Coastal Forces Veterans

Hello again 'JOHNB'
You will find a very large list Here - Rating ranks are about halfway down. Not sure about S.D. but noticed that SB could also mean 'Signal Boy'

Hello again ‘mjfox7’ As stated, your Grandfathers Record would be showing where the accounts were held for the 32nd Flotilla - St Angelo (Malta) then Hannibal (Algiers) – then after the disbanding and restructuring of the Flotilla on the 31st December 1943, were back in St Angelo (Malta). The sinkin...

Hello ‘mjfox7’ Welcome Aboard. As you may know, the 32nd Flotilla was formed December 1942 – disbanded in December 1943 with any remaining boats spread between the 56th, 57th, and 61st Flotilla’s. During September 1943 the boats of the 20th MGB and the 33rd MTB Flotillas were attached to “Task Group...

Hello Len Thanks for that information. Do you know where those temp base staff originated from? (HMS Hannibal or HMS Hasdrubal, or else where?) Likewise we know that the cruiser HMS Colombo placed a temp base, during the latter stages of the war in the Adriatic, at Zada, Croatia. We are hoping to tr...

Hello again JOHNB I would think that the complete answer may be difficult to get - as you say "Allied Coastal Forces of WW2" show various examples of this anomaly of ML and Q - it possibly was an easy way to visually ID the type of craft. Radio comm's would normally give the Flag Superior ...

Hello JOHNB
According to this Naval Pennants web page all Royal Navy craft had an identity category letter. Scroll down to the bottom of page and you will see the letters allocated to Coastal Forces craft.

Hello 'smurf55t' Welcome aboard mate - nice to see that you have found us. :tu: Keep 'popping' back, someone may see your request How's about this for starters. Off our old Home Page, it shows one the last RN type of 'D's', (built during March 1945). Fairly bristling with armament, shame that none s...

Thank You 'Julie',
We shall be updating the maps pages very soon. Information regarding the Mobile Base Units, in the Mediterranean Theatre in particular, is proving to be quite a challenge. We are confident with our research team and shall 'update' the pages as soon as possible. Thanks again Julie.

Hello Si
Yes, please do post any info that you find - I'm sure that the Record's will throw up something - Best of Luck
Regards

Some of the latest views of the superb model by Veteran Ted Childs

Our maps page has now been extended to cover the Mediterranean War Theatre. Can you ID any that may be missing?
If so please contact us.

Hello again 'Simon H'
Unfortunately, what you have above is the total of what is in the two volumes on that particular 'boat 754.
However, they both do give an excellent view of both the 'boats (Lambert and Ross) and their War (Reynolds)
Highly recommended.

Hello Simon, Welcome aboard. MTB 754 - a late build - December 1944 - by Messrs Solent Shipyards. Burlesdon Bridge. Sarisbury Green Hants. To 68th Flotilla - then at Yarmouth (HMS Midge). Senior Officer- Lt Cdr D.G.Dowling RNVR. Flotilla moved to Ostend early 1945 - CFMU.1. (Coastal Forces Mobile Un...

This short video clip shows the damage to MTB 18 after ramming an enemy boat. Best viewed in 'Large Screen' This unique example of silent video footage is from British Pathe. We are hoping to secure a license with which we hope to add similar clips in the future. According to Leonard Reynolds in Hom...

What is clever about the illustrations of this kit is that by just running your cursor over the titles at the bottom of the images - eg "pic 2" etc - you will see stages in the kits construction. Very clever!

Not so 'off topic' with these views of HDML 1479.
The attached views show ML 1479 in service with the Dutch. (From Maritiem Digitaal website via Christian Sheppard-Capurro).

Off topic I realise but a shot of an HDML under Sail.

ML 1479 - is causing a little problem. British "B" ML's appear to have been renumbered in the 2xxxx 5 and 6xxxx series etc Maybe someone else can properly ID this craft. Some "B" craft were built for the USN (classified and numbered as Sub Chasers) some were later transfered to t...

Hello dutch A little more information on ML 869. She was a very late built vessel - completed April 1945 (built by Messrs Beheral Company, El Gamel, Egypt). She was renumbered twice - ML 6005 then to - ML 2869. She was placed on the Disposal List (in Ceylon) and sold around 1951. Still trying to tra...

A very brief glimpse, via a recent YouTube clip, of the life and experiences of a 96 year old veteran, Michael Burn M.C. The St Nazaire raid of WW2 was a 'Combined Ops' engagement but its conception was first seeded by Lt Cdr G. Gonin RN.

YouTube clip has been removed

Here it is hoped that models, other than those built by Veteran's, can be discussed and illustrated.

Here is a clip of a very nice model of an Elco PT boat (not too sure of the music though :| )
Best viewed in large screen mode.

Hello again Alan Wallis Randall still has not come back with an answer yet. (he was on ML's out of Malta at one time) but more importantly for you here - he has a complete List of former CFVA members, a 'trawl' through that may just turn up a few of the names. I have a copy of the final List but mos...

Still trying to contact Wallis Randall Alan, have not forgotten, will get back to you.
Regards

Than you Brian for the info - much appreciated.
Regards

Hello again Alan I was editing my previous post when you answered. My sincere appologies for not having realised that your Grand Father had crossed the bar. Regarding 'Hurts Certificates' this was a recognition that person(s) when being discharged - had been injured in some way. (either by enemy act...

Hello Alan Welcome aboard. Wallis Randall, our Vice Chair, was on ML 567 in the Mediterranean. (it is his boat 'sweeping' in the Bay of Naples shown at the bottom of our Home Page). I shall ask over the weekend whether he remembers your Grand Father and back to you. I see that Grand Dad was not a me...

Hello again Brian,
Many thanks again for posting this interesting brief of the boats War time activities.
Your posts certainly show that you have more than just an interest - keep them coming.
I have sent you a PM.
Best Wishes

Hello Brian...Welcome aboard and thank you for your comprhensive short history on some of the War activities of MTB 647. As you may know - the London Branch has a couple of the members of the crew of 647 (Peter Bickmore BEM and Dennis Reeve) while our Chairman was a member of the crew on 651. Many t...

Hello 'Rampant' Welcome aboard, very glad that you found us. We have a couple of London Branch members who were actually on 647 - Peter Bickmore BEM (who will be contacting you) and Dennis Reeve who unfortunately is not 'on line', but I understand from our Chairman Ken G, he may be contacting you by...