What is going on here?

Hi John,

'32 is making steady progress, hull sides are all nailed up and chines being made ready to go on, then just skin fittings to be replaced and gunwhale to be made and fitted.

'32 operated from Ramsgate and Dover on air sea rescue duties with these boats:

6  Jun 43    Operate from Ramsgate on air sea rescue duties with numbers 23-26, 29, 31, 37 & 38.

13 Jun 43   Numbers 23-25, 29, & 31 to Dover. Numbers 26, 33 & 38 operate from Ramsgate. No 32 at Ramsgate for repairs.

so as one of the boats is MASB twenty something perhaps the other boat is '32 or the 'cameraboat'?

who knows, I would prefer another pic of the whole of '32... 

Edited by clive

Hi Billy,

No, I think the 'S' meant she had 'ASDIC' fitted only because other boats (of other types too) which had the 'ASDIC' also had an 'S' prefix to their number.

Hi Clive,

 

Many thanks for the update, had a look on Newsons site and saw the new pics. Spent Thursday un-slipping Velo 2 the Rhine River gun boat, very good stuff, a great job on re-plating the bow section, nice clean and painted hull, new anodes plus works to the props and sundries.  Hope as I know I keep mentioning, that perhas a return to the south coast is on the cards, to Ramsgate harbour perhaps, though understand quite a haul and exspensive in fuel,  always a stop could be made at Chatham! though a 12 mile detour up the Medway which is a pain. She is really looking good, a tribute to the work of Newsons, looking forward to seeing Spitfire sorted and another piece of our maritime history back in shape.

 

Johnk

As far as I am aware "Seagull" was all A.S.R. Launches communication pre-cursor call sign followed by their number so there is no communication interface malfunction with say H.S.L.102 and M.T.B.102. would you agree Magic Fingers Going back to the picture it looks like a first installation , the chap stood next to the Boffin in the mac looks like a typical Shipyard Gaffer with his battered trilby which was/ is a sign of his Rank in a Shipyard and may be from the builders of the float, It could be a rare photo of the  Boffin (in the mac) who could be the Designer of it/them. S32 had the S designation throughout it's R.N. life even before A.S.R. work as a M.A.S.B. which had "ASDIC" fitted as confirmed by Christian if I remember correctly.

Hi folks.

Just to clarify some of the earlier posts.

ASR FLOATS or nicknamed CUCKOO. The picture shows No 10 being moored hence the boffin and the ASR launch. The boat at Irvine I believe has this number painted up (only one side was painted when I last visited perhaps they couldnt afford to paint all of her) but it is doubtful if she is ASR10.

SEAGULL was the official call sign for ASR craft during WW2. It bore no resemblence to the boats official RAF number and to the best of my knowledge was never painted on UK craft but it was sometimes painted on the transom of Far East craft. The  foredeck number was the official boat number with no prefix, and also a red and white chequer pattern. For 'D' day the boats involved carried a white five pointed star on the foredeck.