King Class Gallery

Australian Navy on locomotive No.6021 King Richard II, 1945

A group of visitors from the Australian Navy pose for this photograph on top of locomotive No.6021 King Richard II. The officers and sailors from H.M.A.S Australia were on a visit to Swindon Works on July 13th 1945 whilst their ship was docked at Plymouth awaiting repairs. Their ship was heavily involved in the war effort throughout South East Asia until she was forced to withdraw for repairs in early 1945. She arrived at Plymouth on July 2nd 1945 for a major refit and remained there until December of that year. In this formal photograph the locomotive is decorated with both the British and Australian flags and standing in the centre of the group in the trilby hat is the GWR Chief Mechanical Engineer F. W. Hawksworth

© STEAM Museum of the GWR