Contents: This album relates to the career of HMS Milford (1932) on the Africa Station between 1933-35. Photographs include on board views of officers and crew. Places include Freetown, Accra, Lagos, Durban and Kano. There are also many photographs of Africans including King Prempeh II (r.1931-1970).
The Navy List for 1933 lists an Alexander George Edward Tompkins serving as a Gunner on HMS Milford (1932) who was, presumably, the donor’s father. Born in Londonderry in 1904 he began his career as a ‘Mercury Boy’ in 1922, Gunner 1931, Lieutenant 1941, Lt Commander 1943, killed in an air raid 28/7/1944.
Launched in 1932, HMS Milford (1932) served on the Africa Station from 1933 – 42. She was Freetown based from 1939-40 taking part in Operation Menace. The same year she sank the French submarine Poncelet (1929). After several refits she returned to the UK in 1943 and was refitted as a submarine target ship and escort. She was broken up in 1949.

Inside front cover
Photograph 1: Chart showing Africa route of HMS Milford (1932), 1933.

Page 1
Photograph 2: View of officers and crew engaged in full calibre firing off Gibraltar, 18th January 1933.
Photograph 3: Sub-Lieutenant A E Sutcliffe, HMS Milford (1932), 1933.
Photographs 4 & 5: Two views of officers and crew engaged in sub-calibre firings off Freetown, 10th February 1933. Members of the West African Frontier Force present as spectators.

Page 2
Photograph 6: Coal and water barges alongside HMS Milford (1932), 1933.
Photograph 7: HMS Dorsetshire (1929) at anchor, September 1933.
Photographs 8 & 9: Two views of unidentified officers enjoying a bathe in a canvas ‘pool’, HMS Milford (1932), September 1933.

Page 3
Photograph 10: View of a shop front with the sign ‘Sympathetic Undertaker’, Freetown, January – February 1933.
Photograph 11: A young African wearing a top hat sailing in a dug-out canoe, Freetown, January – February 1933.
Photograph 12: An African ferry underway, Freetown, January – February 1933.
Photograph 13: An African market, Freetown, January – February 1933.

Page 4
Photographs 14 – 19: Six views of and from Christiansburg Castle, Accra, 1933.

Page 5
Photograph 20: Entrance to Christianburg Castle, Accra, 1933.
Photograph 21: View of wayside stalls, Accra, 1933.
Photographs 22 & 23: Officers with African crew underway in a ships surf boat, Accra, 1933.

Page 6
Photograph 24: HMS Milford (1932) at anchor, 1933.

Page 7
Photograph 25: View of HMS Milford (1932) from the beach, Lagos, March 1933.
Photograph 26: African market, Lagos, March 1933.
Photograph 27: Main Street, Lagos, March 1933.
Photograph 28: African fishermen casting nets, Lagos, March 1933.

Page 8
Photographs 29 & 30: Two views of the deck of HMS Milford (1932) after a tornado on 20th March 1933.
Photograph 31: An African woman with two babies posing for the camera, Accra, 1933.
Photograph 32: View of Christianburg Castle from a departing HMS Milford (1932), 1933.

Page 9
Photographs 33 – 36: Four views of villages while going up river to Sapele, Nigeria, March, 1933.

Page 10
Photographs 37 – 40: Four views of officers from HMS Milford (1932) trekking up Great Cameroon Mountain, 5th – 7th April, 1933.

Page 11
Photograph 41: View of Africans collecting water, British Cameroons, March – April 1933.
Photograph 42: Pupils and their teachers posing for the camera at the village school, British Cameroons, March – April 1933.
Photograph 43: African houses, British Cameroons, March – April 1933.
Photograph 44: Two African women teachers posing for the camera, March – April 1933.

Pages 12 & 13
Photographs 45 & 46: Two views of an unidentified Chief Petty Officer Gunner with a 3-pounder OF gun on pivot mount and a 4-inch QF MK V gun, HMS Milford (1932), Lagos, 16th March 1933.


Page 14
Photographs 47 – 50: Four views of a bathing party from HMS Milford (1932) with locals, Annobon Island, 19th April 1933.

Page 15
Photographs 51 – 54: Four views of the Crossing the Line ceremony, HMS Milford (1932), 19th April 1933.

Page 16
Photograph 55: see photograph 49.
Photographs 56 – 58: Three views of Cape Town including Synagogue, ca.1933.

Page 17
Photographs 59 & 60: Two views of the Governor and guests, Plantation House, St Helena, May 1933.
Photograph 61: Group photograph of naval officers and ratings outside Longwood, St Helena, May, 1933.
Photograph 62: The City Hall, Cape Town, 1933.

Page 18
Photograph 63: HMS Weston (1932) arriving at Saldanha Bay, 1933.
Photograph 64: HMS Rochester (1931) firing a salute for King George V’s birthday, June 1933.
Photograph 65: An African market at Buea, Cameroon, 1933.
Photograph 66: King Prempeh II (1892-1970), 1933.
Photograph 67: Royal Naval bugler posing for the camera (with bugle), HMS Milford (1932), Simonstown, 3rd June 1933.
Photographs 68 & 69: Two views of Kano, the walled city of Northern Nigeria, 1933.
Photograph 70: Naval officers being rowed by Africans, 1933.

Page 19
Photograph 71: View of landing party from HMS Milford (1932) approaching Simonstown, 20th July 1933.
Photograph 72: View from the Sanatorium, Simonstown, 1933.
Photograph 73: Captain H C Phillips, a Lieutenant, two Petty Officers and four ratings posing for the camera with a silver cup and holding a blackboard on which is written ‘HMS Milford Officers and Centenary Cup Winners 1933’.
Photograph 74: Seaforth Beach, Simonstown, 1933.

Page 20
Photographs 75 – 77: Three views of Durban, June – July 1933.

Page 21
Photographs 78 & 79: Two views of Zulu rickshaw boys, Durban, 1933.
Photograph 80: The racecourse on Handicap Day, Durban, 1933.
Photograph 81: A party of African convicts at work on Maydon Wharf, Durban, 1933.

Page 22
Photographs 82 – 85: Four views of Ascension Island, August 1933.


Pages 23 & 24
Photographs 86 -93: Eight views of Ascension Island including church and Eastern Telegraph Company buildings, 1933.

Page 25
Photographs 94 – 96: Three views of African women and children, Bathurst, September 1933.
Photograph 97: Government House, Bathurst, September 1933.

Page 26
Photograph 98: A group of young African men posing for the camera, 1933.
Photograph 99: The (naval?) cricket team at Sekondi, Ghana, 1933.
Photographs 100 & 101:Two views of naval divers exercising, Takoradi, Ghana, 1933.

Page 27
Photographs 102 -107: Six views of the reception of local African Chiefs and King Prempeh II at Kumasi Gold Coast, 1933.

Page 28
Photograph 108: A group of Africans posing for the camera, Cape Coast Castle, October 1933.
Photograph 109: Football team from HMS Milford (1932) landing, Cape Coast Castle, October 1933.
Photographs 110 & 111: Two views of Elmina Castle, 1933.

Page 29
Photographs 112- 113: Two views of Cape Coast Castle, 1933.
Photograph 114: An African man showing his tribal marks, 1933.
Photograph 115: Christianburg Castle, Accra, 1933.

Page 30
Photographs 116 – 118: Three views of African life in Lagos, 1933.
Photograph 119: View of naval officers at a swimming bath at Port Harcourt, 1933.

Page 31
Photographs 120 & 121: Two views of the dam at Mathdi, Belgian Congo, November 1933.
Photograph 122: View of some of the ship’s complement waiting for a train, Mathdi, November 1933.
Photograph 123: SS Leopoldville (1929) at anchor, Belgian Congo, November 1933. Took HMS Milford’s mail.

Page 32
Photographs 124 – 132: Various views of Freetown, Sapele, Bathurst and Lagos, 1933.

Page 33
Photograph 133: Trigger fish alongside HMS Milford (1932) at Ascension Island, 1933.
Photographs 134 & 135: Two views of village at Buea with ratings from HMS Milford (1932), Cameroon, 1933.
Photograph 136: View of an unidentified member of crew with a flying fish, HMS Milford (1932), 1933.
Photograph 137: Three African women, 1933.
Photograph 138: See photograph 136.
Photograph 139: Two naval officers ‘among the canes’, 1933.