Tracing My Father's Navy Career

Enquiries relating to individual men and women who served with HM Light Coastal Forces; help with interpreting service records, or with tracing former comrades
ROCKO
Seaman
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Aug 25, 2010 4:42 pm

Tracing My Father's Navy Career

Postby ROCKO » Wed Aug 25, 2010 5:19 pm

I am compiling a book of my late fathers ww2 time spent in the Royal Navey on MTB and MGB BOATS. His name is STANLEY ROCKETT [ STAN] He was stationed at Gt yarmouth, Portsmouth and various other places, including training venues. The list of boats i have records of is..MGB326..MGB505..MGB609..MGB604..MGB609..MTB756. Ihave also found out that he took part in the Bruneval raid [ mgb326]? If any persons can help with any information , photos etc or i can possible help any body, i do have some orignale photos, please contact me . Chris.... rockettcg@yahoo.com

Brian Holmes
Commander
Posts: 245
Joined: Wed May 06, 2009 3:26 pm
Location: Portsmouth

Re: Tracing My Father's Navy Career

Postby Brian Holmes » Tue Sep 14, 2010 7:11 pm

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 Honours 1943
DSM TLSea Leslie Richard Jones D/JX137296

For Operations Abercrombie, Bristle and Biting- secret operations in the Channel (Gazette Date - 13/4/43)
MID TLtCdr Francis Douglas Russell-Roberts RNVR
DSM AB Dugald McFarlane C/JX225197

For combined operations on enemy coasts (Gazette Date - 6/7/43)
MID TLt William John Kempner RNVR
MID LSto Oliver William George Parr P/KX85753

For Operation Neptune - For gallantry and devotion to duty during the landings in Normandy (Gazette Date - 14/11/44)
DSC TLt Neville Arthur Breeze RNVR
MID AB George Victor Talbot P/JX326563

New Year Honours 1945
MID AB James Craig Carlyle C/JX260146

Known Crew
TLtCdr Francis Douglas Russell-Roberts RNVR
TLt Neville Arthur Breeze RNVR
TLt William John Kempner RNVR (Commanding Officer)
TLt Francis Douglas Russell-Roberts RNVR
TSLt Alasdair Macdonald Watson RNVR joined the RNVR at Rosyth 2/8/40. HMS King Alfred 7-8/41, HMS St Christopher, HMS Midge 2/42. First Lieutenant MGB 326 1/42 Served in MGB 505 in 1943 First Lieutenant MGB 317 31/5/43 First Lieutenant MGB 312 11/10/43 Commanding Officer MGB 330 10/4/44 Commanding Officer MTB 5001 1945 when the boat was sunk Commanding Officer MTB 764 21/5/45 Senior Officer German E Boats at HMS Hornet Commanding Officer MTB 2012 1945 Commanding Officer MTB 2017 1946 Transferred to permanent RNVR 1951 Commanding Officer HMS Scotia (RNR Headquarters at Rosyth) 1958-66 RNR ADC to the Queen 1967-68 Commanding Officer HMS Claverhouse (RNR Clyde) 1968-69. Retired 27/12/70 as a Capt. Teacher math and science and coach of rugby and athletics at Dalhousie Castle, Melville House, Ladybank and Clifton Hall schools from 1946 on. President of the Combined Operations Association based near Furnace. MID 1943, DSC 1945 and VRD 1960 and 1970. Born 24/2/20 at Edinburgh and died at Muthill, Perthshire 25/3/2007
CMtrMch Robert Ringham Dawson C/MX72043
LSto Oliver William George Parr P/KX85753
TLSea Leslie Richard Jones D/JX137296
AB James Craig Carlyle C/JX260146
AB Dugald McFarlane C/JX225197
AB George Victor Talbot P/JX326563 who died on 12/06/1944 Age:, 21 Son of Arthur J. and May L. Talbot, of Hillingdon, Middlesex

War Activities
12th MGB Flotilla
MGB 313, MGB 315, MGB 318, MGB 320, MGB 321, MGB 323, MGB 326 and MGB 327
1/42 At Great Yarmouth
14th MGB Flotilla
Employed on clandestine operations supporting resistance activities in France.
27/2/42 Operation Biting
MGB 312, MGB 315, MGB 316, MGB 317 and MGB 326 support the on Bruneval
Airborne forces and an RAF technician are dropped just behind the coast where they dismantle a German Wurzburg Radar and carry away significant parts of it to the beach. Troops are recovered by landing craft escorted by the MGBs.
19/8/42 Operation Jubilee - Raid on Dieppe
SGB 5 (Grey Owl) ,SGB 9
MGB 50, MGB 51, MGB 312, MGB 315, MGB 316, MGB 317,MGB 320, MGB 321, MGB 323, MGB 326
ML 120, ML 123, ML 189, ML 190, ML 193,ML 194, ML 230, ML 246, ML 292, ML 309, ML 343, ML 344, ML 346, RML 513
Operation Abercrombie - secret operation in the Channel (Gazette Date - 13/4/43)
Operation Bristle - secret operation in the Channel (Gazette Date - 13/4/43)
27/2/43 Operation Carpenter III.
MGB 326 attempts to land and bury stores at Ile Stagadon but fail to find a site with sufficient sand to allow burial.
29/4/43 Operation Mango.
MGB 326 attempts to land one agent and stores but fails due to bad weather.
1st Coastal Force Flotilla
MGB 312, MGB 316, MGB 317, MGB 324, MGB 326 and MGB 330
Operation Neptune
Invasion of Normandy
Juno Beach for assault then ETF
28/6/44 Sunk by mine off Normandy

Brian Holmes
Commander
Posts: 245
Joined: Wed May 06, 2009 3:26 pm
Location: Portsmouth

Re: Tracing My Father's Navy Career

Postby Brian Holmes » Tue Sep 14, 2010 7:14 pm

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 Bourne Ruffman MN
MBE(Civ) SndEng James Alexander Winton MN
BEM(Civ) Bsn Peter Michael Jeffrey Warren MN
BEM(Civ) CkStd Henry Sutherland Beckitt MN
BEM(Civ) Greaser Albert Letch MN

For Operation Moonshine - A blockade running voyage from the UK to Sweden and back 1-2/45
Commend Capt Harry Whitfield MN
MID ChOff Edward Bourne Ruffman MN
Commend ChEng James Kirkhope Duncan MN
Commend ChRadOff Eric Hodgson MN
BEM(Civ) AB John Wardell MN
BEM(Civ) Dnkymn George Smith MN
BEM(Civ) Mtrmn John Jones MN

Known Crew


TSLt Alasdair Macdonald Watson RNVR joined the RNVR at Rosyth 2/8/40. HMS King Alfred 7-8/41, HMS St Christopher, HMS Midge 2/42. First Lieutenant MGB 326 1/42 Served in MGB 505 in 1943 First Lieutenant MGB 317 31/5/43 First Lieutenant MGB 312 11/10/43 Commanding Officer MGB 330 10/4/44 Commanding Officer MTB 5001 1945 when the boat was sunk Commanding Officer MTB 764 21/5/45 Senior Officer German E Boats at HMS Hornet Commanding Officer MTB 2012 1945 Commanding Officer MTB 2017 1946 Transferred to permanent RNVR 1951 Commanding Officer HMS Scotia (RNR Headquarters at Rosyth) 1958-66 RNR ADC to the Queen 1967-68 Commanding Officer HMS Claverhouse (RNR Clyde) 1968-69. Retired 27/12/70 as a Capt. Teacher math and science and coach of rugby and athletics at Dalhousie Castle, Melville House, Ladybank and Clifton Hall schools from 1946 on. President of the Combined Operations Association based near Furnace. MID 1943, DSC 1945 and VRD 1960 and 1970. Born 24/2/20 at Edinburgh and died at Muthill, Perthshire 25/3/2007
Capt Herbert William Jackson MN
Capt Harry Whitfield MN
ChOff Philip Roland Legg MN
ChOff Edward Bourne Ruffman MN
ChEng James Kirkhope Duncan MN
ChRadOff Eric Hodgson MN
SndEng James Alexander Winton MN
Bsn Peter Michael Jeffrey Warren MN
AB John Wardell MN
CkStd Henry Sutherland Beckitt MN
Dnkymn George Smith MN
Greaser Albert Letch MN
Mtrmn John Jones MN


War Activities
8/43 Converted to blockade runner and renamed = Nonsuch
10/43-3/44 Operation Bridford - blockade running voyages from Sweden to the UK
1-2/45 Operation Moonshine - A blockade running voyage from the UK to Sweden and back. Gay Viking, Hopewell and MGB 505 deliver more than 40 tons of supplies to the Danish resistance before picking up a vreturn cargo in Gothenberg, Sweden. Gay Viking and Hopewell collide in the Skaggerak and Gay Viking has to be abandoned.
3/45 MGB 2005

Post War Fate

Brian Holmes
Commander
Posts: 245
Joined: Wed May 06, 2009 3:26 pm
Location: Portsmouth

Re: Tracing My Father's Navy Career

Postby Brian Holmes » Tue Sep 14, 2010 7:19 pm

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’s Knoll 24/10/43
DSC TLt Patrick Noel Green Edge RNVR
DSM ACMtrMch Robert Joseph Arthur Bonce P/MX98931
DSM AB Jack Ramsden Beaumont P/JX352195
MID PO William Lindsay Williams D/JX158412

Birthday Honours 1944
MID PO William Lindsay Williams D/JX158412

Known Crew (MGB 609)
TLt Alan Doxford McIlwraith RNVR Commanding Officer (Wounded in action 16/8/42) Senior Officer 19th MGB Flotilla MID 1942 CdeG 1943 Greek War Cross 3rd class (04.07.1944; salvage of Adrias mined in the Aegean) Born 1909 in St Albans, Herts
TLt Patrick Noel Green Edge RNVR MASB 23 1942 Commanding Officer MGB 609. Commanding Officer MTB 506 16/8/43. Served on the staff of ANCXF 1944 Councellor employment of the disabled 1963 DSC 1944 Two MIDs 1942 MID 1944 OBE (Civ) 1963
TSLt Liston Burns McIlhagga RCNVR First Lieutenant MGB 609 Wounded in action 16/8/42 MID 1942
ACMtrMch George Henry Seymour C/MX69871
APO Richard Edward Varnall C/JX126930
AB John Edward Knibb P/JX252230 Died of Wounds received in a surface action 17/8/42 aged 21. Son of Albert Edward and May Knibb, of Wembley. Buried in Wembley (Alperton) Burial Ground Plot D.D. Grave 101
AB James Logan D/SS 35903 Killed in a surface action 16/8/42 Buried in Dover (St. James's) Cemetery Row C. Joint grave 16.
Ord Kenneth Mattison C/JX 318042 Died of Wounds received in a surface action 17/8/42 aged 19. Son of George Alfred and Edna Mattison, of Harrogate. Buried in Harrogate (Harlow Hill) Cemetery Sec. F. Grave 115
Sto1 Ernest Edward Smith P/KX135877 Killed in a surface action 16/8/42 Age 21. Son of Ernest and Emma Smith, of Moreton. Buried in Bidston (St. Oswald) Churchyard, Cheshire N.E. part

Known Crew (MTB 609)
ACMtrMch Robert Joseph Arthur Bonce P/MX98931
PO William Lindsay Williams D/JX158412
AB Jack Ramsden Beaumont P/JX352195

War Activities
17th MGB Flotilla Based at Great Yarmouth
On passage from work up at HMS Bee, Weymouth, MGB 609 is diverted to Dover to operate with locally based MGBs.
16/8/42 MGB 6, MGB 10, MGB 324, MGB 330, MGB 331 and MGB 609 depart Dover to intercept 10th R Boat Flotilla laying mines in mid channel. Off Calais MGB 330, MGB 331 and MGB 609 engage the German force with gunfire and are all badly damaged. MGB 330 has all guns out of action but rams R 184 . MGB 330, MGB 331 and MGB 609 are severely damaged and break off the action. In MGB 609, two men have been killed and two men are dying. All three officers and eight ratings have been wounded. Two R Boats are sinking. MGB 6 and MGB 10 make an attack setting an R Boat on fire, boarding it and taking either eight or fifteen prisoners. All boats return to Dover. R184 is finished off by gunfire from a coastal battery.
MGB 609 has only one working engine, no engine controls and no charts..
MGB 609 is paid off for extensive repairs.
9/43 Modified and reclassified as MTB
10/43 50th MTB Flotilla Based at Great Yarmouth
24/10/43 An action off Smith’s Knoll involving MTB 442, MTB 606, MTB 610, MTB 629, MTB 630, MTB 632, MTB 650 and MTB 652
24-5/10/43 32 German S-Boats of the 2, 4, 6 and 8 S-Flotillas sortie from Ijmuiden and attack Convoy FN.1160 off Cromer. The Convoy is escorted by the destroyers Pytchley, Worcester, Eglinton, Campbell and Mackay, MGB 609, MGB 610, MGB 607, MGB 603, MGB 315, MGB 327, ML 250 and ML 517. HMS Mackay rams and sinks S 63. MGB 603 and MGB 607 hit on the boats of the 4. S-Flotilla on the return leg and sink S 88 which was standing by the damaged S63
3-4/11/43 An action in the Nore area in which two trawlers were sunk and E Boats damaged. Sunk in action by surface craft
24/10/43 An action with E Boats off Smith’s Knoll
22-3/2/44 S 67, S 80, S 86, S 92, S 94, S 128 and S 135 of the Second. S-Flotilla (KKpt. Feldt) and S 64, S 65, S 85, S 93, S 99, S 117, S 127 and S 129 of the the Eighth S-Flotilla (KKpt. Zymalkowski) from Ijmuiden intercept and attack a Convoy near Smith´s Knoll. The Boats are engaged by the destroyers HMS Garth and Southdown with MTB 609 and MTB 610. During the action, S 94 and S 128 collide and have to be abandoned.

Post War Fate
10/45 Sea Cadet Corps
1952 Sold

Brian Holmes
Commander
Posts: 245
Joined: Wed May 06, 2009 3:26 pm
Location: Portsmouth

Re: Tracing My Father's Navy Career

Postby Brian Holmes » Tue Sep 14, 2010 7:21 pm

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/KX139405

Wartime Activities


Post War Fate
1/46 Sea Cadet Corps (Hull)
8/11/54 Sold

ROCKO
Seaman
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Aug 25, 2010 4:42 pm

Re: Tracing My Father's Navy Career

Postby ROCKO » Mon Oct 04, 2010 5:05 pm

Dear Brian, many thanks for your much detailed email regarding the boats my father served on. I have been away and have only just seen it and are thrilled with this info, again many , many thanks. yours Christopher Rockett.

Tedthehead11
Seaman
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2014 4:28 pm

Re: Tracing My Father's Navy Career

Postby Tedthehead11 » Tue Jan 27, 2015 7:21 pm

My father Francis Richard Doherty Frank ran the blockade from Hull to Sweden and to Norway dropping arms of to the resistance and then into Sweden to pick up ball bearings also involved with PLUTO he was on MGB Hopewell and Gay Viking I have tried to post his discharge book,if anyone still alive please post.Regards proud son Ted


Return to “Personnel”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 15 guests