George Alexander Baptie

Enquiries relating to individual men and women who served with HM Light Coastal Forces; help with interpreting service records, or with tracing former comrades
Rod Baptie
Seaman
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2015 3:55 pm

George Alexander Baptie

Postby Rod Baptie » Sun Feb 01, 2015 1:42 am

My father George Alexander Baptie served as Sub Lieutenant om MGB 81 converted to MTB 416 he then (I think) commanded MTB 499. MTB416/MGB81 has been purchased by Portsmouth Royal Naval Dockyard and I'm trying to find out more about his service carreer I would also appreciate understanding more about his career both in Coastal Forces as well as before and after Coastal Forces - can anyone point me in the right direction. He died over 20 years ago and said very little about his service carreer. I also believe he was there at D-Day..

Admin
Site Admin
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Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2009 7:40 pm

Re: George Alexander Baptie

Postby Admin » Sun Feb 01, 2015 2:04 pm

Hello Rod

Welcome to the forum. As you may be aware your father was Mentioned in Dispatches for his service with MTB 499 as recorded in the London Gazette for the 11th December 1945. I'll have a look through the books I have later to see what entries there are concerning MGB 81 and MTB 499. There is a fairly comprehensive history of MGB 81 on the British Military Power Boat web site.

There are also some very good, recent photos, of the preserved MBG 81 on Flickr, taken by Joanna Eyre, who took some photos for us of the preserved boats taking part in the 70th D-Day Anniversary events at Portsmouth in 2014.

Regards
Admin

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

Re: George Alexander Baptie

Postby Brian Holmes » Sun Feb 01, 2015 8:16 pm

MTB_431 British Power Boat Co, Hythe Hampshire

For an action south of Jersey 26/2/44
DSC TSLt Charles Cameron Gough RNVR
DSM AB Thomas Walter Simpson C/JX350853

For devotion to duty during an escape of fumes in the engine room 11/44
MID Sto1 Trevor Anstes D/KX525896 (Post)

Known Crew
TLt Patrick Alexander Baldwin RCNVR 1st MTB Flotilla Commanding Officer MTB 431 Operation Neptune Invasion of Normandy
TLt C C P Broadhurst RNVR TSLt 24/4/41 8th MGB Flotilla HMS Beehive (Felixstowe) Commanding Officer MGB 112 19/4/43 TLt 24/10/43 Redesignated as MTB 431 HMS Mantis (Lowestoft) 1944
TSLt Charles Cameron Gough RNVR TMid 4th MTB Flotilla 16/11/42 TSLt 27/8/43 MGB 77 30/8/43 MTB 434 Commanding Officer MTB 431 2/44 – 6/44 For an action south of Jersey 26/2/44 DSC. Commanding Officer MTB 416 HMS Mantis (Lowestoft) 14/9/44 HMS Beehive (for miscellaneous services) 27/11/44 TLt 1/8/45 Born 1923 in Calne district, Wiltshire and died 28/5/2009 in Torbay Hospital
TSLt George Alexander Baptie RNVR TASLt MTB 431 22/9/43 TSLt 21/11/43 HMS Cicala (Dartmouth) MTB 499 14/2/45 Wind up of the war in Europe MID
AB Henry George Back C/JX 208194 1st MTB Flotilla Based at Dartmouth, Ramsgate, Portsmouth, Lowestoft and Felixstowe MTB 431 Died 9/11/44 cause unknown. Son of Richard Back, and of Ada Annie Back, of Blandford. Buried in Durweston (St. Nicholas) Churchyard, Dorset
AB Robert R Parry C/JX 278883 MTB 431 Killed in action 10/3/45 Age 24 Son of Robert Parry, and of Elizabeth Ann Parry, of Deneside, Seaham, Co. Durham buried at Oostende New Communal Cemetery, Belgium Plot 9. Row 9 Grave 26
AB Thomas Walter Simpson C/JX350853 MTB 431 For an action south of Jersey 26/2/44 DSM 1944 MTB 416 Died cause unknown 24/6/44 aged 21 Son of James and Annie Simpson, of Wapping, London Buried in Haslar Royal Naval Cemetery F. 2. 11
Sto1 Trevor Anstes D/KX525896 HMS Beehive 1st MTB Flotilla MTB 431 For devotion to duty during an escape of fumes in the engine room 11/44 MID(Post) Killed 9/11/44 Age 20 Son of William Arthur and Catherine Anstes, of Rhydfelan, Pontypridd Buried in Pontypridd (Glyntaff) Cemetery Plot U. Grave 15

Wartime Activities
Built as MGB112
1943 Redesignated as MTB 431
10/43 1st MTB Flotilla
MTB 412, MTB 413, MTB 414, MTB 415, MTB 416, MTB 430, MTB 431 and MTB 434
Based at Dartmouth, Ramsgate, Portsmouth, Lowestoft and Felixstowe
26-27/2/44 MTB 415, MTB 430 and MTB 431 attack a convoy entering harbour in Jersey. The German minesweeping trawler M 4618 is damaged but makes port in Jersey.
Operation Neptune Invasion of Normandy
Assault period based on Plymouth
9/6/44 Transfered to Portsmouth
26-7/7/44 Frigate HMS Retalick MTB 412, MTB 430 (SO) and MTB 431 are on patrol off Cap d’Antifer and intercept second S-Flotilla S 176, S 182, S 174, S 181 and S 180. MTB 412, MTB 430 and MTB 431 break through the line but, in the process, MTB 430 is rammed by S 182 and blows up. MTB 412, following close astern, runs into the wreckage, is severely damaged and has to be sunk later. S 182 is sunk and one other E Boat severely damaged. From MTB 430, the First Lieutenant has been killed, eight men are wounded and ten men missing.
9/11/44 Possible action
9-10/3/45 MTB 431 and MTB 483 exchange fire with E Boats. One E Boat and MTB 431 are damaged. In MTB 431, one man is killed and three wounded.

Post War Fate

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

Re: George Alexander Baptie

Postby Brian Holmes » Sun Feb 01, 2015 8:17 pm

MTB_499 British Power Boat Co, Hythe Hampshire

Wind up of the war in Europe
MID TSLt George Alexander Baptie RNVR

Known Crew
TLt Harry Battson RNVR TSLt 29/5/42 Commanding Officer MTB 499 10/4/43 HMS Aggressive (Newhaven) 18th MGB Flotilla Based at Portsmouth and then Newhaven First Lieutenant MGB 602 10/8/42 51st MTB Flotilla Based at Portsmouth, Newhaven, Dover and Ramsgate MTB 602 9/43 For an action off Dieppe 28/3/44 DSC HMS St Christopher TLt 29/5/43 HMS Wellesley (RN training establishment, Liverpool) 5/3/45 Born 8/2/17 in East Barnet, Greater London and died 3/92 in Kettering distirct, Northamptonshire
TLt K J W Hughes RNVR TASLt HMS St Christopher for MLs 12/41 18th MGB Flotilla Based at Portsmouth and then Newhaven MGB 616 8/7/42 MTB 616 10/1/43 TLt 7/8/43 HMS Mantis (Lowestoft) 1944 Commanding Officer MTB 499 14/2/45
TSLt E T Sorensen RNVR MTB 499 24/5/43
TSLt George Alexander Baptie RNVR TASLt MTB 431 22/9/43 TSLt 21/11/43 HMS Cicala (Dartmouth) MTB 499 14/2/45 Wind up of the war in Europe MID

Wartime Activities
36th MTB Flotilla
Based at Felixstowe and Portland

Post War Fate

Rod Baptie
Seaman
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2015 3:55 pm

Re: George Alexander Baptie

Postby Rod Baptie » Mon Feb 02, 2015 4:01 am

Thank you so much for your help

Rod Baptie
Seaman
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Jan 31, 2015 3:55 pm

Re: George Alexander Baptie

Postby Rod Baptie » Mon Feb 02, 2015 5:56 pm

I really appreciate any help on where I should go to find more about his service before and after coastal forces? I believe he was a signalman on convoys not sure of the ship(s) - he signed up in '39 and I believe he commanded a minesweeper for some years after the war..

Admin
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Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2009 7:40 pm

Re: George Alexander Baptie

Postby Admin » Tue Feb 03, 2015 2:35 pm

I really appreciate any help on where I should go to find more about his service before and after coastal forces? I believe he was a signalman on convoys not sure of the ship(s) - he signed up in '39 and I believe he commanded a minesweeper for some years after the war..
Details on how to apply for service records of Royal Navy personnel can be found on the Requests for personal data and service records page of the Gov.uk site.


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