Coastal Forces Maintenance Units

Discussions relating to the day-to-day running of Light Coastal Forces; shore establishments and mobile bases; command structure; strategy and tactics; training and logistics etc
dcrfan
Seaman
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Jul 24, 2013 7:57 am

Coastal Forces Maintenance Units

Postby dcrfan » Thu Jul 25, 2013 9:53 pm

I have been looking for information on CFMU and located a very interesting series of pictures in a thread on RN vehicles on the Maple Leaf Up chatgroup which is about military vehicles. The thread is at http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/showt ... ight=royal

Here is an example of the pictures in the thread

Image

Image

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

Re: Coastal Forces Maintenance Units

Postby Pioneer » Fri Jul 26, 2013 8:12 am

What an interesting find. Thank you 'dcrfan' for the posting. The lower picture of the Bedford truck with trailer has the identity of CFMU 2 on the door. As our Maps Page illustrates, this unit was originally formed in Chatham during May 1944. After D day, as the European War progressed , it spent some time in Copenhagen finally ending up in Wilhemshaven. At one time, this particular unit had Lt Cdr Bradford, of 55th 'Dog Boat' Flotilla fame, as its CO.

There is still much to know of these valuable units; many were formed in the Mediterranean and Far East. Further information and any images of these and their working would be most welcome.

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

Re: Coastal Forces Maintenance Units

Postby johnk » Mon Jul 29, 2013 9:01 am

Hi there,

Many thanks for this most interesting, of course saw ex Chatham there, just before D-day then, thanks again,

Johnk

dcrfan
Seaman
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Jul 24, 2013 7:57 am

Re: Coastal Forces Maintenance Units

Postby dcrfan » Wed Aug 21, 2013 11:10 am

I've been busy ready books on coastal forces to try and better understand the maintenance units expecially in the Med.

In Flag 4 by Dubley Pope (pgs 109-110) he explains Lt Cdr Allan scrounged equipment off the Americans and 'spent several days after the German surrender in Tunisia combing the Cape Bon battlefields to see what vehicles and equpiment the Germans left behind'.

In Dog Boats at War is this picture presumably taken at Bastia. I believe N.O.I.C. on the truck doorwould be Naval Officer in Charge:

Image

It shows an a US Allis-Chalmers tractor with a mounted crane and a British Albion truck which I assume would have a machinery body as they were common this chassis. The nose of a third vehicle on the right was a bit more difficult to identify but I now have it. It is a German Auto Union Horch so presumably one of the vehicles recovered in Tunisa. The picture below shows a typical Horch.

Image

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

Re: Coastal Forces Maintenance Units

Postby Pioneer » Thu Aug 22, 2013 12:18 pm

Hello ‘dcrfan’

I do like your detective work – the identifying of the Horche truck - well done. The Med CF mobile units certainly do need further research. Our Mediterranean Map page give a very brief outine but still has many gaps. The importance of Naval Parties (NP’s) in the initial stages of CFMU set ups has not really been fully explained nor completely understood. NP 645 for example, eventually to become HMS Hamilcar, was in situ as a forward maintenance unit at Bizerte (identified as ‘Harwood Port Party) as was NP 623.
LtCdr Ben Harlow’s listings on the Naval-History.net website wets the appetite for further research.

Keep the images coming ‘dcrfan’


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