This screen grab from an IWM film shows an aircraft carrier moored at Holt’s Wharf.
Usually they have been photographed anchored mid-stream in the harbour.
Are there any ground level or closer views of an aircraft carrier at Holt’s Wharf?
Holt's Wharf-liberation aircraft carrier moored-1945
Primary tabs
Submitted by IDJ
Date picture taken (may be approximate):
Saturday, September 15, 1945
Gallery:
Connections:
- Holt's Wharf-liberation aircraft carrier moored-1945 shows Place Holt's Wharf [1910-c.1971]
Comments
September 1945
Noted the month but cannot confirm whether or not the screenshot shows HMS Striker. The carrier arrived at Holt's Wharf on 18 September 1945 and took on liberated internees and others for Australia. The planned departure date from Holt's Wharf was 25 September.
Writing Numbers
Greetings! This may be entirely unrelated or a wild guess. I remember in my Hong Kong days, some people write the number 5 that looks like an 8. Regards, Peter
HMS Indomitable (or Venerable?)
The carrier is definitely not HMS Striker, because she was a small escort carrier converted from a merchantman. It looks to me to be an Illustrious or Implacable class aircraft carrier. HMS Indomitable (of the former class) was part of the liberating fleet in 1945 - according to both this link:
http://www.combinedfleet.com/HongKongEMB.htm
and this one:
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205161637
The combinedfleet link indicates that the Colossus-class carrier HMS Venerable was present in the same fleet; I am not eagle-eyed enough to tell them apart, but I would guess given its lengthy dimensions that the ship in this photograph is Indomitable. This link shows Indomitable with Kowloon in the background. It also shows HMS Swiftsure, in which Admiral Harcourt flew his flag.