Coastal Forces Veterans

Hello, I would like make a list names of the crews who served during the Bruneval Raid on the night of 27/28 February 1942. It's difficult to find informations about the RN during this operation. Unless I'm mistaken, the RN boats that involved are (with names that I know):

- HMS Prins Albert : Henry B. PEATE.
- HMS Blencathra L 24 : John H. RUCKE-KEENE.
- HMS Fernie L 11 : William B. WILLETT.
- Q O13 Calais (ship of the Free French Navy FNFL served by British on this night) : Robert B.G. EGERTON.
- 14th MGB Flotilla : William G. EVERITT.
• MGB 312 : Peter DAWKINS, Robert H. NYE.
• MGB 315
• MGB 316 : T.M. CARTWRIGHT, George PIKE.
• MGB 317 : Kenneth HOLDEN, John H. COSTE, William KEMPNER.
• MGB 326 : Alasdair M. WATSON, Dugald McFARLANE, Robert DAWSON, G.S. BRUNDELL, Francis D. RUSSELL-ROBERTS.
- ALC 123
- ALC 125
- ALC 134
- ALC 135
- ALC 137
- ALC 138
- LSC 1 : George H. GARRARD.
- LSC 2 : Charles W.J. COLES, Frederick N. COOK (CO of the flottilla).
- RESERVE :
• HMS Prince Leopold : William S. BYLES.
• MGB 314 : DUNSTAN-CURTIS
• MGB 318
• MGB 320
• MGB 322
• MGB 324

I have some others names mentioned in the Bruneval raid, but I don't know their boat: John T. BLAND, William D. BURNS, George WOTHERSPOON, Royston HENSON, Bernard BARRY, Donald G. MacKENZIE, Charles W. HURST, Robert STEWART, Donald J. QUICK, Peter R. MacKINNON, Ronald J.F. TURNER.

Don't hesitate to complete (or correct) this list if you know other names. Please, if your relative involved during the raid, contact me. My project is to present the story of the men who fought during Op. 'Biting' by air, land or sea. My research are present during expositions. See photos of the last editions:
- www.facebook.com/pg/pegasusrises.1942/p ... 7951216714
- www.facebook.com/pg/pegasusrises.1942/p ... 8742921631

Some sailors' faces without names photographied during the training of the Raid or after the return in England. To clarify, I'm not familiar with the navy ranks. Maybe you can recognize some faces?

Hello and thank you for your enquiry. I’ll have a look through such books as I have later for any mention of names you don’t already have, but you could look at our awards database too, using the unit selection for the MGBs mentioned. The London Gazette for 2 October, 1942 contains some of the awards so you could check for awards with that gazette date to begin with.

Regards
Admin

Thanks Sir, your database is really well made!! I found boats of the names without it that I had and I found others names. But how can be sure that they didn't change of boat after the Raid? I know the French sailor had a form with all assignment by dates, do you know if the same document exists for the sailors of the Commonwealth?

Some others unidentified faces taken during the training or the return of the Bruneval raid, if their relatives are in this forum to recognize them. For the photos taken on the deck of the MGB 312 and 317, can we know their duties with the emplacement that they occupied on the deck? I'm not sure for the navy ranks visible. Thanks for your help,

Thanks Sir, your database is really well made!! I found boats of the names without it that I had and I found others names. But how can be sure that they didn't change of boat after the Raid? I know the French sailor had a form with all assignment by dates, do you know if the same document exists for the sailors of the Commonwealth?

Some others unidentified faces taken during the training or the return of the Bruneval raid, if their relatives are in this forum to recognize them. For the photos taken on the deck of the MGB 312 and 317, can we know their duties with the emplacement that they occupied on the deck? I'm not sure for the navy ranks visible.X.pngMGB-317-C.pngMGB-317-B.pngMGB-317-A.pngMGB-312-B.jpgMGB-312-A.jpgIWM-H17355.jpgCapture d’écran 2019-06-25 à 10.16.42.pngCapture d’écran 2019-06-25 à 10.12.49.pngCapture d’écran 2019-06-25 à 10.12.44.png

I'm glad you found the database useful.

I have some more names for you via the Navy List of February 1942 for two boats of the 14th MGB Flotilla. They are:

MGB 322
Tempy. Lieut., R.N.V.R. J. H. Hodder
Tempy. Sub-Lieut., R.N.V.R. P. M. Cole

MGB 324
Lieut. K. A. Cradock-Hartop (S.O. 14th MGB Flotilla)
Tempy. Sub-Lieut., R.N.V.R. R. Walker

In addition Dog Boats at War by Len Reynolds cites C. E. C. Martin for MGB 318, though there is no known timeframe for this appointment.

MGB 318
Lt C. E. C. Martin

I must admit when thinking about the awards I confused Bruneval with Dieppe, which was later in the year, but that said, the ratings onboard these boats tended to cycle much less than the officers, who could change quite frequently — the October 1942 Navy List shows completely different officers for MGBs 322 & 324 with only Walker remaining —and so the names of ratings in the database for awards granted in late 1942 would most likely have been on the boat earlier in the year.

The only list of postings for a sailor is his service record, and generally speaking Second World War records are only open to family members still, and are of limited use, since you need a name to confirm a boat, and boat numbers are not always given on service records for every timeframe.

Regards
Admin

Thank you for this more informations. Apparently, the MGB 318, 322 and 324 were in reserve during the Bruneval raid.

Hello,

See attachment a sketch about the composition of the flotilla during the Bruneval Raid on the night of 27-28 Feb 1942. I'm still looking for veterans or their relatives to grew up the names' list of the crews.

Regards,