Coastal Forces Veterans

MTB 756 Herbert Woods, Broads Haven, Potter Heigham, Great Yarmouth 31/7/44 New Year Honours 1945 DSC TSLt John Alfred Kings RNVR MID AB Anthony James Higbed P/JX389395 MID Sto1 Freddie Hooper D/KX139405 Known Crew TSLt John Alfred Kings RNVR AB Anthony James Higbed P/JX389395 Sto1 Freddie Hooper D/...

MGB_609 William King (Burnham on Crouch) Ltd 9/6/42 For an action with E Boats in the Channel 16/8/42 MID TLt Alan Doxford McIlwraith RNVR MID TSLt Liston Burns McIlhagga RCNVR MID ACMtrMch George Henry Seymour C/MX69871 DSM APO Richard Edward Varnall C/JX126930 For an action with E Boats off Smith’...

This one was a blockade runner manned by the Merchant Navy from 1943 MGB 505 Nonsuch Camper & Nicholson, Gosport 5/43 For Operation Bridford - blockade running voyages from Sweden to the UK 10/43 - 3/44 OBE(Civ) Capt Herbert William Jackson MN MBE(Civ ChOff Philip Roland Legg MN DSC ChOff Edward...

This may take a little time so here is MGB 326 first MGB_326 James A Silver Ltd, Rosneath, Dumbartonshire 18/8/41 For Operation Jubilee - Raid on Dieppe 19/8/42 MID TLt Francis Douglas Russell-Roberts RNVR DSM CMtrMch Robert Ringham Dawson C/MX72043 MID AB James Craig Carlyle C/JX260146 New Year Hon...

I Think we may have met on World Naval Ships Forum but for the record ML 357 Anglo-American Nile Tourist Company, Cairo 1/8/42 Known Crew TLt R L Jones RNVR (Commanding Officer 1943) TLt A H Doughay RNVR (Commanding Officer 1943) TSLt Moore RANVR Wartime Activities 11/9/43 ML 349 and ML 357 make the...

An Open Invitation

If anyone is in the Portsmouth Area this weekend (1st - 2nd May), Medusa will bve on display at Gunwharf Keys along with MGB 81 and HSL 102 as part of the Sea Cadets Anniversary Event.

I am told that the pontoons will be open for visitors so we will be open for view.

Brian Holmes

MTB_682 Wallasea Bay Yacht Station Ltd, Wallasea Bay, Nr Rochford 5/43 For an action in the Nore area 19/10/43 MID TLt William Benyon RNVR For Operation Neptune - for gallantry and devotion to duty during the initial landings in Normandy DSC TLt William Benyon RNVR Further awards for Operation Neptu...

I am looking at producing data on the various ML Flotillas. As part of this I am correlating individual boat entries in my database. To try this out I have produced the following for the 3rd ML Flotilla. There are obviously bits missing that some would remember 3rd ML Flotilla Boats 1/41 3rd ML Flot...

MTB_454 British Power Boat Co, Hythe Hampshire For a night action with enemy light forces in the Channel 11/5/44 DSC TSLt Guy Kingdon Natusch RNZNVR MID LSea Horace Arthur Ball C/SSX29515 MID AB Andrew Rae Ronney Banger P/JX326476 For an action against E Boats in the North Sea 7/4/45 DSC** TLtCdr Jo...

The latest news about Medusa. Our berth on Saxon Wharf is a temporary one and we are going to move her again. The news is that we are going to leave Southampton and take up a berth in Portsmouth alongside MGB 81 and the HSL which currently sit in Gunwharf at the base of the Spinnaker Tower. The aim ...

Yesterday we launched HDML 1387 (Medusa) and she isnow lying at Saxon Wharf in Southampton. She is riding light and there is a lot of finishing off work to do but we will have work parties aboard each Saturday. I will keep you informed as we go on and hope that the accompanying pictures will bring b...

MGB 629 A M Dickie & Sons, Tarbert, Scotland 1/12/42 For an action off Terschelling 26/5/43 MID PO James Marshall D/JX135110 (Post) New Year Honours 1944 DSM APO John Henry Richardson D/SSX22234 For an action off Smiths Knoll 24/10/43 MID TALtCdr Charles Anthony Law RCNVR For an action off Amela...

A little bit of news from the South Coast. HDML 1387 (Medusa) is nearing the end of her three year refit and will be launched from the boatyard in Hythe (Near Southampton) on the 1st of March

I have attached the entries from my database covering the two boats. I would like to update my data from what is writtten in your website. ML 483 James N Miller & Sons, East Shore, St Monance 2/42 For operations Torch and Reservist - landings in North Africa and action in Oran Harbour 8/11/42 DS...

The abbreviation "ETF" It's taken from official documents of the time and stands for "Eastern Task Force". This was the flotillas of coastal forces used to defend the beacheads against attack from the east (E-BVoats, midget submarines etc.) I use it to cover general activity wher...

MGB_324 Woodnut & Co Ltd, St Helens, Isle of Wight 4/9/41 For an attack on an enemy convoy in the Dover Straits 6/8/42 MID TLt Trevor John Mathias RNVR MID ACMtrMch Guy Steventon C/MX67415 For Operation Neptune - For gallantry and devotion to duty during the landings in Normandy (Gazette Date - ...

From my database ML 120 Aldous Successors Ltd, Brightlingsea 8/10/40 For services when attacked by dive bombers (Gazette Date - 27/12/40) MID Tel Jack Swan C/J101252 Birthday Honours 1943 MID TLt Edward Kerfoot Jones RNVR DSM Tel Laurence Lightwood C/WRX125 Known Crew TLt Edward Kerfoot Jones RNVR T...

The mention of ML 462 rings a bell. ML_462 Dorset Yacht Co, Hamworthy 15/12/41 Birthday Honours 1943 MID AB John Borthwick C/JX199342 For minesweeping in the Gulf of Gaeta in support of Fifth Army (Gazette Date - 2/5/44) MID TSLt John William Main RNVR DSM AB Hugh Mayor C/JX299440 Known Crew TSLt Jo...

For Information, MTB 245 as she appears in my database MTB_245 Vosper, Portsmouth and Porchester 29/12/42 New Year Honours 1944 MID ALSea Douglas Gordon Smith C/JX142138 For minelaying in the Nore Command area (Gazette Date - 1/8/44) DSC TLt Douglas Eric James Hunt RNVR MID AB Raymond Barnard P/JX41...

I have produced a database covering coastal forces boats and here is my entry for 647 MGB_647 A M Dickie & Sons, Bangor, Wales 24/2/43 For assistance rendered to the Greek destroyer Adrias, mined in the Aegean 22/10/43 Greek War Cross 3rd Class TLt Maurice Mountstephens RNVR For skill in boardin...