Coastal Forces Veterans

Mark

I have managed to contact Nigel and Andrew and have emailed you with the details.

Admin

Hello Anne

Thank you for your post from Malta!

Here is a photo featuring MTB 421 at Bastia from the collection of Bert Lapthorne as supplied to me by his son, which I presume is the one that he mentioned trying to post on the thread.

Regards
Admin

Hello Mark

Thank you for your enquiry. I'll give your post until early next week to see if it generates a response, and if not I'll chase the matter up for you.

Regards
Admin

Hello jabdc5 Where a casualty is lost at sea, their name is recorded on the memorial of the home port they were assigned to on joining the service. The port is recorded using the first letter of a sailor's service number, 'C' for Chatham, 'D' for Devonport at Plymouth, and 'P' for Portsmouth. Regard...

Hello jabdc5

Thank you for your enquiry to the forum. I don't hold any photos of the boats you mentioned, though there is a photo of MTB 82 posted by jonco in the thread on the subject of MTB 638, if you care to check it out.

Regards
Admin

Can you give any advice regards obtaining the log? And or the flotilla log/orders/diary at all? There's no definitive explanation that I am aware of as to what exactly happened to the log books for the small ships of Coastal Forces, except to say very few seem to have survived. The archives at Kew ...

Hello Lancer Welcome to the forum. ML 486 formed part of the 30th ML Flotilla along with MLs 470, 479, 481, 482, 484, 485 & 487. Fairmile 112' B-Class Motor Launch Builder's Yard: Johnson & Jago, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex Completion: 10th March 1942 Loss or Disposal: 1945 Notes: ML 486 survived th...

Hello Chris

I am hoping to get the revitalised CFVA section online for mid August, if not before, and the research aspect of the web site on a rolling basis thereafter, and hopefully well established by the Autumn.

Regards
Admin

Hello Jack, and welcome to the forum. Thank you for your valuable addition to the story of Patrol Vessel No 4. Seeing the boat's details clearly listed in this register makes one wonder how the Royal Navy experienced such difficulty previously in recognising this vessel to have been under their juri...

For the record RB 14 was the code applied by the Royal Navy to one of its nightly patrols. On 6th May, 1942 RB 14 comprised MGBs 87 & 21 while the 13th May, 1942 featured the following: RB 24 — MGBs 21, 17, & 14 RB 25 — MGBs 63 & 67 RB 26 — MGBs 64, 60 & 61 Various codes were applied...

Hello Chris The only thing I have which could be of some assistance is a photo of MTB 632. This was one of the early Fairmile 'D' MTBs which were constructed without the later forward torpedo scallops, and whose 21" torpedoes were mounted on high blocks to clear the side of the boat. According ...

Hello Peter Thank you for your enquiry, and how remarkable to learn that both your father and mother are still going strong at such a great age. The boats listed within the Red Lists as forming the Free French 23rd MTB Flotilla were: MTBs 90, 91, 92, 94, 96, 98, 227 & 239 I was given to understa...

Hello Qed296

Thank you for informing us of the death of your grandfather. Our belated condolences to you and the rest of your family.

The former Coastal Forces Veterans Association (CFVA) membership list records him as having membership number 46.

Admin

Hello again Jonathon I have amended my earlier entry above to include some additional units known to have been at Dartmouth but I am also emailing you with some additional resources for you to look through at your leisure for such detail as may be useful to you. I would also draw your attention to t...

Hello Jonathan According to Ben Warlow (Shore Establishments of the Royal Navy) Dartmouth II was commissioned on 1 February 1942 having previously been Britannia II, and was renamed Cicala in August 1943. 1942 2nd MGB Flotilla MGB 6, 7, 8, 10, 13 The 2nd M.G.B.Flotilla is temporarily re-allocated to...

We have sadly learned of the death of George Chandler, one of the very last remaining veterans, who 'crossed the bar' on 19 October, 2024, aged 99. George who was just a few months shy of becoming 100 was originally a member of South London Branch, being their last ever Chairman. He served on Motor ...

Hello Jem Thank you for the really great photo of your Dad and the crew of LRRC 29 which helps add an additional chapter to the history of MTB 682 as a boat. I don't have a photo of the boat in its Coastal Forces phase but hopefully one may turn up in future. It is interesting to learn of the RAF's ...

Hello Jeff Welcome to the forum. Most of the photographs of Dog Boats tend to be quite indistinct, but from what I can see of it, it appears there must have been fastenings at the back of the bridge at both corners and then extending across it, to permit each halyard to be fastened vertically, but a...

Unfortunately not Chris. These are the only three photos of a British Power Boat within this particular set, which fortuitously happens to be one of the Canadian boats. The others in the file are for Fairmile Ds MTB 632 & MTB 650, then MTB 733 showing arrangement of depth charge racks after the ...

Hello Chris

This is the closest I can get you with some photos of MTB 491 (photos forwarded)

Regards
Admin

London Branch has been informed of the following: AB Harold Ernest Danks DSM Radar Operator on MTB 442 1942/1943 under the command of Lieutenant Charles Arthur Burk R.C.N.V.R., died peacefully at the age of 100 on the 20th July 2024 at his care home. MTB 442 formed part of the third iteration of the...

Hello tashields Thank you for the notification of your book about Tommy Shields. Our boats database records the loss of his boat along with 1311 but little other details so Tommy Shields account will help plug a gap in the knowledge of events around that time in the Mediterranean. I couldn't find an...

Hello and welcome to the forum

Thank you for your offer of the log for MTB 730 for D-Day. We would certainly appreciate copies of any resources you have relating to your grandfather's service with Coastal Forces, if you wouldn't mind getting in touch with us at info@cfv.org.uk.

Regards
Admin

Hello Parrettbrand Welcome to the forum, and it's never too late to join the 'party' on any thread since research is always ongoing and it's aways great to add a new name, or photo, or piece of information to our knowledge about the subject. The original poster was researching the anti-submarine rol...

Hello Goldhawk and welcome to the forum. Thank you for your efforts in remembering your father and his colleagues via a commemorative brick in the Normandy Memorial Wall, as well as the one for HMS Mantis. By way of clarification for ML 197's 'superb P.O. Motor Mechanic' the awards for ML 197 record...

crew-of-mtb-769-at-hms-mantis-lowestoft.jpg The crew of MTB 769 of the 63rd MTB Flotilla at Lowestoft (HMS Mantis) Known Members of Crew Ordinary Seaman Gerald Du Boulay C/JX 473658 Temporary Lieutenant Wilfred Norman Dye RNVR Midshipman John Christopher Goulden RNVR Temporary Sub-Lieutenant Ronald...

London Branch has sadly learned of the death of its Chairman Eddie Dibley. Eddie 'crossed the bar' peacefully at home on 20 April, 2024, aged 98. Eddie served on MTB 757 of the 66th MTB Flotilla which took part in mine clearing operations at Le Havre, and he was awarded the Légion d'Honneur in 2022 ...

Hello Manty769 Thank you for joining the forum. Just to add a bit more information, the Navy List January 1945 records the following officers for the boat: Temporary Lieutenant Wilfred Norman Dye RNVR Temporary Sub-Lieutenant John Wilson RNVR Temporary Sub-Lieutenant Ronald Hedgecox RNVR Midshipman ...

Coastal Forces Veterans has learned of the death of Ron Metcalfe, on 28 February, 2024. Ron served on MGB 52, ML 906 and MTB 758. ML 906 was part of the 19th ML Flotilla, equipped for a minesweeping role in late 1944. The flotilla took part in operations in the Schelde in November 1944 as part of th...

Coastal Forces Veterans were informed of the death of Roy Shepherd on 10 February 2024, aged 98. The CFVA membership list records him as being Able Seaman with ML 578 of the 28th ML Flotilla based at HMS Nile at Alexandria. Roy’s flotilla is shown in the February 1945 Red List as operating in the Ae...