AVG-37 (later ACV-37 and CVE-37) was initially named Bastian for a bay on the Mississippi delta, in Plaquemines Parish, La., facing the Gulf of Mexico (NS0303724).

Reassigned to the Royal Navy, she was earmarked to become HMS Lucifer, but her name was changed to Trumpeter before she was completed. A trumpeter is a person who proclaims, commends, or extols something loudly or widely. Arguably, Trumpeter also refers to the High Lord Admiral.

(Map courtesy of Google Maps. Ship's badge courtesy of Tommy Trampp.)

HMS Trumpeter officers at Portland, Oregon, July 1943.

Tony Drury, Royal Navy Escort Carriers, comments: "The senior officer far left is Capt. K.S. Colquhoun RN commanding officer HMS Trumpeter[, May 1943–May 1945]. I suspect there may be someone more senior in the center but the flash has obscured his rank. I wonder why the ratings have their caps off?"

The escort aircraft carrier HMS Trumpeter (D09), ex-Bastian (CVE-37) at rest in the Atlantic, September 1943. Photo by an unknown Royal Navy official photographer.

HMS Trumpeter (D09), ex-U.S. Bastian (CVE-37), at anchor, location and date unknown.

As she nears the United Kingdom, HMS Trumpeter (D09) is shown with a cargo of P-51Bs (Mustangs) for the US Army Air Force. While wild weather prevails, her gunners are fully prepared for air and submarine attacks.

Imperial War Museums Admiralty Official Collection, Photo No. © IWM (A 21863).

A Fairey Barracuda T.R. Mk. II of No. 821 NAS makes a rocket-assisted take-off from the flight deck of HMS Trumpeter (D09).

Photo by unknown Royal Navy official photographer. Photograph A 27060 from the collections of the Imperial War Museums. This image was created and released by the Imperial War Museums on the IWM Non Commercial Licence.

View of HMS Trumpeter (D09) looking aft from the bow. The U.S. Bogue-class small island structure and lattice are seen here. The carrier is ferrying aircraft, which have had their propellers and outer wing panels removed, in order to load more aircraft.

Australian War Memorial, Photo No. 302493.

Trumpeter ferried aircraft from New York to the Clyde twice, in late 1943–early 1944.

A Royal Navy Grumman Avenger Mk.I of No.846 Naval Air Squadron, Fleet Air Arm lands on the escort carrier HMS Trumpeter (D09), circa 1944. Note the carrier's SK-1 radar. Photo taken by an unknown Royal Navy official photographer. Photo # A 24282 from the collections of the Imperial War Museums.

Photo taken from HMS Trumpeter (D09) in January 1944. The ship is in a convoy, crossing the Atlantic, and shows the majesty of North Atlantic gale sea condition.

Imperial War Museums, Admiralty Official Collection, Photo No. © IWM A21869.

HMS Trumpeter (D09) drydocked at Rosyth, Scotland, 4 June 1944. Photo, looking up from the stern, shows the anti-aircraft platforms jutting out from the stern, just under the flight deck.

Imperial War Museums (IWM), Admiralty Official Collection, photo © IWM (A 24056).

Wildcat Mk Vs and Avengers of 846 Sqd. aboard HMS Trumpeter off the Norwegian coast in summer 1944. Note invasion stripes, indicating that the image was taken in mid-summer 1944, after the beginning of the D-Day landings.

Photo and text from 100 Years of British Naval Aviation, by Christopher Shores.

A Grumman Wildcat (JV579) of No. 846 Squadron from HMS Trumpeter (D09). No.846 Squadron was embarked on Tracker (D24) and Trumpeter. Photo source unknown.

From British Naval Aircraft Since 1912, by Owen Thetford. Sixth revised edition. Pub. by Putnam Aeronautical Books, an imprint of Conway Maritime Press Ltd., 24 Bride Lane, Fleet Street, London EC4Y 8DR. ISBN 0 851770941.

As seen from HMS Trumpeter (D09), HMS Nabob (D77) slowly (∼10 knots) makes her way back to base.

Source: Imperial War Museums (IWM) Admiralty Official Collection, by Hudson, F.A., (Lt), Photo No. © IWM (A 25369).

As seen from HMS Fencer (D64), HMS Trumpeter (D09) is underway in October 1944, conducting flight operations. An Avenger torpedo-bomber has just launched.

Imperial War Museums Admiralty Official Collection, by Mason, H.A. (Lt), Photo No. © IWM A 26131.

A Grumman Avenger ("G") of No. 846 Squadron, Fleet Air Arm, returning to HMS Trumpeter, 14 October 1944 (Operation Lycidas, minelaying off Haarhamsfjord, Lepsorev, Ramsoysund, and a strike on shipping at Frohavet—Norway—in company with HMS Fencer). The members of crew can be clearly seen in the cockpit.

HMS Trumpeter (ex-Bastian, CVE-37) refueling the Flower-class corvette HMS Honeysuckle (K27) in a very icy Kola Inlet.

Imperial War Museums, Admiralty Official Collection, Photo No. © IWM A28203.

A motor-boat from HMS Trumpeter (D09) working its way through the ice after the carrier's arrival at the Kola Inlet, Russia, March 1945. Trumpeter had been a part of the escort for convoy JW65. Photo taken by an unknown Royal Navy official photographer. Photo # A 28206 from the collections of the Imperial War Museums.

Undated photo of an escorting Russian Naval tug assisting the HMS Trumpeter's (D09) motor boat (the same as above?) through the Kola Harbor ice on the carrier's arrival.

Photo # A 28205 from the collections of the Imperial War Museums, Admiralty Official Collection.

Operation Judgement, May 4, 1945, an attack on the U-boat base at Kilbotn, near Harstad, Norway. This proved to be the last offensive operation by the Home Fleet, as the war in Europe ended just a few days later.

The main targets of the attack are, in fact, hidden behind water columns and smoke in the center of the photo. They were the depot ship Black Watch and the Type VIIC submarine U-711 — they were both sunk. The ship visible in the center of the pic is in all probability the motor vessel Senja, also sunk in this attack but raised and repaired after the war. U-711 was the last U-boat sunk by the Fleet Air Arm in WW2. Note, on the lower left corner, part of the wing of an attacking aircraft; the ship visible just above and forward of the wing tip is the old Norwegian coastal defense ship Harald Hårfrage (commissioned in 1897), then in German hands and converted into a floating anti-aircraft battery — she was not considered a worthy target.

Operation Judgement was a repetition of Operation Newmarket (April 1945), intended to destroy the depot and store ships used to support the U-boat attacks on the convoys to North Russia, but cancelled because weather prevented aircraft from taking off. In May, however, the weather was perfect (as can be deduced from the photo) and the attack was carried out by Avenger torpedo-bombers and Wildcat fighters from Squadrons 846 (HMS Trumpeter, Capt. K. S. Colquhoun), 853 (HMS Queen, Capt. K. J. D'Arcy), and 882 (HMS Searcher, Capt. J. W. Grant).

John Pine explains: "I discovered this picture amongst family papers. It was in a big brown envelope addressed to "C in C H F" (Admiral [Sir Henry R.] Moore). My father was in charge of his staff. On the back of the photograph is typed 'Photographic Section H.M.S. Trumpeter'."

Alblasserdyk (Dutch flag), ex-Bastian, ex-HMS Trumpeter, departing Rotterdam, The Netherlands, date unknown.

Alblasserdyk (Dutch flag), ex-Bastian, ex-HMS Trumpeter, Vancouver, BC, date unknown.

This photograph was included in a photo calendar issued in the early 60s by her owner, famous former Dutch steamship company Holland-America Lijn. The company ceased to exist in the early 70s.

Irene Valmas (Greek flag), ex-Alblasserdyk (Dutch flag), ex-Bastian, ex-HMS Trumpeter, location and date unknown (late 1960s).

Irene Valmas (Greek flag), ex-Alblasserdyk (Dutch flag), ex-Bastian, ex-HMS Trumpeter, underway around 1970, location unknown.