If you ever get to Melbourne, John, check out the RAAF Museum at Point Cook as they have a beautifully restored Walrus on show. Very rare aeroplane these days.
Most cruisers and heavier ships carried similar aircraft for recce, artillery spotting, SAR etc etc. Have a trawl around this website:
Welcome to HMS Belfast, a unique 20th century cruiser and do the tour down the bottom. As it opens up, you'll see a link to archive pics. Click on the "in action" bit. If you look at the first pic of when
Belfast was mined, you'll see some cranes laying down at left. These were used to lift the aircraft on board. Below them would be the catapults. The next pic is a Walrus landing next to the ship.
I've never come across a book written by a cruiser/battleship pilot. It's certainly be an eventful life.