HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH in Grand Harbour, Malta

 

A cracker of a Charles Dixon showing the ramparts of Grand Harbour and the flagship of the British Mediterranean Fleet, HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH (Captain Wilfrid Egerton RN) hauling off the jetty and proceding slowly down harbour and out to sea.  All ships in harbour are dressed overall, white uniforms are the Rig of the Day and its high summer -  King George V's official birthday in June perhaps being the occasion for Dress Ship?

From the main flies the St George's Cross of Admiral Sir Frederick Field GCB KCMG and there to attend the sailing of the fleet flagship is the King's Harbour Master in his barge and a 'Delight of Dghajsas', almost certainly QE's loyal attendees who will miss the ship whilst she's away but will be there to look after her as soon she returns. As was the practice, a favoured one or two, freshly painted and gleaming, will probably be on the battleship's boat deck for use on the cruise.

QUEEN ELIZABETH had only recently arrived on Station after her first reconstruction in Portsmouth dockyard where her forrard funnel was trunked into the aft one thus increasing the space between funnel and bridge to the great benefit of the latter which since first commissioning had been smoked out with a wind from aft!  Other large undertakings in the refit were adding ant-torpedo bulges, a new and enlarged foretop and the mounting of a 15 inch director below the the top.  Apart from a brief return to the Atlantic Feet in 1929 the battleship was to remain with Med Fleet until 1937.