MGB 647

Motor Gunboats (MGB) & Steam Gunboats (SGB)
Peter
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Re: MGB 647

Postby Peter » Wed Jul 06, 2016 9:12 am

Hello MGB 647
I served aboard MGB 647 from June 1944 till she paid off in Malta in July 1945 , and I recall George Woods , affectionately known among the crew as Wee Georgie Woods
More of our history on our website " Pirates of Dalmtia "
Cheers
Peter Bickmore BEM

Peter
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MGB 647 Casualties

Postby Peter » Sun Jun 10, 2018 5:05 pm

On reading todays memorial list 10/6/18 I would like to share with you a page from my memoirs re the action where 3 of the crew including 2 Marine Commando's were killed in action . It was after this action that I was drafted to MGB 647 with some apprehension
Page 33 Memoirs.jpg
Last edited by Admin on Fri Aug 10, 2018 12:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Original title edited to prevent two threads having the same title

Peter
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Re: MGB 647

Postby Peter » Tue Jun 19, 2018 5:46 pm

1 MGB 647 action.jpg
Following on from my draft to MGB 647after the action of June 10th 1944 I share with you a report I have received re the action from Royal Marine Commando sources with interesting details that I was never aware of.
The attachment 1 MGB 647 action.jpg is no longer available

Peter
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Re: MGB 647

Postby Peter » Wed Jun 20, 2018 9:32 am

Good Morning All
Page2 of Commando report of MGB 647 action on June 10th 1944
Cheers
Peter
Attachments
Page 2 Commando action.jpg

David Tomlin
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Re: MGB 647

Postby David Tomlin » Tue Sep 18, 2018 12:33 am

Hi , Have been doing some research into MGB 647 as my father was the Poord mech Reginald Stephen Tomlin, so I guess your grandfather and my father shared some exciting/nervous times together. Didn't look all bad judging by the broad grins when off duty!, have some photos of when they went ashore amidst some super size bottles.
Regards David R Tomlin.

Peter
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Re: MGB 647

Postby Peter » Wed Sep 19, 2018 11:49 am

Hi David Welcome to our site . I knew your Dad very well ,I was on board MGB 647 for its last 12 months till we paid her off in Malta July 1945. attached my write up of MGB 647 of the last action
Great to here from you, my best wishes to your Dad
Peter BEM A/B
13-Final Action Page 2.jpg
Radar
Attachments
12-Final Action Page 1.jpg

Peter
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Re: MGB 647

Postby Peter » Thu Sep 20, 2018 3:23 pm

Good Afternoon Rampus and David,
It is good to be in contact with you both having also served on MGB 647 I knew them both , I have pleasure in sending you a picture of our boat that was painted by a colleague, and proudly hangs on the wall over the fire place ,I have many photo's and write ups that I produced during the existence of the Coastal Forces Veterans Association both as Secretary and later Chainman .
Cheers
Peter
Attachments
MGB 647  Dalmatia Islands.jpg

Rampant
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Re: MGB 647

Postby Rampant » Wed Jan 30, 2019 9:37 pm

Hello David, and hello Peter

Been a while but I hope you are both keeping well.

David
I would love to see some copies of your fathers photos if that's possible, in exchange I'll send you copies of my grandfather's if you like.

Peter
Glad to see you're still up to mischief, when are your memoirs available as I would love to buy a copy from you if that is possible?

Charles12
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Re: MGB 647

Postby Charles12 » Mon Jun 01, 2020 7:33 pm

Hello all. I came across this site by accident whilst looking into the life of my maternal grandfather who served in the Med and Adriatic on MTBs, PT boats and ( I think ) a minesweeper. His name was Ernest Tregilgas and was from Burnley, Lancashire.

When I was a young lad he gave me a wooden box, picture ( hopefully !) attached. My memories are vague but I think he said it was made by a member of the crew of MGB 647 who died in action or from wounds back in port.

I thought it might be of interest
20200601_190922.jpg

Admin
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Re: MGB 647

Postby Admin » Mon Jun 01, 2020 11:43 pm

Hello Charles

Thank you for the photograph of the memento, and what a great name your grandfather had - Ernest Tregilgas! Yet another of the Lancashire contingent! MGB 647 had four casualties recorded at two different times, with three casualties in one incident spoken about above. Our veteran Peter whose boat this was may know who the carpenter was. I believe it was the practice among the boat crews to auction the possessions of a shipmate who was a casualty to raise monies for his widow or family, so this may be how your grandfather came into possession of it.

Admin

Peter
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Re: MGB 647

Postby Peter » Thu Jun 04, 2020 10:13 am

MGB 647 Final Action

Coastal Forces Mediterranean 1943-1945

Scanning through my copy of the log recordings of HM MGB 647, kindly presented to me some years ago by our 1st Lieut. Teddy Lonsdale, also mentioned in my story Pirates of Dalmatia, I am reminded if I can ever forget the night MGB 647 and her crew came close to disaster. Could this be the last recorded action of Coastal Forces Med?

It was on April 5th 1945 we made our final passage from Ancona to Zara across the Adriatic to the then Yugoslavia port of Zara ( now Zadar) in support of Marshall Tito's Partisans, a voyage that had been done by many MTB s & MGBs during the previous 16 months, a journey we all knew well and with the wheel house chart now covered in mug rings and cocoa stains our course was in the hands of our Navigator and the experienced A/Bs at the helm.

The following 4 nights were spent patrolling around the area of the Planinski Channel searching for any enemy movement between the Islands, much of the time closed up for action, with binoculars at the ready for any movement.

On one of these nights, the patrol had to be curtailed because of very bad weather, when we struck a storm known as the Bora with gale force winds, where the sea is whipped up in huge waves and the boat seemed to be lifted out of the sea and dropped down with a mighty bang a frightening experience which may have prepared us for what was to come

April 10th after clearing up below deck after making our way slowly to Zada with the protection and support of MGB 643. It was later learned that the enemy force consisted 2 F-lighters and 2 E-boats

Our return to Zada and to HMS Columbo was a great relief, a time to shed the trauma of the last few hours and to acknowledge the welcome of the crews from the other boats on operational stand-by, and look up putting my hands together and give thanks we made it back.

It was then a make do and mend for MGB 647 and with the expertise of the shipwrights of HMS Columbo the hole in the side was made waterproof and the boat was then declared seaworthy for the return to Ancona. A voyage when the speed through the water was critical in order not to damage the repair to prevent the intake of water. After our arrival in Ancona serious discussions took place assess the extent of the damage, which thankfully the decision was made to repair.

After much searching, a boat yard was identified with the facilities to carry out the extensive work required.The yard commissioned to carry out the work was on the Island of Ischia in the bay of Naples some mls from Ancona. a journey that took 5 Days with stop offs for re fuelling, ( because of draught (weight ) problems in keeping the damage above the water line ), at Manfredonia — Brindisi where we were able to catch up with Coastal Force Base ship Miraglia ex-Italian sea plane tender that replaced HMS Vienna damaged during the Bari air raid. We then continued our travels down the east coast of Italy through the Messina Straights well known to Coastal Forces Med, who were involved in the Sicily campaign and then on to Ischia arriving on April 20th.

On arrival in Ischia were greeted with the most welcome news that we were to be billeted ashore in a small Hotel for the next 5 weeks, with 24hr watch keeping on board MGB 647 in shifts of 12hrs while the boat was out of the water under repair. We vacated our bunks for beds, a luxury that had not been ours for nearly 2 years and with the regular meals by a most friendly Italian lady it helped us all to come to terms with the trauma of the last few weeks.

It was during this time in Ischia that the news of the end of the war was announced. Another story for another time.

Peter Bickmore BEM
H.M.M.G.B 647

Peter
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Re: MGB 647

Postby Peter » Thu Nov 05, 2020 12:04 pm

Good Morning All I am happy to share some of the photo's from my war activities ;
Keep Safe All
Peter
Attachments
Komiza.jpg
Komiza relaxing
Entering Pireus 1944.jpg
Entering Piraeus 1944
HMS Adrias.jpg
Escorting HMS Adrius

Peter
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Re: MGB 647

Postby Peter » Fri Nov 06, 2020 5:40 pm

Good Afternoon All
More pictures
Attachments
MGB 647 in Pireus 1944.jpg
Piraeus
MGB 647 Engine Room Staff.jpg
Engine Room Staff
MGB 647 Crew.jpg
MGB 647 Crew
me top right

Davidwoods
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Re: MGB 647

Postby Davidwoods » Sun Nov 15, 2020 5:21 pm

Hi all. David Woods here. My Father George served on MGB 647.
Firstly may I apologise to Peter Bickmore ( and others) for not getting back to the site before now. Dad died on Tuesday 29th January 2019 in a care home after suffering from severe Alzheimer’s disease for some time. Sam ( my son) suggested we get back to it and share the stories he had to tell along with the photos. I asked Dad in the early days of his illness to identify persons in the photos. I have noted these and will post them soon. Sam is away for a few days and on his return we will do just that. I don’t mind admitting that my computer skills are basic, to say the least; I will require Sam’s assistance.
Again, my apologies and look forward to sharing these with you.
Regards
David.

Peter
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Re: MGB 647

Postby Peter » Mon Nov 16, 2020 11:37 am

Good Morning David & All viewers
It is great to hear to read from those who now and report MGB 647.
David I can remember your Dad from those days aboard ,I am happy to attach a photo showing what a great bunch of shipmates we were and our togetherness in danger and at ease.
Greetings to you all
Peter
Attachments
What a Crew.jpg
Isle of Capri 1945.jpg

Davidwoods
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Re: MGB 647

Postby Davidwoods » Sun Nov 22, 2020 9:37 pm

Hi everyone
David Woods here. First picture is of Bill Wood and Frank Abbot.Dad wrote on the back of the photo as you can see. More to follow.
Attachments
FA900C1A-2BE4-42D3-95FB-8D222B4085D6.jpeg
55124A91-3316-4952-915F-867D0E3B9A89.jpeg

Davidwoods
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Re: MGB 647

Postby Davidwoods » Sun Nov 22, 2020 9:51 pm

Steve/ engineer
Sham Dyer/ Dwyer? I think Dad said he was coxswain ( from Isle of Wight)
Jim Deeming- in charge of the engine room.
I was born in Lancaster on the A6 road- trunk road to Scotland before the M6 was built. The traffic in summer moved so slowly past our house. I was around nine years old and sat in the front garden with Dad. A single decker coach passed and Dad got up and waved to someone on the bus; I saw someone wave back and the bus was gone.
It was Sham Dwyer. Passing ships in the night!
Attachments
635B0BDE-3626-4D9B-B28F-C1A2B5754085.jpeg

Davidwoods
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Re: MGB 647

Postby Davidwoods » Sun Nov 22, 2020 10:02 pm

Not sure where this was taken.
Dad struggled to remember names at this point and unfortunately couldn’t identify the first chap.
The rest; Dad/ Rocky from Midlands ( loading number on 6 pounder). Steve Izzard ( trainee jockey prior to war) 0.5 gun loader?
Ron Nelson - stoker ( cockney). Ginger Oxley- signalman- Yorkshire.
Attachments
381D1312-A4F8-47D6-B16E-DFF3B8F16552.jpeg
03F6265F-3EF1-4753-A976-AFA0C5A15AEB.jpeg

Davidwoods
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Re: MGB 647

Postby Davidwoods » Fri Oct 15, 2021 7:35 pm

Looking to contact Linda Affleck ( relative of Bill Wood). My Father was a pal of Bill’s on MGB 647. I have some photos of Bill for her. My number is 07919596261 if anyone can help.

Davidwoods
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Re: MGB 647

Postby Davidwoods » Sat Jun 04, 2022 2:35 pm

I am trying to reach Linda Affleck - her uncle Bill Wood was with my Dad on MGB 647. My initial post is on the 2nd section. No replies so far- can anyone help please ?


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