Coastal Forces Veterans

Hello Roger Bit of a mystery I'm afraid. I managed to have a look at a copy of Jane's Fighting Ships for 1969–70 but there is no HMS Fathomer for any navy. The Royal Navy by that date only had the two Fast Patrol Boats, Brave Borderer and Brave Swordsmen, plus two of the old Dark Class still retaine...

That is indeed the remains of the boat which were lifted dockside after the explosion.

I'm not sure Bernie. The descriptions and eligibility page makes mention of a clasp with the title of the second star earned worn on the first, so I don't know if this is the same as a silver rosette, or if that something 'unofficial' or ungazetted? If your father has three stars, then it can't be a...

Hello Bernie The Medals: campaigns, descriptions and eligibility page on the GOV.UK web site confirms the findings of the earlier post about only the first star being issued where there is eligibility for two, with a clasp for the second worn on the first instead. The same holds true of the Burma an...

Hello Paul

Thank you for the photograph of your father and the crew of 532. Do you have a year in which this photo was taken by any chance?

Regards
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If anyone has any more information about the operation at Kelibia Point, please post all you know. I have found contradictory information in a number of sources, such as the claim that the Italian TB Sagittario was sunk by MTB 639 torpedoes...was MTB 633 damaged during this operation? Thank you for...

Hello Jimmy and welcome to the forum. I have managed to compile the following information, which is all I have at this time. MTB 60 7th MTB Flotilla 71' Vosper MTB MTBs 57, 58, 59, 60, 62, 64, 65 MTB 57 Casualty: Able Seaman James Arthur George P/SSX 28995 15/7/1943 Award: Able Seaman Norman William...

Looking again at the one known casualty for SGB 5 (Grey Owl) I now realise that occurred in September 1943, which is over a year later than Dieppe. Apparently the source for the claim of one casualty may derive from an extract of the report by Commander D.B. Wyburd, RN, Appendix 7 to Enclosure 13, p...

Hello Steve Just to add some thoughts. It's possible the casualty we have listed for SGB 5 succumbed to wounds gained on the 19th August, but if there was one definite casualty on the day then the CWGC brings up some additional twenty-five odd casualties for Victory, Drake, Pembroke and Excellent, b...

Hello Mr Spigot Welcome to the forum, and thank you for the identification of your late father-in-law in the crew photos above. I have a couple of photos of MTB 723 which I will email you, if you don't mind my corresponding with you, as I would also like to learn more about the wartime diary you men...

Hello Jon Welcome to the forum, and thank you for the suggestion regarding Ken Horlock's book. Unfortunately, no one can scan it and sell it, since the work is copyright the author. His daughter had created artwork to accompany the booklet, so that, and the book, are hers and the family's copyright,...

Hello again I have just amalgamated the previous post and its reply into this thread to keep the messages together and avoid any confusion, and also placed it under the Personnel category rather than MTB. I have found his CFVA number which was 495, and his original new member details in the March 19...

Hello Qed296 Thank you for your enquiry. Unfortunately I do do not have any photos of MGB 56, which was originally building for the French Navy, and entered service first as a Motor Anti-Submarine Boat (MASB 56). It was part of the 4th MGB Flotilla, comprising MGBs 50–57, MGBs 50, 51, 52 & 57 be...

Dear Mike Thank you for your enquiry. To answer your questions, LMtrMch stands for Leading Motor Mechanic, and the service number P/MX99486 comprises 'P' for Portsmouth as his assigned Port Division, which was one of three — the others being 'D' for Devonport at Plymouth, and 'C' for Chatham. The 'M...

Thank you for the notification of your new book Torpedoes, Tea, and Medals. I'm sure it will prove a valuable addition to works on the subject of Coastal Forces, and I wish you every success with it!

Hello Terry

Thank you for your helpful confirmation of this crew photo as that of ML 116. I have just placed a reply on your early thread on ML 116 itself.

Regards
Admin

Hello Terry

I am just picking up on this thread after your recent contribution to the thread on Bernard Trueman.

I have this photo in my records which derives from the US Archives showing ML 116 in the background.

Hello again Roger. Apologies for the delayed response but I had other work to catch up on. Thank you very much for all the additional information. If the operational orders are in pdf format could you possibly sent me a copy of it for future reference? Regarding ML 190 : were the 14th ML Flotilla an...

Rachel I have looked at John Lambert's Allied Coastal Forces Vol II: Vosper MTBs and Us Elcos , and he does have a drawing of CTB 44, which I assume would have been the basis for one of his boat-building plans, if it is still available. The book has a basic side-on view, and shows an upturned dinghy...

Rachel Just to give you an update. I wasn't able to find any names of possible crew from among the former members of the CFVA. John Lambert gives this boat as a Vosper 73' Type II, ordered in 1943, but only completed in 1947 as a Control Target Boat (CTB 44). I haven't been able to find any referenc...

Rachel

Thank you for the great crew photo. I will check the records I have for membership of the former Coastal Forces Veterans Association (CFVA), when I get the opportunity, to see if it records any named person(s) and get back to you.

Regards
Admin

Rachel Thank you for your enquiry. I am currently away from home, and have had to extend my time away so have not had the opportunity to consult the literature I have. I wonder if the model was originally made from a plan by the late John Lambert, who also produced a very good volume on the Vosper b...

Hello Rob Thank you for your enquiry. I am currently away from home so do not have full access to my research materials. The configuration of ‘short’ MTB flotillas can be found in Home Waters MTBs & MGBs by Len Reynolds, and I have some lists of the ML flotillas when I can access them. The Battl...

Mark

Congratulations on a well put together web site. It will prove a useful addition to the history of Coastal Forces on the web.

Admin

I could send you a photo of the cabinet but cannot see a way of doing this here.

When you post a reply in the forum, you will see a tab below the text window marked ‘Attachments’, and selecting that will show an option ‘Add files’ which may be used to post an image file.

Regards
Admin

Did you recognise your Uncle in the the crew photograph?

Hello Alastair, and welcome to the forum MTB 639 belonged to the 32nd MTB Flotilla, and there is information on 639 and other boats in the flotilla in other threads in the forum which I list below. The official Admiralty listing of vessels lost at sea during the Second World War gives attack by airc...

These images supplied by Jacques Bartels are of 'blood' flags for the Dutch 9th MTB Flotilla, one of which is held by the Royal Netherlands Naval Museum at Den Helder. It is thought the graphics and number possible depict statistics for the flotilla. There are 10 ships, separated into two sections o...

The 9th MTB Flotilla, MTBs 201, 202, 203, 204, 229, 231, 235, 236 & 240 was initially a part Dutch, part Royal Navy flotilla, but became entirely Dutch crewed by 1943. The flotilla was based at Dover (Wasp) and Dartmouth (Cicala) Boat Types: MTB 201 = White 27.11.41 MTB 202 = White 12.01.42 MTB ...

You’re welcome Ian. If I come across anything more that’s specific to your father’s boats, I’ll add it to the thread.

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