MTB 671

[gibbo333]

I have been approached by a relative of the crew lost from 671 following action on 23/24 April 1944. She is intending to visit the last known position off Pointe de Bar Fleur. Having spoken to RN Museum, Imperial War Museum, and National Maritime Museum, I was wondering if anybody on this forum had any additional information which I could forward.(I have seen the official report of the action) Thanks

[Pioneer]

Hello 'gibbo333' Welcome aboard

Have you read Ken Forrester's account of this action?? see https://cfv.org.uk/mess-deck/library/if-i-only-had-known.
Mr Ken Forrester was aboard MTB 632 during this battle, witnessing the loss of 671 from his position in the Pom-Pom turret - he now being the sole survivor of the action.
Ken is is still with us and we are contantly in touch.

[gibbo333]

Thank you very much for the information. The lady is the sister of L .LEGG, (Ordinary Seaman, P/JX. 428612) who was reported as missing after the action.

[Admin]

I was wondering if anybody on this forum had any additional information which I could forward.(I have seen the official report of the action)

Beyond Ken Forrester's account of the loss of MTB 671 found in the chapter from his autobiography If Only I Had Known published on this site, and the official report of the action of 23rd/24th April, 1945 made by Lt Commander Don Bradford, there isn't a whole lot more to add. We did try to ascertain what records there may have been of the incident from the German side, and managed to glean a little more information via this thread on the Axis History forum: The ‘Cherbourg Mowes’ and the loss of MTB 671 – April 1944

More recently there have been some photos of the crew of MTB 671, two of her officers, Lt Lawrence Toogood and Lt John Horley, and what may be the boat itself, on this thread in the WW2Talk forum which you may find interesting: M.T.B 671 Crew Research Can you help ?

Hope this helps
Admin

[gibbo333]

The links were really useful - thank you. Final question - is there a memorial to this particular action, or to all those lost from the MTB or Coastal forces. Thank you

[Admin]

The main Coastal Forces memorial that I am aware of, is situated at Haslar Marina, Gosport, the site of the former HMS Hornet, the principal base for Coastal Forces. There are commemorative plaques established by the Coastal Forces Heritage Trust at sites of other former bases around the country, as well as a memorial at the National Arboretum, but nothing to commemorate crews from particular boats or actions as such, beyond names recorded on Royal Navy memorials, or headstones in Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) cemeteries. Our Casualties Database contains the names of all who died on Coastal Forces boats or bases, and provides the location, as per the CWGC records, of either their memorial or place of burial.

Memorial to Coastal Forces on the site of HMS Hornet at Gosport