How do you find out?

Nina,
That sort of info would be in the series of wartime Army files called General Return on the Strength of the British Army. These were both weekly and monthly. I have info compiled from some of these files, but it's by no means comprehensive. I'll have a look for Scottish Command and see what turns up for Strathaven.

 

http://www.navsource.org/archives/04idx.htm

A great set of official photos of USN warships in WW2.

I am firming to USS Oakland itself, the only one with black topped funnels.

T.A, photos of San Diego & its sister ship still show the 2 "side" turrets late war?

 

Nina, if the ship in the photo is the Oakland, examining the service record of the Oakland to identify the times and places it may have served alongside British ships might provide some clues to your Uncle Fred's service.

According to the U.S. Navy's Naval Historical Center, the Oakland spent part of 1945 protecting aircraft carriers during the battle of Okinawa and during air strikes against the Japanese Home Islands. The Oakland was also present in Tokyo Bay when Japan surrendered on September 2, 1945.

The Fleet Air Arm Archive website includes a list of all Allied warships which were present in Tokyo Bay during the Japanese surrender ceremony on September 2, 1945. A page on the U.S. Navy, Naval Historical Center website shows U.S Navy and British Pacific Fleet warships anchored in Tokyo Bay a few days before the surrender ceremony.

If the ship in your photo is the Oakland, perhaps your Uncle Fred served aboard a British warship which was either present in Tokyo Bay for the Japanese surrender, or perhaps encountered the Oakland during British Pacific Fleet operations off the Japanese Home Islands or Okinawa during 1945.

 

Late in the war the Oakland was part of Cruiser Division (Crudiv) 16. The other ships in this unit were:

Alaska, Guam, San Diego, St. Louis and, Flint. Normally, CruDiv 16 was part of TF 58.4 The Oakland was detached along with the Flint in early April 45 but stayed in the Eastern Pacific.

The Royal Navy had the following cruisers in the Pacific at this time in TF 57:

Swiftsure, Black Prince, Euryalus and, Argonaut.
So, if your grandfather was on a cruiser it was one of these four.

Both Task Forces operated extensively off Okinawa during this period and later off Japan up through the surrender.

 

Thanks for the great advice, T.A. and Deep Web Diver. At least now I have some extra clues about my family. I will be sure to let you know what I find out!

Nina

 

The Destroyers that served in the British Pacific Fleet (TF 57/37) were:
Barfleur, Caesar, Cavendish, Grenville, Kempenfelt, Napier(RAN), Nepal(RAN), Nizam(RAN), Norman(RAN), Quadrant, Quality, Queenborough, Quiberon(RAN), Quickmatch(RAN), Quilliam, Teazer, Tenacious, Termagant, Terpischore, Troubridge, Tumult, Tyrian, Ulster, Ulysses, Undaunted, Undine, Urania, Urchin, Ursa, Wager,Wakeful, Wessex, Whelp, Whirlwind, Wrangler

Cruisers were:
Achilles(RNZN), Argonaut,Bermuda, Black Prince, Euralyus, Gambia(RNZN), Newfoundland, Swiftsure, Uganda(HMCS).

Apart from random passings, small Groups of RN ships joined USN task forces in bombardments of the Japanese mainland. On 17-18 July 1945 KGV with HMAS Quiberon & HMS Quality, On 29-30 July KGV withs HMS' Ulysses, Undine & Urania.

RN Ships in Tokyo Bay on 2 Sept 1945 were, BB Duke of York, DD's HMS'Wager, Whelp, Wizard & HMAS' Bataan & Warramunga plus support shipping.