Navy officer operating the periscope on HMS ANCHORITE

Photographer Gervaise Churchill Purcell (1919-1999)

Date1946-1962

Object numberANMS1404[064]

NameNegative

MediumCellulose (nitrate or acetate) negative, black and white

DimensionsOverall: 100 x 125 mm

ClassificationsPhotographs

Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Leigh Purcell

Terms

DescriptionThis photograph depicts an officer operating the periscope while being interviewed by a civilian man, inside the Royal Navy submarine HMS ANCHORITE. The civilian man is probably from Amalgamated Wireless Australasia (AWA). The officer's sleeve insignia indicate the rank of Lieutenant. A seated crew member, wearing a roll neck pull over, is visible in the foreground, amongst the submarine's various controls and equipment.HistoryHMS ANCHORITE was an Amphion-class submarine of the Royal Navy. It was built by Vickers Armstrong of Barrow-in-Furness and launched in January 1946. It was designed for service in the Pacific and in June 1953, ANCHORITE took part in the Fleet Review. In 1960, the submarine hit an uncharted rock in the Hauraki Gulf near Auckland, New Zealand. Between 1955 and 1960, sections of the vessel were rebuilt.SignificanceThese photographic negatives were taken by Australian commercial photographer Gervaise Purcell from the late 1940s to the early 1960s. They represent his work for clients such as swimwear manufacturer Jantzen, as well as retail giants David Jones and Hordern Brothers, cruise ship operators the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O), radio technology manufacturer Amalgamated Wireless Australasia (AWA) and tourism operator Ansett Airways. Many of the images were taken with a Graflex Crown Graphic camera in the 1950s.