5 Admirals aboard the 'Medusa'

News items of interest to Coastal Forces veterans, or notices concerning veterans' reunions or events
Pioneer
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Posts: 347
Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2008 12:48 pm

5 Admirals aboard the 'Medusa'

Postby Pioneer » Sun Jun 08, 2014 10:00 am

Admiral and Chief Commandant for Women in the Royal Navy, HRH Anne Princess Royal, aboard ML 1387 'Medusa' during the recent 70th anniversary D-Day celebrations.
d-day6.jpg
Photo: D. Carter

cdsc123
Sub Lieutenant
Posts: 76
Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2009 6:38 pm

Re: 5 Admirals aboard the 'Medusa'

Postby cdsc123 » Mon Jun 09, 2014 2:14 pm

No bad luck I hope. My dad always told us never to take an Admiral, a wheelbarrow or an umbrella on a boat.

Pioneer
Moderator
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Re: 5 Admirals aboard the 'Medusa'

Postby Pioneer » Thu Jun 12, 2014 9:09 am

The person talking to HRH, the Princess Royal, in the above photo is ex-Ldg Seaman Douglas Withey.
He was the Oerlikon gunner aboard ML 1387 on D-Day - and had a grandstand view of the first landings on the Omaha beachhead.
ML 1387 had been detailed to act as a guiding ‘radio beacon’ for the following armada which meant that this craft had to be secreted into position sometime before the day unfolded – truly a dangerous mission for the boat and crew.

He was a member of the former CFVA (1613) and at one time Treasurer of the now defunct Liverpool Branch.

Below the Medusa seen before the commemorative voyage commenced
Attachments
d-day5.jpg
Photo: D. Carter
Last edited by Pioneer on Fri Jun 13, 2014 3:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: wrong beachhead originally quoted

johnk
Chief Petty Officer
Posts: 67
Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2012 8:21 am

Re: 5 Admirals aboard the 'Medusa'

Postby johnk » Thu Jun 12, 2014 12:30 pm

Hi there,

Cracking shot of Medusa, how very fortunate to have a member of the ship's company aboard from that day, and indeed able to tell such a story, fantastic.

Johnk


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