Re: MGB 658
Posted: Thu Feb 04, 2016 6:56 pm
The following report of the reunion held in London in May 1986, which accompanied the photograph shown above, was written by Len Reynolds
THE 56th MTB/MGB FLOTILLA REUNION
The Background
Five flotillas of Dog-Boats went to the Med in 1943 and 1944 — a total of forty boats. By the end of the war, fourteen of them had been sunk, but the Mediterranean Dog Boats had written a glorious page in the Coastal Force history.
One of those flotillas, formed in January 1944 as a consequence of reorganisation following boat losses in North Africa and Sicily, was the 56th, which consisted of three Gunboats (657, 658, 663) and three Torpedo-boats (633, 640, 655), Each boat was commanded by a Canadian and very quickly they established a tremendous reputation for aggression, efficiency and reliability. The original COs had all served in short boats in home waters in 1940-1942, and they brought experience and teamwork to the new flotilla.
The first S.O. was Lt. Cdr. Douglas Maitland in 657, and the original COs were Corny Burke (658) who later became S.O., Tom Ladner (663) Willie Keefer (633) Cam McLachlan (640) and Herb Pickard (655). Later Steve tendell (633), Derrick Holden-Brown (655) and Len Reynolds (658) became COs.
Throughout most of 1944 the flotilla operated with hardly a break and with considerable success, first from Bastia in Corsica, patrolling off the west coast of Italy from La Spezia to Anzio, and then in the Adriatic from island bases in the Dalmation Islands, principally from Tito’s H. A. Island of Vis. In August 1944, the three gunboats fought the "Battle of the Mjlet Channel" a five hour action in which six enemy craft were destroyed. This represented the peak of the flotilla’s achievements in both teamwork and gunnery of a very high standard, and was said by Captain Coastal Forces to have "hastened the German evacuation of the Islands".
Sadly, within a few weeks of that action, both 657 and 663 were mined, as 640 had been earlier in the year, and 655 was to be in March 1945. Only 658 and 633 saw out the war.
The Reunion In January this year, Tom Ladner wrote from Vancouver and suggested that a Reunion should be arranged in London in early May for the crews of the six boats of the Flotilla, with their wives: "Before we get too old". Then began the search for names and addresses of individuals, and here a very sincere tribute is due to two people. Firstly, Mrs. Margaret Cowley, wife of Justin Cowley of 655 and a member of the Midlands Branch of CFVA, whose energy in writing to the Daily Express and to local papers and local radio stations brought in a pile of totally new contacts. Then, Charles Milner the National Treasurer of CFVA who scoured the records to provide a list of every member with any affiliation to the flotilla. Plans were laid for the weekend of May 10th/11th, and the initial response not only revealed great enthusiasm, but also brought in more and more names.
So it was that at 1800 on Saturday 10th May, the gangway of HMS Belfast, above Tower Bridge, was thronged with old shipmates coming together, mostly for the first time since 1945, to pick up threads as though the years between had passed in a flash.
The count was impressive: a total of 93, made up of 54 men and 39 ladies. It included Doug Maitland, Corny Burke, Tom Ladner and Steve Rendell together with 657’s coxswain, Jake Burton, all from Vancouver and all with their wives, Jan Matthews, coxswain of 655, and a total of seven Motor Mechanics, besides Sir Derrick Holden-Brown and "Rover" Reynolds who between them organised the weekend. The boat count was eight from 657, ten from 658, fourteen from 663, ten from 655, eleven from 633 and just one from 640.
The first hour was hectic indeed. The wardroom ante-room of Belfast resounded to the excitements of countless introductions and stories, well fuelled by a non-stop drinks service. Then into the Ship’s Company Dining Hall, where flags and photographs of Dog Boats provided a backdrop to ten round tables resplendent with candelabra, bottles and flowers. Each boat's crew sat together, some at two or three tables but close enough to keep contact. After a splendid meal and lovely wines came the toasts and speeches: it was fitting that "The 56th Flotilla" should be proposed no less than three times, with the "Three Musketeers" (Maitland, Burke and Ladner) each making a memorable speech, with very sincere responses coming from Ch. MM Bill Last of 658, Ch. MM Alf Cowley of 663 and Cox'n Jan Matthews of 655. In the middle of all that Corny presented T-shirts, each emblazoned with the correct boat number, to every crew member, and the noise level and revelry rose to a new level. Later came Steve Rendell to toast "The Ladies", suggesting that the Reunion might be given the codename "Harry Three" (three engines out of action): a sentiment vigorously denied by most present—and by their ladies: The last toast of the evening—"Absent Friends" brilliantly proposed by Neil (Freddie) Mills of 657 was totally fitting when we recalled our shipmates— over thirty of them—who died in the boats of our flotilla.
There were many unsteady legs and many emotionally charged men and women who passed back over Belfast's gangway to join the two coaches which took them back to their hotels.
And that was not the end. On the Sunday, we gathered again, this time at the Naval Club in Mayfair, and from 11.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. we swapped stories, looked at photograph albums, ordered the prints of the magnificent photos from the night before, and enjoyed many more drinks and a splendid buffet. By the time we dispersed to return to Canada, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and all parts of England, friendships which had blossomed immediately after being frozen for forty-one years, were firmly established, and our wives were as much a team as we had been all those years ago. The comradeship of Coastal Forces, reinforcing the shared and indelibly imprinted memories of our youth, had triumphed again:
Contributed by L. C. Reynolds, author of "Gunboat 658"
THE 56th MTB/MGB FLOTILLA REUNION
The Background
Five flotillas of Dog-Boats went to the Med in 1943 and 1944 — a total of forty boats. By the end of the war, fourteen of them had been sunk, but the Mediterranean Dog Boats had written a glorious page in the Coastal Force history.
One of those flotillas, formed in January 1944 as a consequence of reorganisation following boat losses in North Africa and Sicily, was the 56th, which consisted of three Gunboats (657, 658, 663) and three Torpedo-boats (633, 640, 655), Each boat was commanded by a Canadian and very quickly they established a tremendous reputation for aggression, efficiency and reliability. The original COs had all served in short boats in home waters in 1940-1942, and they brought experience and teamwork to the new flotilla.
The first S.O. was Lt. Cdr. Douglas Maitland in 657, and the original COs were Corny Burke (658) who later became S.O., Tom Ladner (663) Willie Keefer (633) Cam McLachlan (640) and Herb Pickard (655). Later Steve tendell (633), Derrick Holden-Brown (655) and Len Reynolds (658) became COs.
Throughout most of 1944 the flotilla operated with hardly a break and with considerable success, first from Bastia in Corsica, patrolling off the west coast of Italy from La Spezia to Anzio, and then in the Adriatic from island bases in the Dalmation Islands, principally from Tito’s H. A. Island of Vis. In August 1944, the three gunboats fought the "Battle of the Mjlet Channel" a five hour action in which six enemy craft were destroyed. This represented the peak of the flotilla’s achievements in both teamwork and gunnery of a very high standard, and was said by Captain Coastal Forces to have "hastened the German evacuation of the Islands".
Sadly, within a few weeks of that action, both 657 and 663 were mined, as 640 had been earlier in the year, and 655 was to be in March 1945. Only 658 and 633 saw out the war.
The Reunion In January this year, Tom Ladner wrote from Vancouver and suggested that a Reunion should be arranged in London in early May for the crews of the six boats of the Flotilla, with their wives: "Before we get too old". Then began the search for names and addresses of individuals, and here a very sincere tribute is due to two people. Firstly, Mrs. Margaret Cowley, wife of Justin Cowley of 655 and a member of the Midlands Branch of CFVA, whose energy in writing to the Daily Express and to local papers and local radio stations brought in a pile of totally new contacts. Then, Charles Milner the National Treasurer of CFVA who scoured the records to provide a list of every member with any affiliation to the flotilla. Plans were laid for the weekend of May 10th/11th, and the initial response not only revealed great enthusiasm, but also brought in more and more names.
So it was that at 1800 on Saturday 10th May, the gangway of HMS Belfast, above Tower Bridge, was thronged with old shipmates coming together, mostly for the first time since 1945, to pick up threads as though the years between had passed in a flash.
The count was impressive: a total of 93, made up of 54 men and 39 ladies. It included Doug Maitland, Corny Burke, Tom Ladner and Steve Rendell together with 657’s coxswain, Jake Burton, all from Vancouver and all with their wives, Jan Matthews, coxswain of 655, and a total of seven Motor Mechanics, besides Sir Derrick Holden-Brown and "Rover" Reynolds who between them organised the weekend. The boat count was eight from 657, ten from 658, fourteen from 663, ten from 655, eleven from 633 and just one from 640.
The first hour was hectic indeed. The wardroom ante-room of Belfast resounded to the excitements of countless introductions and stories, well fuelled by a non-stop drinks service. Then into the Ship’s Company Dining Hall, where flags and photographs of Dog Boats provided a backdrop to ten round tables resplendent with candelabra, bottles and flowers. Each boat's crew sat together, some at two or three tables but close enough to keep contact. After a splendid meal and lovely wines came the toasts and speeches: it was fitting that "The 56th Flotilla" should be proposed no less than three times, with the "Three Musketeers" (Maitland, Burke and Ladner) each making a memorable speech, with very sincere responses coming from Ch. MM Bill Last of 658, Ch. MM Alf Cowley of 663 and Cox'n Jan Matthews of 655. In the middle of all that Corny presented T-shirts, each emblazoned with the correct boat number, to every crew member, and the noise level and revelry rose to a new level. Later came Steve Rendell to toast "The Ladies", suggesting that the Reunion might be given the codename "Harry Three" (three engines out of action): a sentiment vigorously denied by most present—and by their ladies: The last toast of the evening—"Absent Friends" brilliantly proposed by Neil (Freddie) Mills of 657 was totally fitting when we recalled our shipmates— over thirty of them—who died in the boats of our flotilla.
There were many unsteady legs and many emotionally charged men and women who passed back over Belfast's gangway to join the two coaches which took them back to their hotels.
And that was not the end. On the Sunday, we gathered again, this time at the Naval Club in Mayfair, and from 11.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. we swapped stories, looked at photograph albums, ordered the prints of the magnificent photos from the night before, and enjoyed many more drinks and a splendid buffet. By the time we dispersed to return to Canada, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and all parts of England, friendships which had blossomed immediately after being frozen for forty-one years, were firmly established, and our wives were as much a team as we had been all those years ago. The comradeship of Coastal Forces, reinforcing the shared and indelibly imprinted memories of our youth, had triumphed again:
Contributed by L. C. Reynolds, author of "Gunboat 658"