Reuters picture of the HMS Vanguard on the 1st February


At 15.00 the French Battleship Richelieu and 2 destroyers fired a 21 gun salute to HMS Vanguard.

Later in sea area Ushant there was a gale and escort St James had to slow to 14 knots to avoid damage.

The island of Ushant (Ouessant in French), 18 miles (30km) off the coast of Le Conquet, is where you’ll find France’s most westerly point, Pointe de Pern. The island is well known for its lighthouses and treacherous seafaring heritage but especially for its indigenous sheep.(opposite Lands End)


The Isle of Ushant( Ouessant )to left of Brest

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