MTB 622

Motor Torpedo Boats (MTB)
David Carter
Sub Lieutenant
Posts: 93
Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2011 6:06 pm

MTB 622

Postby David Carter » Mon Mar 10, 2014 5:10 pm

What was the action this boat was involved in that caused so many casualties?

Pioneer
Moderator
Posts: 347
Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2008 12:48 pm

Re: MTB 622

Postby Pioneer » Mon Mar 10, 2014 7:14 pm

Harry Leader, a former London Branch member, gave me an indepth account of the loss of MTB 622, he being one of only 10 survivors when she was lost off the coast of Holland on the night of March 9th/10th 1943. Taking several high calibre hits, 622 caught fire and eventually exploded. Blown into the water Harry was severely injured, he was rescued by the crew of the German naval craft VP 1300 and spent many months in Dutch and German hospitals before being incarcerated in a German POW camp. Still suffering from his wounds he, with three others, decided to try and escape from the POW camp after hearing of a proposed forced march of the inmates deeper into Germany. After several hair-raising incidents they reached the advancing Allied army. Harry was to feel the generosity of the American troops for a number of weeks before eventually being repatriated back to the UK. He was awarded the DSM for skill, courage and fortitude during an action off the Dutch coast on the night of 9th March, 1943.
Though seriously wounded Able Seaman Leader continued to carry out bis duties and his prompt action in dealing with the fire greatly prolonged the fighting life of M.T.B. 622 in which he was serving...
London Gazette citation in full.

The actual action is fully described in Dog Boats at War by Leonard Reynolds but there is a copy of a letter written to Harry by a colleague which gives a graphic account from his view point onboard MTB 624, we hope to publish this letter later in the year.

Sadly Harry passed away in 2010.

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

Re: MTB 622

Postby Brian Holmes » Mon Mar 10, 2014 7:16 pm

MGB_622 Brooke Marine Ltd, Oulton Broad, Nr Lowestoft 10/11/42

For an action with an enemy convoy off the Dutch coast 9/3/43
DSC TLt Francis William Carr RNVR

For skill and courage in controlling damage and fighting a fire in action 9/3/43
DSM AB Harry John Leader P/JX296408
MID POMtrMch Charles Nicholls P/MX72853

Known Crew (MGB 622)
Lt Philip Francis Stewart Gould RN Commanding Officer MTB 16 04/39 MID Commanding Officer MGB 43 5/9/43 and Senior Officer 3rd MGB Flotilla DSC DSC* MID MTB 640 11/42 Commanding Officer MTB 622 11/42 - 3/43 then Senior Officer 32nd MTB Flotilla MTB 639 Killed in action 28/4/43 MID (Post) 1943 aged 26 Son of Lt Col. Philip Gould and Marie Agusta Gould, of Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire; husband of Mary Gould, of Shedfield, Hampshire Buried in Enfidaville War Cemetery, Tunisia II. F. 277
TLt Francis William Carr RNVR TLt 1/3/41 MTB 640 24/9/42 MGB 622 23/11/42 Commanding Officer MGB 622 3/43
TSLt Peter James Byrne RNVR TSLt 31/7/42 Killed in action 10/3/43 aged 24. Son of James and Louisa Mary Byrne, of Sidcup, Kent. Buried in Lemvig Cemetery, Grave 701.
TSLt Leo Vincent Cruise RANVR TSLt 24/9/40 MTB 622 24/10/42 First Lieutenant MTB 81 04/01/43. TLt 5/9/44 HMAS Penguin 11/1/46. Born 25/3/20 in Deepwater, NSW
TSLt John Nevil Snowdon RNVR TSLt 3/9/42 MTB 640 28/9/42 Navigator MTB 622 11/42 killed in action 10/3/43
TASLt A W Smith RNVR MGB 622 11/42
POMtrMch Charles Nicholls P/MX72853
LMtrMch Walter Scott P/MX 98823 Killed in action 10/3/43 aged 20. Son of Robert and Lilian Scott, of Stockton-on-Tees, Co. Durham. Buried in Norre Havrvig Churchyard, Denmark.
LSea Stanley Briggs D/SSX 24338 (Killed in action 10/3/43)
AB William Arrowsmith Carr P/JX276007 Killed in action 10/3/43 aged 42. Son of John and Laura Carr, of North Shields, Northumberland; husband of Elizabeth Carr, of North Shields. Buried in Rotterdam (Crooswijk) General Cemetery Plot LL. Row 1. Grave 30
AB Harry John Leader P/JX296408
AB Ernest Witherington Craythorne P/JX 282845 Missing Presumed Killed in action 10/3/43 aged 21. Son of Edward W. and Winifred M. Craythorne, of Maidenhead, Berkshire.
AB John Hamilton C/JX 196892 (Killed in action 10/3/43)
AB George Alexander Reid D/JX 173906 Missing Presumed Killed in action 10/3/43 aged 24. Son of John Campbell Reid and Catherine Reid, of Grangetown, Cardiff.
AB Alan Shaw P/JX 353101 (Killed in action 10/3/43)
Ord Edwin Frederick Daniels C/JX 351170 Missing Presumed Killed in action 10/3/43 aged 16. Son of Mrs. E. Daniels, of Redhill, Surrey.
Ord Albert Earnest Johnson P/JX 325305, Missing Presumed Killed aged 20 Son of Albert Charles and Jane Johnson, of West Dulwich, London
Ord Maurice Robert Kiddle P/JX 321982 (Killed in action 10/3/43)
Sto1 Robert Martin D/KX 128337 Killed in action 10/3/43 aged 28 Son of Andrew Martin, and of Elizabeth Martin, of Alexandria, Dunbartonshire
Sto2 Harold Oldfield P/KX 135692 Missing Presumed Killed in action 10/3/43 Age 27. Son of William and Lily Oldfield, of Sheffield
Sto2 William Edward Stone C/KX. 153999 Died of wounds received in action 10/3/43 aged 19. Son of William Arthur and Alice Kate Stone, of Lower Edmonton, Middlesex. Buried in Rotterdam (Crooswijk) General Cemetery Plot LL. Row 2. Grave 32

War Activities
31st MGB Flotilla
MTB 617, MTB 621, MTB 622, MTB 624, MTB 628, MTB 629, MTB 630, MTB 632, MTB 668, MTB 671, MTB 682
Based at Great Yarmouth
9-10/3/43 MGB 617 MTB 622 and MTB 624 (Leading) depart Great Yarmouth for an offensive sweep off Teschelling.
2300 MGB 617, MTB 622 and MTB 624 arrive on patrol and make contact with a group of armed trawlers (Vp 1247 and Vp 1248) assumed to be the escort of a previously reported convoy of eight merchant ships escorted by four M Class minesweepers and four Vps. An action ensues and one trawler is set on fire. MGB 617 loses contact but MTB 622 and MTB 624 contact the convoy firing four torpedoes at a tanker. Two hits were claimed. MTB 622 is hit and disabled. MTB 624 closes to assist but is beaten off by a destroyer. MTB 622 is sunk and the survivors are taken prisoner by Vp 3000. MTB 617 and MTB 624 break off the action and return to Great Yarmouth.

David Carter
Sub Lieutenant
Posts: 93
Joined: Tue Jan 18, 2011 6:06 pm

Re: MTB 622

Postby David Carter » Tue Mar 11, 2014 10:57 am

Ted & Brian Thank you for that very useful information. DC

gwynpe7
Seaman
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Jun 30, 2016 10:28 am

Re: MTB 622

Postby gwynpe7 » Thu Jun 30, 2016 11:14 am

Hello, I'm new on here. Has the letter of one of the late Harry Leader's colleagues aboard MTB 624 during this action been received? I was a Sea Cadet on board MTB 624 when she was TS Thunderer. I'd treasure the chance to read this letter.

Pioneer
Moderator
Posts: 347
Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2008 12:48 pm

Re: MTB 622

Postby Pioneer » Fri Jul 01, 2016 8:13 am

Welcome aboard 'gwynpe7'
The letter was published in the Feb 2015 Newsletter
Scroll down to the 'Ides of March'

gwynpe7
Seaman
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Jun 30, 2016 10:28 am

Re: MTB 622

Postby gwynpe7 » Fri Jul 01, 2016 12:09 pm

Thank you so much for your help. The letter captures the strain of night action and the sorrow of the loss of shipmates. The Sea Cadets that met on 624 after the war were scarcely a year or two younger than OS Edwin Daniels who sacrificed his life as a teenager. 624 had several captains - about one a year from commissioning to the end of the war. I wonder what happened to her crew after the war.

scott1e
Seaman
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Oct 25, 2016 12:41 am

Re: MTB 622

Postby scott1e » Tue Oct 25, 2016 12:56 am

My father George Lennon Scott was an anti aircraft gunner on MTB622 and was one of the ten survivors. the after action report states that 622 was last seen swathed in smoke, surrounded by three German destroyers with all guns firing despite burning fiercely and sinking by the stern. That pretty much tallies with what my father had told me. he along who the other survivors were picked up by VP1300 and he was eventually interred in Stalag 8b at Lamsdorff before taking part in the death march from 27/01/45 to sometime in May when they met the Americans. Harry Leader remembered m father when I spoke to him as he ad only been on the boat for a month having transferred from SGB9 Grey Goose.


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