Search found 501 matches

Go to advanced search

by Admin
Sat Mar 22, 2014 2:48 pm
Forum: General Organisation
Topic: Uniform in general use by MTB crews
Replies: 18
Views: 53424

Re: Uniform in general use by MTB crews

Hello Ken Thank you for the description of the armoured suit which I must say I haven't come across before, so I must try and track down an image of it on the internet if possible. I take it the suit was part of the equipment of that particular boat rather than a personal issue to you, which you cou...
by Admin
Sat Mar 22, 2014 2:53 am
Forum: General Organisation
Topic: Uniform in general use by MTB crews
Replies: 18
Views: 53424

Re: Uniform in general use by MTB crews

I recall now that our armoured suits were as used by the U S Airforce for their gunners on Flying Fortresses. They came in three pieces, front, back and family jewels. Clip together with one release toggle. The dates when I was on D-Boats were May/June to September, 1944. Do you recall if they were...
by Admin
Fri Mar 21, 2014 11:59 am
Forum: General Organisation
Topic: Uniform in general use by MTB crews
Replies: 18
Views: 53424

Re: Uniform in general use by MTB crews

Anyone remember armoured suite issue to No2s on D-Boat I recall Ken Forrester, who manned the forward gun on a 'D' Boat, mentioning a kind of chain mail vest that was worn under the clothing, which served as a rudimentary flax jacket. There was also an assortment of sheepskin jackets worn on occasi...
by Admin
Tue Jan 07, 2014 1:07 am
Forum: Personnel
Topic: Donald George Dowling MTB 606
Replies: 7
Views: 20715

Re: Donald George Dowling MTB 606

Hello Eden I've taken the liberty of deleting your other post in the Motor Torpedo Boats section as we try to discourage duplicate posts in order not to have replies split between two different but similar posts. Other references to him in the forum appear to be for MGB 606 , though our boats databa...
by Admin
Mon Jan 06, 2014 2:50 am
Forum: General Organisation
Topic: Information on Melampus sought
Replies: 2
Views: 18684

Re: Information on Melampus sought

Hello Colin Thank you for your enquiry about HMS Melampus in The Gambia. I was slightly confused at first by the reference in the service record you mentioned to Wireless Reserve as I understand ERA to mean Engine Room Artificer, so whether he retrained as this or there is some kind of connection in...
by Admin
Thu Nov 28, 2013 11:42 am
Forum: Motor Gunboats
Topic: MGB 330
Replies: 13
Views: 36368

Re: MGB 330

This entry on the Scottish Government's Cranmore site for MGB 330 cites the boat as having been scuttled in experiments in Loch Striven, c. 1947, and even gives the location for the sunken vessel. The boat is wrongly identified as an MTB within the records, but this is noted and corrected further do...
by Admin
Sat Nov 23, 2013 12:53 pm
Forum: Motor Torpedo Boats
Topic: MTB 638
Replies: 47
Views: 341802

Re: MTB 638

Hello Malcolm and welcome to the forum. We shall look forward to seeing the photographs in your possession.
by Admin
Sat Nov 02, 2013 10:42 am
Forum: Motor Gunboats
Topic: MGB 326 and MTB 761
Replies: 18
Views: 60571

Re: MGB 326 and MTB 761

Hello PeterMather

Thank you for joining the forum. Could you let us know the name of your father please so as we could add his name to the list of crew? Also, do you by any chance have any photos of him in uniform or any that relate to Coastal Forces?

Regards
Admin
by Admin
Wed Oct 16, 2013 5:59 pm
Forum: Personnel
Topic: Ian Austin – 24th MTB Flotilla
Replies: 3
Views: 13751

Re: Ian Austin – 24th MTB Flotilla

My brother seems to think it is my late father who we understand served in the 24th MTB Flotilla in the Eastern Mediterranean. His name was Ian Austin from Johannesburg in South Africa and we know he operated the bofors gun... Just to add, the 24th MTB Flotilla , which comprised MTBs 81 , 84 , 85 ,...
by Admin
Wed Oct 16, 2013 12:29 pm
Forum: Personnel
Topic: Ian Austin – 24th MTB Flotilla
Replies: 3
Views: 13751

Re: Ian Austin – 24th MTB Flotilla

Hi Douglas Thanks for your post. I hope you don't mind, but I replaced your version of the photo taken from Wikipedia with a copy of the original from the IWM Collections . I sense it's probably impossible to identify anyone from that photo, as I know from personal experience with enquiries about ph...
by Admin
Sat Oct 05, 2013 2:58 am
Forum: Actions & Operations
Topic: Mysterious battle at Maun Island (23/10/44)
Replies: 12
Views: 39819

Re: Mysterious battle at Maun Island (23/10/44)

Speaking about F-433 it reports "- 23.10.44 F 433 südlich Jablanac durch brit. Kanonenboote versenkt, 7 Tote.[3]" The english translation of that seems to indicate this vessel was lost south of Jablanac, which puts it in the general area of Maun, and that it was sunk by British gunboats, ...
by Admin
Thu Oct 03, 2013 2:21 am
Forum: Actions & Operations
Topic: Mysterious battle at Maun Island (23/10/44)
Replies: 12
Views: 39819

Re: Mysterious battle at Maun Island (23/10/44)

Yes thank you for the link to the War Diary which was very interesting. As far as I can tell there is no further mention of the incident within that particular volume, and the later volumes for 1944 don't seem to be available on that site if they still exist. Len Reynolds, author of three volumes on...
by Admin
Wed Oct 02, 2013 2:29 am
Forum: Actions & Operations
Topic: Mysterious battle at Maun Island (23/10/44)
Replies: 12
Views: 39819

Re: Mysterious battle at Maun Island (23/10/44)

Yes this document certainly paints a confused picture, which is probably not helped by the translation at times, which I assume was carried out by the United States Government for their own military, and which probably accounts for why all fast attack craft, Allied and Axis, are described as PT boat...
by Admin
Tue Oct 01, 2013 12:39 pm
Forum: Actions & Operations
Topic: Mysterious battle at Maun Island (23/10/44)
Replies: 12
Views: 39819

Re: Mysterious battle at Maun Island (23/10/44)

Hello lupodimare89 Thank you for your enquiry to the forum. I have briefly checked Dog Boats At War by Len Reynolds, and have also looked in Western Mediterranean 1942–1945 by Captain Taprell Dorling, and have not been able to find any mention of a major action involving Coastal Forces units on thos...
by Admin
Wed Jul 24, 2013 9:32 pm
Forum: General Organisation
Topic: Uniform colors
Replies: 5
Views: 23703

Re: Uniform colors

Hello dcrfan In researching coastal forces uniforms I found an online copy of 'Moving Bases, Royal Navy Maintanance Carriers and Monabs' by Cdr David Hobbs. It contained a copy of a report by the Navy No 1 Mobile Land Repair Unit in the Med and explains that they obtained khaki uniforms from Algiers...
by Admin
Wed Jul 24, 2013 1:44 am
Forum: Motor Torpedo Boats
Topic: Boat type query
Replies: 5
Views: 14512

Re: Boat type query

Hello Bob Is there any specific context available for any of these abbreviations, and do they all relate to the activities of the Norwegians in Shetland? Beyond the Coastal Forces units based there, which would have consisted of MLs or D-type MTBs, the only other activities of note were those of the...
by Admin
Thu Jul 18, 2013 7:22 pm
Forum: General Organisation
Topic: Uniform colors
Replies: 5
Views: 23703

Re: Uniform colors

I managed to view a scan of a photograph very similar to one you are describing, which was in Vosper MTBs In Action , although there was no specific mention of Alexandria, however, the following point is of relevance to any black & white photo. In general it's notoriously difficult to second gue...
by Admin
Thu Jul 18, 2013 3:18 am
Forum: General Organisation
Topic: Uniform colors
Replies: 5
Views: 23703

Re: Uniform colors

Hello Pacman Thank you for your enquiry. Is this photo available to view anywhere on the internet? Coastal Forces were renowned for their sartorial elegance, so much so, that senior officers of larger ships were often given to expressions of regret, that their ships' companies were not as well turne...
by Admin
Wed Jul 10, 2013 12:48 am
Forum: Motor Torpedo Boats
Topic: Mystery Vosper??
Replies: 5
Views: 15578

Re: Mystery Vosper??

I suspect the boat could probably be identified from its particular camouflage scheme, if there was only an available template to work from, in the form of an officially documented photo, with several or all of the boats clearly visible in it. Somewhere buried in the bowels of the Imperial War Museu...
by Admin
Sun Jul 07, 2013 11:55 am
Forum: Motor Torpedo Boats
Topic: Mystery Vosper??
Replies: 5
Views: 15578

Re: Mystery Vosper??

Hello Roger Yes part of the radio mast assembly is hidden in this photo, although assuming the later replacement Vospers had the more advanced SO radar fitted, and that their assembly was similar to those shown in jonco's photos of MTB 670 , which seem quite chunky and relatively low set, then I ima...
by Admin
Sun Jul 07, 2013 2:46 am
Forum: Motor Torpedo Boats
Topic: Mystery Vosper??
Replies: 5
Views: 15578

Re: Mystery Vosper??

Given the men on deck are British commandos and not Partisans, and noting that the boat does not sport any advanced radar, and still has its torpedo tubes, a number of possibilities present themselves. It is a documented fact that Vospers of the 24th MTB Flotilla , based at Vis amongst other places,...
by Admin
Tue May 28, 2013 2:09 pm
Forum: Personnel
Topic: Bernard (Barney) Trueman DSM
Replies: 13
Views: 41419

Re: Bernard (Barney) Trueman DSM

Hello Mike As you may be aware the only details contained in the London Gazette for the group that included your father reads: The KING has been graciously pleased, on the occasion of the Celebration of His Majesty's Birthday, to give orders for the Appointments to the Distinguished Service Order, a...
by Admin
Fri May 10, 2013 1:06 pm
Forum: Motor Torpedo Boats
Topic: MTB 638
Replies: 47
Views: 341802

Re: MTB 638

Hello Liz Welcome to the forum, and thanks for identifying another of the crew of MTB 638 . Unfortunately not many of the log books for smaller vessels survived as far as I am aware. Some may have been kept by officers of boats, and the odd one may have been preserved at the National Archives at Kew...
by Admin
Sun Apr 28, 2013 3:09 pm
Forum: Forum & Web Site Feedback
Topic: Len Reynolds
Replies: 1
Views: 14885

Re: Len Reynolds

Hello Ken

Thank you for your recollection. I'll make a note of it and see if I can find anything else on it, in the old CFVA newsletters.

Regards
Admin
by Admin
Sun Apr 28, 2013 3:07 pm
Forum: Motor Launches
Topic: ML 560
Replies: 5
Views: 16837

Re: ML 560

Hello valhalla

I have emailed you to ascertain how many images you have, and where you would like the material posting, so if you'd like to get in touch with me, I shall be happy to assist you.

Regards
Admin
by Admin
Wed Apr 17, 2013 11:49 pm
Forum: Motor Torpedo Boats
Topic: MTB 671
Replies: 5
Views: 11443

Re: MTB 671

The main Coastal Forces memorial that I am aware of, is situated at Haslar Marina, Gosport, the site of the former HMS Hornet, the principal base for Coastal Forces. There are commemorative plaques established by the Coastal Forces Heritage Trust at sites of other former bases around the country, as...
by Admin
Wed Apr 17, 2013 1:17 pm
Forum: Motor Torpedo Boats
Topic: MTB 671
Replies: 5
Views: 11443

Re: MTB 671

I was wondering if anybody on this forum had any additional information which I could forward.(I have seen the official report of the action) Beyond Ken Forrester's account of the loss of MTB 671 found in the chapter from his autobiography If Only I Had Known published on this site, and the officia...
by Admin
Mon Feb 18, 2013 11:57 pm
Forum: Personnel
Topic: My Grandfather Gilbert Richardson
Replies: 2
Views: 10759

Re: My Grandfather Gilbert Richardson

Hello Karen There's a Gilbert Richardson referenced within the thread Geoffry Wallace Kitching , who is listed as a Radio Officer onboard Gay Viking , one of the blockade running gun boats that went back and forth from the UK to Sweden. Might this be a possible fit? and do you know if he was ever a ...
by Admin
Sat Jan 05, 2013 12:29 pm
Forum: Personnel
Topic: Petty Officer Leonard Brown RML 527
Replies: 5
Views: 25706

Re: Petty Officer Leonard Brown RML 527

HMS Belmont is something of an oddity given that it had been lost prior to the date given, though seeing as the posting is only for one day, it may just be an administrative error of some sort. Likewise, 'Lent to Stamshaw', again just for one day, either side of being posted at Victory in Portsmouth...
by Admin
Tue Dec 18, 2012 4:08 pm
Forum: Coastal Forces Models
Topic: Coastal Forces Hulls in 1/72nd and 1/35th Scale
Replies: 12
Views: 53878

Re: Coastal Forces Hulls in 1/72nd and 1/35th Scale

Hello Christian That's a great collection of models you have there. The Dog Boat is particularly impressive, and it's interesting to see one made out as an RAF LRRC. The BPB MASB looks a very graceful boat too, more so than comes across in photos of them at times. I'd love to see a Fairmile B made o...

Go to advanced search