Coastal Forces Veterans

I'm not sure, though, if any of the RN Higgins MTB s were stationed at Vis. I don't know anything about MGB s but the RN also used some former US Higgins boats as gun boats (45th MGB Flotilla).

Arjan

Douglas, the MTB with the Bofors gun was a Higgins MTB. This means that your dad (if he is indeed the man in the pic) served on MTB 419, 420, 421, 422 or 423. My guess is that it may have been MTB 422 because there are some action pics of this vessel taken from a Vosper (also IWM I think) . These pi...

Hi Michael, welcome on board ! Of course we are interested in the photos you have. I think I only know this pic of MTB 226 (Hvar):



Regards,

Arjan

I sent you a private message containing my email address so drop me a mail and I will send you what I've got. An acquaintance of mine has better quality images of the parade footage. This video should be interesting for you : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbkMRQxBMIc Some rare pics : https://i.img...

Your certainly have excellent eyesight Stephen ! Chipmunk, I've got many period pics of Terneuzen showing VE day, the clearing of the Scheldt etc. There are quite a few IWM pics showing Terneuzen and the type of activities your dad may have been involved in : https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/searc...

The colored men were probably Dutch marines from the former Dutch colonies and comrades of Frank Koulen : "England In England Frank Koulen, and probably also his fellow marines, are stationed aboard the Marine Depot ship ‘Oranje Nassau’ and after that on the Hr. Ms. ‘Jacob van Heemskerck’. From...

Your second pic can also be found here (scroll down), it is suggested it may have been taken in Terneuzen or England. I think the former is very likely (I know the Terneuzen region well), it would would also explain the colored men.

https://www.bevrijdingintercultureel.nl ... iname.html

Arjan

What strikes me as odd is that the motor bike in the first pic has a "KM" marking which stands for Koninklijke Marine. I assume that motor vehicles assigned to foreign volunteers in the RN would have had RN markings. If this is indeed the case, the pic was probably not taken in England . G...

Hi, the pic you posted definitely shows the Fortezza Vecchia (old fort) in Livorno (Leghorn). Compare these pics : https://i.imgur.com/Al4i64f.jpg https://i.imgur.com/D66XCbN.jpg https://i.imgur.com/xVeiGUd.jpg https://i.imgur.com/YLP489P.jpg Needless to say I would be interested to see the pics of ...

To correct my mistake, the last photo I posted does show a Vosper after all .

Arjan

Nice to see you have found the answer to your main question !

Regards,

Arjan

I think MTB 245's forward Oerlikon guard probably had splinter mattresses on the inside and a spray cover on the outer side. Photo doesn't show a Vosper :



Arjan

You're welcome Matt . I have been wondering about the canvas guard around the Oerlikon. It was probably anti shrapnel padding rather than a simple spray screen but I'm not sure. A clear example of the padding used on a Vosper MTB :



Regards,

Arjan

The vessel I marked with a red dot might also be MTB 245. At any rate, she has the same distinguishing features : - Single 20mm Oerlikon gun on the fore deck with what appears to be a canvas spray screen. - Carley float attached to the port side of the pilot house. https://i.imgur.com/4gphylK.jpg ht...

Two photos showing MTB 245, or part of the vessel, can be found here :

http://www.rodericktimms.royalnavy.co.u ... hotos.html




Regards,

Arjan

Hi, the best I can do is give you the measurements of one of my 3d printed 1/35 scale ones (bought at Shapeways).

Height : 22 mm ( excluding the feet)
Length : 24 mm
Width : 17 mm

Regards,

Arjan

Thanks Kevin ! In the pdf file (Chapter 6) you sent me Don Bradford gives an account of Operation Premium (he commanded MTB 682 during this operation). Source combinedops.com : "Operation Premium Date commenced: Sunday, February 27, 1944 Units: 10 Commando A raid on the Dutch coast near Wassena...

Apparently MTB 621's plaque was sold on ebay earlier this year :



By the way, I wonder if anyone knows which MTBs were involved in the Normandy Tarbrush operations ?

Arjan

Thanks for your input ! Looks like MTB 621 is in the background of this photo (quite an elaborate camo pattern) : https://media.iwm.org.uk/ciim5/453/24/mid_000000.jpg?action=e&cat=Photographs BRITISH MTB'S SHOOT UP NAZI CONVOY. 11 MARCH 1943, YARMOUTH, BRITISH LIGHT NAVAL FORCES ATTACKED AN ENEM...

In "Battle for Antwerp" J.L. Moulton provides an interesting account of one of the lesser known MTB actions :





Arjan

The midget sub was of the "Seehund" type

I have to rectify my mistake here, the midget sub is actually a "Molch" (Salamander). Quite a few of these were also found in the Dutch town of Den Helder after the liberation in 1945.

Arjan

Hi, I take it that by now you have managed to get a copy of the "Mediterranean MTBs at war" book. The book should provide the info you are looking for and it also has a pic of MTB 81. There is also another pic of MTB 81 on the internet but I haven't managed to find more than these two. I w...

This morning Rod sent me a pic of the builder's plaque, this is an extremely rare artifact (I'm pretty sure it's the only surviving one of its type) : https://i.imgur.com/goPQ3Ok.jpg MTB 295 can be found in this list (February 1943): http://www.shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/yachtsmall/jacob.htm ...

Thanks for your response David. I know the IWM Bastia pics you mention and to me it seems the boats in the background are all RN MTB's (mostly of the Vosper type). These boats do not seem to have the US SO radar masts : https://media.iwm.org.uk/ciim5/516/295/mid_000000.jpg?action=e&cat=Photograp...

PT 515 unloaded at Glasgow, I take it this pic shows a floating crane on the river Clyde ?




Arjan

Hi Kevin, I think the third word starts with "vo". Perhaps the words read : possumus et voluntas. I don't know anything about Latin so I could be wrong. This would indeed translate into something like "willing and able".

Regards,

Arjan

The bridge plaque of MTB 295 has survived :




I wonder what the text says.

Arjan

On second thought, "Bone" probably refers to Bône, the old French name for the town in Algeria which is now called Annaba (to the east of Algiers).

Arjan

This morning Rod sent me some interesting documents relating to the various operations MTB 295 was involved in. I take it that the abbreviation "Bone" refers to Bonifacio on Corsica. June-Nov 1943: https://i.imgur.com/wceF4rz.jpg Jan-Aug 1944 https://i.imgur.com/UWDg4Je.jpg Operation Valon...

Thanks for your kind words. Of course I'm always willing to help if I can, so feel free to send me an email. I doubt if I can help with the Hvar schooner though .

Regards,

Arjan