A Long shot - ML 916 and ...?

Motor Launches (ML), Harbour Defence Motor Launches (HDML) & Rescue Motor Launches (RML)
Stuart
Leading Seaman
Posts: 26
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2017 6:13 pm

Re: A Long shot - ML 916 and ...?

Postby Stuart » Tue Dec 04, 2018 4:51 pm

Hi Stephen - Yes we know this photo but we are struggling to read the name on the cross third from the left. Do you happen to have the technology to make this clearer? Wonder if IWM hold the negatives?

I believe this photo was taken by Lt Hampton, an official RN photographer. I have seen two other photos of individual crosses there - so suppose he or perhaps Don Claydon, skipper of 906, took photos of each one but none of the individual ones appear on Hampton's IWM collection. I was doing research on Ancestry re ML 916 crew and a month ago was sent, out of the blue, an original print of that wreath laying scene from someone who had picked it up in a car boot sale! It has a very badly typed note stuck on the back saying what the photo is about and after that 'HAM' Perhaps Hampton developed that very print hinself! Scanned the print and tried enlarging and twiddling it but still can't read that name!

Ron Metcalfe, the last surviving crewman from ML 906 the 'buddy boat' of 916 tended my injured father and was in the burial party at Turneuzen.

Cheers Stuart

Stuart
Leading Seaman
Posts: 26
Joined: Fri Jan 06, 2017 6:13 pm

Re: A Long shot - ML 916 and ...?

Postby Stuart » Tue Dec 04, 2018 4:59 pm

Further thought Stephen - I wonder if the Dutch person on Twitter has any more info on ML 916?

Have often wondered if the arrival of the first RN vessels into Antwerp ever had newspaper coverage, if there were newspapers publishing then. Perhaps the Dutch contact would know or could find out - I can't read Dutch!

Stuart

Stephen
Sub Lieutenant
Posts: 93
Joined: Wed Jan 06, 2016 7:58 pm

Re: A Long shot - ML 916 and ...?

Postby Stephen » Sun Dec 30, 2018 12:33 pm

Hi Stuart - I must have missed these replies, apologies. Sadly the Dutch tweeter doesn't know where it is - someone else asked the same question. I imagine that the IWM will hold a much higher resolution print than the one online, as they certainly do for other images. But it'll cost to obtain it...

As you say, the photographer was Hampton - it lists him a bit further down the page (he's a photographer I'm quite familiar with as I've been using his photographs from Normandy for landing craft research). I've seen a few original copies of RN and AFPU prints and sometimes the photographer's name is used as a catalogue/reference number so it could be that.

Bear in mind that an awful lot of images from the IWM collection aren't digitised. However, just searching the series that the picture is a part of reveals this one as well: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item ... /205158127

Steve

Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 500
Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2009 7:40 pm

Re: A Long shot - ML 916 and ...?

Postby Admin » Tue Jan 28, 2020 12:39 am

Dear All

I have visited the Public Record Office at Kew and obtained record series ADM 358/2521 and ADM 358/4412 on ML 916. The identity of the other surviving member of ML 916 has been found; he was Able Seaman W C Morrison C/JX 406145. The 358/2521 series also records Lt W B Curtis, Seaman D Fraser, Ordinary Seaman G L Holtom, and J D Wainwright were recovered and buried at Terneuzen along with two unidentified bodies. In addition Telegraphist D J Wallacott was recovered and buried at Hoof, Delft? (this location is uncertain as written in the documents). Two casualties not attached to Coastal Forces are listed with Lt MacPherson as admitted to Haslar Hospital on 14th November 1944, neither of which was Charles Elkins.

The identities — ship or base wise — of J D Wainright and D J Wallacott exercise the authorities throughout ADM 358/4412 and D J Wallacott is eventually identified as belonging to Combined Services and missing from L.C.T. (R) 457. J D Wainright is identified by a money belt he was wearing with that name and his identity vouched for by ML 139 initially but does not then appear in a casualty list for ML 139 (no casualties are recorded for this boat) nor ML 916, and is not even named in the Commonwealth War Graves database.

It is entirely possible therefore that the two unidentified bodies which were initially buried at Terneuzen were not even from ML 916 or Coastal Forces, since there appears to have been a number of bodies in the waters of the Scheldt from everything that was going on at the time.

Regards
Admin

Mark_E
Leading Seaman
Posts: 26
Joined: Fri Aug 26, 2016 3:05 pm

Re: A Long shot - ML 916 and ...?

Postby Mark_E » Tue Feb 04, 2020 2:44 pm

Thanks you so much for posting this update, and for your efforts at the PRO in Kew. I really do appreciate it. Even a negative outcome is helpful in ruling things out definitively. the search goes on...

Thank you, once again
Mark

Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 500
Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2009 7:40 pm

Re: A Long shot - ML 916 and ...?

Postby Admin » Tue Feb 04, 2020 5:04 pm

Hello Mark

Did you ever manage to establish what the Shrapnel offshoot at Newcastle trained personnel in by any chance?

Regards
Admin

Mark_E
Leading Seaman
Posts: 26
Joined: Fri Aug 26, 2016 3:05 pm

Re: A Long shot - ML 916 and ...?

Postby Mark_E » Wed Feb 05, 2020 4:11 pm

Hello
No I haven't actually. I did do a bit of digging initially but didn't get anywhere. I'll try again...


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