Archifdy Ceredigion Archives
MUSEUM COLLECTION

Acc. 2934

Ref: MUS/230/2

MUS/230/2: Photographs relating to Capt. Roberts’ professional career

MUS/230/2/1
Nine probably pre-WWII black and white photographs.
1. Passengers disembarking, handwritten on rear, ‘Lloyd George stepping ashore for the first time, during his visit to Rio’.
6 January 1928
2. Naval officer with bell-tents, handwritten on rear, ‘Haslan Naval Camp, Commander Rickie’.
3. Postcard print showing group of naval officers and one cleric or academic, on board a pre-WWII naval vessel, probably an armoured cruiser. The cleric could conceivably be the Rev W.T. Rees, naval chaplain 1914-1918 and a connection of Roberts’ wife.
Pencil calculations on rear.
4. Civilian couple on board ship, caption, ’21. H.R.H.’.
5. Unidentified merchant marine officer.
6. A young R.W. Roberts in whites on board ship.
7. A young R.W. Roberts posed with a clerical passenger (W.T. Rees?).
8. A young R.W. Roberts posed with male and female passengers.
9. Black soldiers with motor transport, including an Albion motor, stamp on reverse, ‘Orontes Cruise to Rabaul (Papua New Guinea)
June-July 1939’.

MUS/230/2/2
Fourteen black and white photographs, many of which record scenes from the invasion of Madagascar and its aftermath, the remainder probably originated in WWII.
1. Rather sepia-tinted image of Captain Roberts with a sailor, in ink on rear, ‘Commodore Madagascar Convoy April 1942 in command of S.S. Oronsay’.
April 1942
2-7. Six photographs of coast and vessels, three of which have pencil notes: ‘Diego Suarez’; ‘Cliff at entrance to Diego Suarez’; ‘Corvette mined Courier Bay, Auricala(?)’.
1942
8-9. Informal group portrait of a group of four naval and merchant marine officers, including captain/commodore Roberts, on board ship (two copies).
10. View of naval officers seated at a table (on board ship?), attended by military policemen, with men in half uniform, possibly prisoners aboard the Oronsay in 1942.
11. Professional photograph of lifeboat with a miscellaneous crew of sailors and nurses, print from W. and P. Bains, Vice-Regal Photographer.
12-14. Three photographs of an all male crossing-the-line ceremony. This is likely to be wartime or else on board a troopship (Roberts appears to have served on the Empire Orwell in 1951 (see MUS/230/1/10/1/14).

MUS/230/2/3
Photographs and other images of ships. All are black and white except where stated otherwise. NB. See MUS/230/1/9/1 for photograph of Samkansa.

MUS/230/2/3/1: Postcard views of Orient Steam Navigation Company ships.

MUS/230/2/3/1/1
Pre-WWII postcards.
1. S.S. Orsova, 12,000 tons, 1909-1926.
2-3. S.S. Orama, 20,000 tons, 1924-1940. Two copies.
Roberts is known to have served aboard the Orama in 1930-31.
4. S.S. Otranto, 20,000 tons, 1927-1957.

MUS/230/2/3/1/2
Post-WWII postcards.
1. R.M.S. Otranto, 20,000 tons, 1927-1957.
2-8. R.M.S. Orcades, 28,000 tons, 1948-1972.

MUS/230/2/3/2
National Maritime Museum colour postcard: H.M.S. Victory at Sea, 1793, Monamy Swaine.

MUS/230/2/3/3
Large format photograph of a wrecked liner or cargo ship half awash and on its side, just offshore.

MUS/230/2/3/4
Photographs of the Otranto and related images. Most appear to have been taken in Sydney and, given that a related photograph shows a tanker launched in 1954, they are likely to belong towards the end of Roberts’ period in command, c. 1954-56.
1. Otranto or similar vessel at anchor, coast in background.
2. Otranto lit up at night at quayside.
3. Portrait view of Otranto in port. Stamp on reverse of ‘C.E. Wakeford, Photographer, 29 Albert Parade, Ashfield’, probably a Sydney address.
4-5. Otranto or similar vessel tied up at quay, Sydney Harbour Bridge in background. Two copies.
6. Otranto or similar vessel passing under Sydney Harbour Bridge, tug in attendance, coloured portrait photograph.
7. Photograph taken from similar point of view as previous showing the Ampol tanker William G. Walkely. Named for the Australian oil company’s founder, this vessel was launched in 1954. Stamp on reverse of, ‘Martime Studios, 181 George Street, Sydney’.

MUS/230/2/3/5
Photographs showing two launch ceremonies at the Barrow shipyards. The ships involved could be the Orcades and Oronsay, both launched from this yard, in 1948 and 1951 respectively, Roberts’ being appointed to both during their fitting-out.
1-2. are two copies of a photograph of a launching party on an open air platform, the ship’s prow in the foreground, shipyard sheds in the background. Reverse has stamp of, ‘The Barrow News & Mail Ltd.’ 3. is similar, but the platform is now covered, hinting that it is later than 1-2 in the post-War austerity years.

MUS/230/2/3/6
Photographs of the near sister ships Orcades (1948-1972) and Oronsay (1951-1975).
1-2. Snapshots showing Orcades or Oronsay leaving harbour, foreground has first figure with dog, then dog alone.
3. Professionally composed image showing Orcades or Oronsay entering harbour, waterside park in foreground.
4. Orcades tied up. Reverse has stamp with symbols that appear to be Chinese or Japanese and the numbers, 34, 11, 21. The port may be Kobe, as the following caption is preserved in this collection, ‘R.M.S. “Orcades”, Kobe, at Pier Q & R’, part of a display concerned with the ship’s visit to that port in November 1959 (MUS/230/2/10/1).
5. Orcades tied up in an eastern port (palm trees visible).
6. Large format portrait view of Oronsay. Stamp on reverse of, ‘C.E. Wakeford, Photographer, 29 Albert Parade, Ashfield’. Second stamp of Orient Line, ‘first trans-Pacific voyage by R.M.S. Oronsay, January 1954, free for reproduction (but acknowledgement to Orient Line required).
January 1954
7. Portrait photograph of Oronsay.
8. Aerial view of Oronsay underway in open waters. Stamp of Skyfotos, Lympne Airport, on reverse.

MUS/230/2/3/7
Night-time photograph taken from the Oronsay of a liner passing by, all lights ablaze.

MUS/230/2/4
Three-quarter length portrait of unidentified marine officer. Annotation in pencil, ‘Robert 1949’

MUS/230/2/5
1-16. Sixteen snapshots, groups of ship’s officers and uniformed women, all in whites, posed on deck outside timbered ship’s wheelhouse. Includes four shots of Roberts alone, standing.

MUS/230/2/6
1-2. Two photographs of a shipboard memorial service conducted by Roberts, who is about to cast an anchor-shaped wreath into the sea.

MUS/230/2/7
1-3. Three photographs, one damaged, showing an operation in which a child is raised to or lowered from a ship from or into a motorboat.

MUS/230/2/8
1-3. Two photographic prints, with a negative for one, showing officers, one Roberts himself, in an unidentified cabin or wardroom.

[bold:MUS/230/2/9
Photographs of Prince Phillip.
1-2. Studio portrait. Two copies.
3-4. Processing down the streets with attendants and policeman. Barratts’ photopress stamp on reverse. Two copies.

MUS/230/2/10
Fourteen photographs showing the visits of Japanese women in traditional dress to cruise liners. Some of these are likely to have formed part of a display; the collection includes three captions:
1. ‘R.M.S. “Orcades”, Kobe, at Pier Q & R’ (see MUS/230/2/3/6/4);
2. ‘Miss Yoko Tanaka (sea Queen)’, leaving the Kobe Press Building for a parade through Kobe City (1);
3. ‘R.M.S. “Orcades” �" Pacific Voyage No. 45 at Kobe, 10 November 1959.
4. Miss Kobe stands crowned in an open top car (see 2).
5. Three Japanese women with Captain Roberts on board the Orcades (3).
6. Two Japanese women seated with Captain Roberts on board the Orcades.
7. Captain Roberts and Japanese woman, ship unknown.
8. Roberts on a stage with group of Japanese women, probably on the Oronsay.
9-12. Four photographs taken on board the Orcades. Two (9-10) show a group posed on deck, the others (11-12) Captain Roberts below decks with two women.
13-17. Five photographs taken on board the Oronsay. One (13) shows a group of officers and women on deck, one (14) shows a similar group posed below and the remainder (15-17) show Roberts welcoming women individually.

MUS/230/2/11
Five photographs showing visitors from Friendly Isles or South Seas Islands and associated functions on board.
1-3. Three portraits of young woman in ‘traditional’ dress.
4. Party in ceremonial ‘traditional’ dress.
5. Portrait of woman in ‘traditional’ dress with ukulele.

MUS/230/2/12
1-4. Four photographs of a function either on a ship commanded by Captain Roberts or one attended by him. On reverse stamp of Times of Ceylon.

MUS/230/2/13
1-3. Three photographs showing a drinks function, reverse with stamp of Smiling Snaps of Sydney.

MUS/230/2/14
Photographs from South Seas cruises.
1. Group portrait of officers, gentlemen and women. Stamp on reverse, ‘S.S. Oronsay’, Orient Line Cruise to Brisbane, Barrier Reef etc.
24 June-7 July 1958.
2. Photograph of ship’s officers with garlands, printed as a postcard, on reverse stamps of a Sydney photographer and Orient Line Sea Photo Service, Cruise No. 29 to Hayman Island, Fiji and Tonga, May 1960(?).
3-4. View from above of banquet table. Two copies. Stamp for same Orient Line cruise as above.

MUS/230/2/15
Thirteen photographs printed as postcards on ‘Gevaert’ card, showing a variety of shipboard social events. One (1) bears only the stamp of a Sydney photographer, another four (2-5) have Sea Photo Service stamps for Hayman Island, Fiji and Tonga cruise, May 1960. Several marked ‘Captain’ in pencil on reverse. Roberts is shown in a variety of situations, but only appears relaxed in the company of an older man
May 1960

MUS/230/2/16
Miscellaneous shipboard or similar, post war.

MUS/230/2/16/1
Officers or officials.
1. Roberts with three unidentified officers.
2. Roberts(?) with unidentified officer.
3. Roberts on watch. Handwritten on reverse, ‘To R.W. Roberts from Roger May(?).
4. Roberts with unidentified officer, dockside.
5. Roberts with unidentified officer.
6. Roberts on the bridge with visitor.

MUS/230/2/16/2
Social occasions.
1-2. Roberts with civilians, printed as postcards.
3. ‘Noses’. Stamp of South China Morning Post on reverse.
4. ‘Shaking hands’.
5-7. ‘Important bodies’.
8. ‘At the party’.
9-10. Roberts with partner at official function.

MUS/230/2/16/3
With passengers.
1-2. Snapshots of Roberts with three small children, the girls in tartan skirts.
3. Snapshot of party by the rail.
4. Group of six men behind drinks table, background of flags.
5. Roberts with four women.
6. Roberts below decks with bright middle aged things.
7. Colour photograph, Roberts with young woman and sailor, in card gatefold mount, ‘A Peter Fox Colour Print’.
8. Colour snapshot, Roberts with two women.
August 1961

MUS/230/2/16/4
Six square format photographic prints.
1. Roberts at the microphone. Stamped, ‘Taken on board S.S. Orcades’.
2. Roberts, four other men and one woman.
3. Informal group of ship’s company, including chefs.
4-6. Roberts with passengers under awning, one in each of first two images wears same distinctive hat.

MUS/230/2/16/5
Four larger format photographs.
1-3. Roberts socialises with passengers or dignitaries.
4. Posed group of stewards with (married?) couple.

MUS/230/2/17
Photographs taken on board the Oronsay.

MUS/230/2/17/1
Oronsay 1954.
1. Roberts with young women in fancy dress. On reverse, ‘Fancy dress costumes 1954’, and cancelled Orient Line stamp, ‘First trans-Pacific voyage by R.M.S. Oronsay’.
January 1954
2. Roberts shakes hands at the microphone. Orient Line stamp on reverse.
1954

MUS/230/2/17/2
Photographs with Orient Line stamps for Oronsay’s cruise to New Zealand.
24 December 1957-4 January 1958
1. Roberts in full fig on deck.
2-4. Roberts with men and women in white, formal group.
5-6. Roberts with and women in white, informal group.

MUS/230/2/17/3.
Photographs with Orient Line stamps for Oronsay’s cruise to South Seas.
24 June-7 July 1958
1-2. Group at the Captain’s table, Roberts at head. Two copies.
3-8. Roberts at centre of group of standing uniformed men, women disposed at their feet in a manner reminiscent of Manet’s Déjeuner sur l’herbe.

MUS/230/2/17/4
Photographs with Sea Photo Service (Sydney) stamp for Oronsay’s Christmas voyage 1958-59. These show groups on deck below awnings.
1958-1959
1. Resigned Roberts with officer and passengers. ‘Captain’ in pencil on reverse.
2. Smiling officer with smiling woman.
3-5. The gathering from above.
6-7. Group portrait.

MUS/230/2/17/5
1-2. Two prints of large format photograph with Australian Photographic Agency stamps on reverse, showing uniformed staff posed against wall of dining room. One has, ‘Chefs and Waiters in Oronsay Xmas 1958’, on reverse.

MUS/230/2/17/6
Undated photographs taken on board Oronsay.
1-7. The Captain’s table or tables at which the Captain is seated. 7 has (semi-legible) list identifying subjects on reverse.
8-19. Various passengers or notables posed at ship’s wheel with captain.
20. A laughing Roberts dances.
21. Roberts cuts a child’s birthday cake.
22-23. Groups including Roberts.
24-31. Groups, couples and individuals posed in front of Oronsay’s name sign. One (24) has Sydney Morning Herald stamp on reverse, in another (26) the Sydney Harbour Bridge is in the background. One image (31) is a negative.

MUS/230/2/18
Five photographs of Hawaii and possibly of other North American locations. These may date to Samkansa’s voyage touching at Portland and San Francisco in December 1945-January 1946 (see MUS/230/1/9/7).
1. Street in downtown Honolulu.
2. Museum with car, palm tree in background.
3. Church with car and palm tree.
3.25pm
4. (Different) Church with palm tree.
5. Waterfront town beset with snow and punctuated with pine trees, from ship’s bridge with signal lamp.
6. House in snow with pine trees and cars.

MUS/230/2/19
Large format publicity or commemorative photographs.

MUS/230/2/19/1
Fourteen Keystone Press pictures.
1951-1952
1. Engineer in engine room. On reverse address of a Mr A. Fraser of Upminster, Essex.
2. Sailor cleaning an Oronsay life belt.
3. Fire-hose practice at sea.
4. Officers discussing a chart, identified on reverse as Captain T. Shurrock and Trinity House Pilot Maltby.
5. A game of cards in the mess. Players named on reverse as P. Brady of Glasgow, E. Ashman of Gravesend, W. Seabrook of London and W. Rogers of Margate.
6. Crewman with hatchet in protective helmet.
7. Crewmen cleaning ship.
8. Two cooks at work, named on reverse as Mr C. Mullins of Cambridge and Mr A. Williamson of Upper Norwood.
9. Telephonist at work at exchange, named on reverse as Miss Evans of London.
10. Engineer monitoring dynamo controls, named on reverse as J.A. Saunders of Barrow-in-Furness.
11. Roberts with two landsmen, one named on reverse as Mr Morris, the Naval Architect, Oronsay name sign in background. Roberts is given as S/Comdr., with address at The Vicarage, Icklesham. Roberts’ connection with Icklesham is not likely to have outlasted 1952 (see MUS/230/1/10) and Oronsay was launched in 1951, placing the photograph in the period 1951-1952.
12. Roberts with Murray and others (see previous).
1951-1952
12. Officer, named as Captain T.L. Shurrock, with navigational instrument (radar?).
13. Naval chemist at work in laboratory, identified as Webber of Beckenham.

MUS/230/2/19/2
Portrait of ship’s officers in whites, including one woman, Roberts l. of centre front row.

MUS/230/2/19/3
Gym or deck court on board unidentified liner.

MUS/230/2/19/4
Roberts and one other at table on Orontes or Oronsay. Daily Express stamp on reverse.

MUS/230/2/19/5
Roberts, pipers etc. and crate of whiskey. Note on reverse, ‘On board Orontes at Sydney, May 25th 1960 (presentation of “samples” to Australian Scottish delegation on Sailing Day’. Australian Consolidated Press stamp also on reverse.

MUS/230/2/19/6
Mounted group portrait of Oronsay’s officers or senior staff (includes four women). Roberts is in front row beside lifebelt. Reverse has stamp of C. E. Wakeford of Ashford, Sydney.

MUS/230/2/19/7
1-2. Two shipboard photographs showing Roberts flanked by young women and banked by their bouquets. 1 has Courier Mail stamp on reverse.

MUS/230/2/20
Photographs and other images of holiday locations and events.

MUS/230/2/20/1
Two postcards.
1. Postcard of Taormina, Sicily.
2. Postcard: Murray Views No. 30. Narrow Neck, Southport (Queensland). Message on reverse reads, ‘”Coolosie” �" our house is in the centre over the words ‘-row Neck’’.

MUS/230/2/20/2
Photographs of Mediterranean or Adriatic locations.
1. City on a bay, mountains rising steeply behind.
2. The same or similar city, waterfront view framed by arch.
3. Resort beach in cove.
4. Distant view from hill or mountain of town on coast below.
5. Threshing with children, donkey and pony.
6. Alley in town (balconies and washing lines).
7. Traditional dancing in restaurant or ball room.
8. High Gothic cloister or loggia.
9. Twin thrones on dais under canopy with festoons.

MUS/230/2/20/3
Two snapshots.
1. Classical ruins.
2. Open air gathering of men.

MUS/230/2/20/4
Photographs of a presentation ceremony involving a jockey, presumably at a race meeting. The dress of those involved hints at an Australian setting.
1-4. The cup is presented, the jockey’s hand is shaken and a wreath lifted, grandstand in background.
5-6. Captain Roberts lines up with jockey, owner (holding cup) and another. Two copies.

MUS/230/2/21
Portraits and other pictures of Captain Roberts.

MUS/230/2/21/1
Early photographs.
1-2. Two head and shoulders views of Roberts in casual uniform (open-neck shirt, no tie).
3. Full length on board ship, only one medal ribbon row.
4-5. Three-quarter length, one medal ribbon row, telescope and/or binoculars.

MUS/230/2/21/2
On board the Oronsay.
1. Full length snapshot in whites, note on reverse, ‘Pacific, Jan 1954’.
January 1954
2. Three-quarter length in whites, Orient Line stamp on reverse, ‘First trans-Pacific voyage by R.M.S. Oronsay, January 1954’.
January 1954
3. Full length in whites at binnacle.
4-5. Head and shoulders and three quarter length, stamp of Melbourne Herald-Sun on reverse.
6-8. Sequence of three three-quarter length shots, Oronsay sign backdrop.
9-13. Sequence of increasingly jovial head and shoulders shots, Oronsay sign backdrop.

MUS/230/2/21/3
New Zealand Herald-stamped photographs with covering letter.
1. Letter from Union Line of New Zealand to Roberts sent with five copies of photograph that had appeared in the New Zealand Herald.
2-6. Five copies of head and shoulders portrait of Roberts, three glossy, two matt.
7-8. Roberts in whites standing at a consol.

MUS/230/2/21/4
General photographs.
1. Head and shoulders portrait.
2-4. In uniform at table, sequence, with duplicate.
5-6. In dress whites, standing before door marked ‘To Surgery Only’.
7-8. At binnacle on deck, negative and non-matching print.
9. Thoughtful on deck, blurred waterfall in background,

MUS/230/2/21/5
Three portraits in gatefold mounts.
1. Three-quarter length in uniform by Maurice Wright(?) of Barrow. Roberts is thought to have been involved in the final fitting out/working up of the Orcades and Oronsay at Barrow in 1948 and 1951-52.
2-3. Two portraits from Allan Studios, apparently from the same sitting. In civilian dress in both, Roberts alternatively cogitates on a pipe (2) and adopts a film star pose (3).
1954