A book titled ' The Life of Alfred The Great King of Wessex. The illustrious Anglo-Saxon ruler. The darling of the English people. Neither elated by prosperity nor depressed by adversity, but doing his duty in both.' London : Ward, Locke & Co., Salilsbury Square, E.C. 625 - 640 pgs. This booklet is one of a series of 53 ' Ward & Lock's Penny Books for the People.' 'Biographical Series.' Price one penny. There are also advertisements of note.books, biography, alfred the great, lydia chancellor, collection, alfred the great, king of wessex, the life of alfred the great, english history, anglo-saxons, book, books, person, male, individual, ward & lock's penny books for the people, ward & lock's penny biographies, penny books, advertisements, biographical series

A black and white photograph of Australian Navy Sea King Wessex helicopters prepare to take off the flight deck of the "Vung Tau Ferry" HMAS Sydney to carry out anti-submarine sweeps around the Sydney and her destroyer escort.photograph, hmas sydney, vung tau ferry, wessex (helicopter), gibbons collection catalogue

HMAS Melbourne (R21) was a Majestic-class light aircraft carrier of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). Operating from 1955 until 1982, she was the third and final conventional aircraft carrier to serve in the RAN. Melbourne was the only British Commonwealth naval vessel to sink two friendly warships in peacetime collisions. The ship was laid down for the British Royal Navy as the lead ship of the Majestic class in April 1943, and was launched as HMS Majestic (R77) in February 1945. At the end of World War II, work on the ship was suspended until she was purchased by the RAN in 1947. At the time of purchase, it was decided to incorporate new aircraft carrier technologies into the design, making Melbourne the third ship to be constructed with an angled flight deck. Delays in construction and integrating the enhancements meant that the carrier was not commissioned until 1955. Melbourne never fired a shot in anger during her career, having only peripheral, non-combat roles in relation to the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation and the Vietnam War. However, she was involved in two major collisions with allied vessels. On the evening of 10 February 1964, Melbourne collided with and sank HMAS Voyager when the Daring class destroyer altered course across her bow. Eighty-two of Voyager's crew were killed, and two Royal Commissions were held to investigate the incident. The second collision occurred in the early morning of 3 June 1969, when Melbourne collided with and sank the Allen M. Sumner class destroyer USS Frank E. Evans in similar circumstances. Seventy-four United States Navy (USN) personnel died, and a joint USN–RAN Board of Inquiry was held. These incidents, along with several minor collisions, shipboard accidents, and aircraft losses, led to the reputation that Melbourne was jinxed. Melbourne was paid off from RAN service in 1982. A proposal to convert her for use as a floating casino failed, and a 1984 sale was cancelled, before she was sold in 1985 and towed to China for breaking. The scrapping was delayed so Melbourne could be studied by the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) as part of a secret project to develop a Chinese aircraft carrier and used to train PLAN aviators in carrier flight operations. HMAS Melbourne was decommissioned on 30 June 1982, having spent 62,036 hours underway and having steamed 868,893 nautical miles. A proposal to convert her for use as a floating casino failed, and a 1984 sale was cancelled, before she was sold for scrap in 1985 and towed to China for breaking. The scrapping was delayed so Melbourne could be studied by the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) as part of a secret project to develop a Chinese aircraft carrier and used to train PLAN aviators in carrier flight operations.The pictorial history of HMAS Melbourne with rare photos. Now a scarce title and highly desirable title that is now long out of print. Has provenance history of all ships movements from 1955 till decommissioned.HMAS Melbourne 25 YearsOn the front page is a picture of HMAS Melbourne with the words at top "H.M.A.S. Melbourne. At bottom are the words in orange, '25 Years'. In white, are the words 'by Ross Gillett' then 'Forward by Rear Admiral G.G.O. Gatacre C.B.E. DSO. DSC & Bar, RAN'. On the rear page is a list of all the Captains that served on the HMAS Melbourne between 1955-1980.hmas melbourne, aircraft carrier, royal australian navy, australian navy, westland whirlwind, sea venom, fairy gannet, bristol sycamore, westland wessex, douglas skyhawk, grumman tracker, westland sea king, fleet air arm, hmas albatross, nowra

Denis Gibbons (1937 – 2011) Trained with the Australian Army, before travelling to Vietnam in January 1966, Denis stayed with the 1st Australian Task Force in Nui Dat working as a photographer. For almost five years Gibbons toured with nine Australian infantry battalions, posting compelling war images from within many combat zones before being flown out in late November 1970 after sustaining injuries. The images held within the National Vietnam Veterans Museum make up the Gibbons Collection.A black and white photograph of the naval ground crew preparing a Sea King helicopter for a Anti-submarine flight around Vung Tau Ferry HMAS Sydney. Sydney had entered Vietnamese waters and went on full alert as it headed for Vung Tau with the 9th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment.photograph, sea king helicopter, hmas sydney, vung tau ferry, 9th battalion, royal australian regiment, gibbons collection catalogue, denis gibbons, photographer, vietnam war, navy ground crew, vung tau

Denis Gibbons (1937 – 2011) Trained with the Australian Army, before travelling to Vietnam in January 1966, Denis stayed with the 1st Australian Task Force in Nui Dat working as a photographer. For almost five years Gibbons toured with nine Australian infantry battalions, posting compelling war images from within many combat zones before being flown out in late November 1970 after sustaining injuries. The images held within the National Vietnam Veterans Museum make up the Gibbons Collection. A black and white photograph of two Navy pilots from the Sea King anti-submarine helicopter on board "the Vung Tau Ferry" HMAS Sydney, delivering the 9th Battalion to war service. They prepare to take off on patrol once HMAS Sydney reached the waters off Vietnam.photograph, ran, wessex, hmas sydney, vung tau ferry, 9th battalion, anti-submarine, sea king, navy, denis gibbons, photographer, vietnam war, australian navy pilots, sea king anti-submarine