Stephen Allen

low shot from ahead, the relative height of the tower shrinks from this angle

Mike some shots of the Director tower - first pic in context of the overall build

G’day Dave Your father was a part of an outstanding anti-submarine team on Conn and as part of the 21st Escort Group. I will post a general shot of the progress to date when I post a photo of the bridge with Director shelter attached for Mike. I have completed the basic structure for this, so I will post some photos with dimensions once I have worked out how to get them onto my Imgur account. After that, I will sit back and watch Mike’s progress. Happy to keep you apprised of progress by separate means at later dates. cheers Steve

Hi Mike I am actually at the stage where I am building the director Tower/Captain's shelter onto the bridge so I am looking at every photo I can find online and in my references. From what I have seen the following Captains all had a director tower/shelter at some point in their career: Curzon, Cubitt, Essington, Conn, Ekins, Byron and possibly Halsted. There are three photos of Curzon sporting the shelter on the IWM site. These are, I think, the most informative I have found. There is one from the rear which shows both the overhang of the shelter structure beyond the aft bridge screen and what looks like an open rear end with a two rail enclosure. The enclosed overhang of the shelter comes right down to the level of the upper mast support, which is at the level of the flying bridges's lowest deck. There is also a shot of Curzon in broadside which is very helpful in estimating the overall length and height of the shelter and clearly shows the wind deflectors fitted to each level. It also shows a gap in the side which is presumably access to the CO's shelter section of the structure, which makes this part look a little like an old-fashioned church pulpit - from the photo it would appear to have a cut out in both sides. If you type HMS Curzon into the IWM search function you will find all three shots. I also think that the director section of the shelter was accessed from a ladder on the starboard side of the after bridge., at least for Conn. There is a nice shot (also IWM) of the Conn's CO standing with his fiancee in the starboard aft corner of the bridge, and just beside him is a ladder which disappears up and over the rear bridge screen - it has to lead to the top level of the shelter so I am assuming that there is also a door or cut out or whatever on that side of the shelter as well. One gap in my knowledge is precisely what director was installed, as none of the photos show more than a little blob. There also seems to be some variation in the shelters ship by ship - Ekins certainly looks like it has a fully enclosed rear section, although whether the enclosure is steel or painted canvas I couldn't tell. My Conn is starting to come along nicely though I must confess it is not the Trumpeter Buckley. It is a 1/72 scale RC semi-scratch build. If I can work out how, I will post a photo of the bridge with the tower installed - probably another couple of days. Mind you I have such confidence in my research to date I am going to make the tower removable, so I can scrap it and start again if or when a better photo or plan turns up! cheers and best wishes Steve

And as a quick postscript, if you check page 37 of your Almark DE book, you will see Ekins in Bermuda in her original US applied scheme. It was the pale blue (Thayer blue I would expect) and either pale grey or white disruptive scheme worn by most of the RN DEs on commissioning and work up and until taken in hand for alterations. You can clearly see the delineations on the side of the superstructure and weather screen. cheers Steve

Mike Great progress on your Ekins, and a couple of thoughts. I have wondered if the camouflage on Ekins in the couple of photos I have seen, shows an incomplete repaint into or out of the two tone scheme, and whether the scheme was something associated with Nore Command, in which Ekins spent her service. There is another photo of Ekins in the same scheme on the IWM site, (IWM A 26398) dated 12 November 44 (I think taken on the same day as the photo you posted) which is well after her completion and commissioning in Nov 43, after her refit at Pollocks dock (some weeks to do all the alterations required by the RN to Captains, from extended bilge keels, to upper deck depth storage rails, to the Director/shelter structure on the flying bridge, so repainting was clearly possible) and after earlier service with 3rd Escort Group. It seems to me improbable that she would still be in USN colours by Nov 44. I also wonder whether she has been caught in the act of repainting, as there are lighter colours cut in around the portholes on the forward superstructure, and lighter paint on the raft supports aft. Interestingly Peter Elliott (who served on Captains in the channel during the war), describes the two tone paint as a ‘Channel Scheme’, probably serving the same range confusion purpose as Ms 22 in the USN given these ships were sailing in range of shore batteries. I wouldn’t hazard a guess at the colours I am afraid. I also think you may wish to revisit the director shelter - it looks a bit wide in comparison both to the drawings in the Almark book by Peter Elliott and also to photographs of Captains with the shelter. The second photo of Ekins shows the rear of the tower to be about the width of the rangefinder platform it surrounds. It would also be open at the top on both levels, with a Venturi wind deflector screen around the top edge of each level. It would be great if there were larger and better drawings of the shelter, and the gun shields fitted to some Captains, but I haven’t found any. You may have guessed, I am building a Captain too, but HMS Conn in ‘45. best wishes with your excellent build! Steve