HDMLs 1012, 1123 & 1236 in the Mediterranean

Motor Launches (ML), Harbour Defence Motor Launches (HDML) & Rescue Motor Launches (RML)
ColinCheckley
Seaman
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Nov 30, 2011 10:45 pm

HDMLs 1012, 1123 & 1236 in the Mediterranean

Postby ColinCheckley » Sun Dec 18, 2011 9:57 pm

The following photographs and their details have been posted on behalf of Colin Checkley, who served with Coastal Forces in the Mediterranean (Admin)
hdml-1236-off-anzio.jpg
hdml-1236-off-anzio.jpg (114.74 KiB) Viewed 23619 times
I was the telegraphist on ML 1236 and this photo was taken whilst on patrol off of Anzio, Italy
hdml-1012-naples-bay.jpg
This shot of ML 1012 was taken in Naples bay on her way to Coastal Forces base Isle of Ischia, Italy.
hdml-1236-crew.jpg
hdml-1236-eight-crew.jpg
The small photo was all the crew on ML 1236, while the large one was 8 of the crew of ML 1236. The two that are missing were myself and another crew member as we were onboard 1236 on guard duty.
hdml-1123-leghorn-harbour.jpg
The photo of ML 1123 I took from 1236 in Leghorn harbour Italy. On board was Winston Churchill, who is sat above the second porthole. I believe the man forward, near the two crew, was his doctor.

ML 1236 escorted ML 1123 out of the harbour and around all the invasion fleet outside who were ready to set off to land in the south of France. As you see 1123 was quite full of army & navy personnel, both British & American, along with all the press.

I hope these details and the photos will be of use and interest to you.

Colin Checkley

jimsgirl
Seaman
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2017 8:35 am

Re: HDMLs 1012, 1123 & 1236 in the Mediterranean

Postby jimsgirl » Tue Feb 21, 2017 8:39 am

Thankyou for these photos which I have just found. My late father served on ML1012 and was at Naples, so is possibly in that very photo.

Brian Holmes
Commander
Posts: 245
Joined: Wed May 06, 2009 3:26 pm
Location: Portsmouth

Re: HDMLs 1012, 1123 & 1236 in the Mediterranean

Postby Brian Holmes » Mon Feb 27, 2017 8:51 pm

I would like to use the pictures on the Medusa Website www.hmsmedusa.org.uk perhaps you would like to visit.

I am attaching our current entries

Brian Holmes Coxswain of Medusa (HDML 1387)

HDML_1012 R A Newman, Hamworthy, Dorset 10/2/41
Known Crew
TLt F G Fuller RNVR TSLt 23/4/42 HMS Victory III HMS St Christopher 4/1/43 TLt 23/4/43 Commanding Officer HDML 1012 27/7/43 Commanding Officer ML 864 18/4/44 For services in the clearance of the Aegean and the relief of Greece DSC
TSLt R M Hitchcock RNVR TSLt 23/4/42 24th ML Flotilla 8/7/42 ML 337 29/9/42 Commanding Officer HDML 1012 29/3/44 TLt 3/6/44
TSLt J Reid RNVR First Lieutenant HDML 1012 15/5/44 TSLt 21/7/44 ML 557 1/3/45
Wartime Activities
1/1/42 102nd ML Flotilla
Based at Alexandria, Egypt
ML 1012, ML 1015, ML 1017, ML 1023, ML 1038, ML 1039 and ML 1051
5/2/43 U-617 shadowed the convoy AW-22, consisting of four steamers and four escorts from grid CO92 to CO67. At 08.02 hours, the U-boat torpedoed and sank the Henrik and Corona.
The Corona (Master Einar Endresen) was hit by one torpedo and 15 minutes later by another on the starboard side. The foc´sle deck line split to keel and from keel to about 15 feet from deckline port side. The collision bulkhead was fractured and foc´sle deck dropped 12 inches from aft side windlass to stem. All seven Norwegian officers, 40 Chinese crewmen, the Egyptian messboy, six British gunners and 49 army personnel as passengers abandoned ship. The master, 10 crewmen and 11 passengers were picked up by the British motor launch HDML-1012. The master, the 2nd mate and three crewmen returned to the lifeboat with the intention of returning to the ship, but on the way back he came across the British motor launch ML-356 and being uncertain of the condition of the ship they decided to board the motor launch. HMS Erica (K 50) (Lt A.C.C. Seligman, RNR) put a boarding party on the Corona, including one Indian stoker from Henrik and later took the survivors on board and brought them to Tobruk.
The next day, the Corona was taken in tow to Tobruk and beached. In the afternoon on 24 February, she sank during a storm.

Post War Fate
26/3/46 Italy

Brian Holmes
Commander
Posts: 245
Joined: Wed May 06, 2009 3:26 pm
Location: Portsmouth

Re: HDMLs 1012, 1123 & 1236 in the Mediterranean

Postby Brian Holmes » Mon Feb 27, 2017 8:55 pm

HDML_1123 Sussex Shipbuilding Company, Shoreham, Sussex 2/8/42
Known Crew
TLt C J Burningham RNVR TSLt HMS Forte IV (Falmouth) for MLs 27/10/41 HMS St Christopher for MLs 13/4/42 Commanding Officer HDML 1123 8/42 TLt 13/6/43
TLt T C Ivens RNVR TSLt 14/8/42 3rd ML Flotilla HMS St Angelo (Malta) 11/42 First Lieutenant ML 135 13/2/43 TLt 14/2/45 Commanding Officer HDML 1123 9/4/45

Wartime Activities

Post War Fate
10/46 Sold

HDML_1236 Hillyard, Littlehampton, West Sussex 21/10/42
London Dazette 7/12/43 - For Operation Antidote Minesweeping from Galita Island to Sousse 3/1943
MID TLt Norman Alfred Wright RNVR
MID ALSea David John Fratten LT/JX242278

Known Crew
TLt Norman Alfred Wright RNVR TLt 12/9/42 HMS St Christopher for MLs 21/9/42 Commanding Officer HDML 1236 12/10/42 For Operation Antidote Minesweeping from Galita Island to Sousse 3/1943 MID
ALSea David John Pratten LT/JX242278 HDML 1236 For Operation Antidote (Minesweeping from Galita Island to Sousse) 3/1943 MID

Wartime Activities
Converted to a minesweeper at Algiers
Operation Antidote

Post War Fate
1947 Sold
Yacht = Neba


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