Coastal Forces Veterans

The recent passing of my friend and co-author John Lambert has prompted me to finish up my part of what would have been volume 3 of Allied Coastal Forces - the Higgins PTs. Right now, I'm working on the drawings for the 70' boats. Initially developed for the Finnish Navy, that country's alignment with Germany prevented their transfer and the boats were acquired by both the RN and the Royal Netherlands Navy. The only Higgins drawings I have for the type is a preliminary GA for the Finnish MTB. Based on these and photos of MRB 2, I've completed the GAs for this unit. I have some excellent material on the Finnish version and should be able to do those GAs fairly easily. The RNN boats were extensively photographed, so their GAs won't be too difficult.

I don't have much on the RN boats, however. I do have a couple blurry photos, but not enough to do a really good GA of either series. If anyone has photos of MGB69-73 and/or MGB100-106 and is willing to share, I would be grateful!

I will be including the MGB, MTB, and CT versions of the 78' boats, plus MTB270 and MGB68, but those drawings are a bit in the future. I do have an official GA for one of the CTs.


Al Ross

Hello there,

Whilst of course sad re the prompting of this work, great to read that it will continue, I had not heard re this Finnish connection with PT boats, our friends in the states just completing work to PT 305, I have worked with Finns over the years, and their wartime actions....well most interesting!, all the best.

Johnk

Hello Al

Glad to hear you will complete the Higgins section, John did mention to me he had nearly finished the BPB section also...

Another source of information for the craft you mention is RASC Archives (as many became HSTTL's). I will ask Dave Fricker.

Regards,
Christian.

My father Neville Roadnight served on MGB100 Apr43-Oct44 (Acting Leading Seaman), I have one rather tatty shot of the boat itself and another good pic which I got from Pinterest, also one of my Dad on the boat with a Swastika flag flying from the mast!

I also have a shot of the Motor Mechanic N.C. East, there may be others as my Dad loved photos and almost always wrote on the back when/where/who

Jamie