HMS Ajax & River Plate Veterans Association

 

Cruiser - First Commission

15 April 1935 at Portsmouth (sailed 11 June 1935)

to August 1937 (arrived Portsmouth 29 July 1937)

001 launch of Ajax at Barrow

Launch of Ajax at Barrow - 1st March 1934

Images from the First Commission

002 Ajax at barrow

Ajax at Barrow

003 goodbye portsmounth

Leaving Portsmouth on 11th June 1935 having been Commissioned 15th April 1935

193 Synopsis of First Commission

Synopsis of First Commission

131 Spring cruise, 1937 061 Autumn Cruise 1936 188 Coronation Day at Trinidad

Coronation Day King George VI

Trinidad - 12th May 1937

ajax crest 1

The whole of the First Commission is recorded in a book called"Grippo" - The Voyage of Ajax 1935~37 A Record of the First Commission of H.M.S. Ajax, April 1935 - August 1937, on the Mediterranean and America and West Indies Stations.

Grippo was a shibboteth (password) of the Ajax and refers to getting a free meal or similar ashore.

 

The book can be viewed at the following links:

Cover to page 9 Pages 10 to 37 Pages 38 to 65 Pages 66 to 91 Pages 92 to 115 Pages 116 to 141 Pages 142 to 169 Pages 170 to 191 Pages 192 to 219 Pages 220 to 245 Pages 246 to 273 Pages 274 to end