Postby Brian Holmes » Sun Mar 13, 2016 9:24 pm
MTB_309 Elco Works, Electric Boat Company, Bayonne, New Jersey 09/02/42
For services during the withdrawal from Tobruk summer 1942
DSC* Lt Denis Jermain
DSM Sto1 Ernest Baynes D/KX127770
MID LTel Francis McMahon D/JX149283
Known Crew
TLt Robert Varvill RNVR TASLt First Lieutenant MTB 34 14/08/40 TSLt 31/3/41 4th MTB Flotilla HMS Beehive (Felixstowe) 4/8/41 4th MTB Flotilla Based at Felixstowe Commanding Officer MTB 30 4/8/41 TLt 1/6/42 Commanding Officer MTB 78 01/06/42 7th MTB Flotilla Based on Bastia Commanding Officer MTB 421 8/1/44 For offensive sweeps off the west coast of Italy 5/44 DSC For an attack on an enemy convoy off La Spezia 27/5/44 MID Commanding Officer MTB 309 and Senior Officer 10th MTB Flotilla 23/1/45 Queen's Commendation (Civil): District Officer Calabar Nigeria 1951 Born 31/3/20 and died in Sussex 22/2/03
TLt Kenneth James Frederick Woodhams RNVR. Joined RNVR 13/1/42 HMS Wolverine (destroyer) (Operation Pedestal, convoy to relieve Malta) 8/42 MTB ... HMS Mantis (Lowestoft) TSLt 29/7/43 10th MTB Flotilla First Lieutenant MTB 309 30/10/43 – 45 TLt 29/7/45 MMS 182 -11/2/46 transferred to RN 22/1/47 Office of the Senior Psychologist, Admiralty (HMS President) serving at HMS President Emergency List 1952 Permanent RNR 1960 Trained as a school teacher. Teacher, RN School, Verdala (Malta), 1960s VRD 1965 Born 29/1/23 in Tonbridge Wells, Kent and died 12/7/73 in Basingstoke, Hants
Lt Denis Jermain RN 1st MTB Flotilla (Based at Malta) Commanding Officer MTB 19 9/39 Commanding Officer MTB 31 For the sinking of two enemy trawlers in the Dover Straits in October 1940 MID For damaging the enemy merchant ship Santos off Flushing 30/11/40 DSC HMS Mosquito (Alexandria) for MTBs 5/42 10th MTB Flotilla MTB 315 For dummy landings in Egypt 10 - 11/42 MID 1942 10th MTB Flotilla For an attack on the Italian cruiser Scipione Africanus 16/7/43 MID 1943 Commanding Officer MTB 309 & Senior Officer 15th MTB Flotilla For services during the withdrawal from Tobruk summer 1942 DSC*
TLt Ross C Campbell RCNVR HMS Raleigh (training establishment, Torpoint) TSLt 31/12/40 HMS Hornet TLt 31/12/41 10th MTB Flotilla Commanding Officer MTB 309 8/12/42 30th MTB Flotilla Based at Lowestoft, Dover, Ramsgate, Portsmouth and Ostend Commanding Officer MTB 480 1/6/44 For actions in the Normandy assault area 7 - 8/44 DSC HMS Mantis 7/45 Diplomat and company president. PRESIDENT, INTERCON CONSULTANTS LIMITED 1983-- ; Dir., ADOPAC Ltd.; began career Legal Division, Department of External Affairs 1945; Third Secretary, Canadian Legation, Oslo, 1946-47; Second Secretary, Copenhagen, 1947-50; European Division Department of External Affairs, Ottawa, 1950-52; First Secretary, Canadian Embassy, Ankara, 1952-56; Head, Middle East Division, 1957-59; Special Assistant to Secretary of State for External Affairs 1959-62; Assistant Under Secretary of State for External Affairs, 1962-64; Advisor, Canadian Delegates to U.N. Gen. Assemblies and Cdn. Ministerial Dels. to N. Atlantic Council, 1958-64; Cdn. Ambassador to Yugoslavia, 1964-67; (concurrently) to Algeria 1965-67; Ambassador and Perm. Rep. to NATO (Paris May 1967, Brussels Oct. 1967-1972); Ambassador to Japan, 1972-75; (concurrently) to Rep. of Korea 1973-74; Chrmn., Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., Jan. 1976-May, 1979; Pres., Atomic Energy of Can. Internat'l, 1979; Nuclear Consultant 1980-81; Pres., Canus Technical Services Corp. 1981-83 Born in Toronto, Ontario 4/11/18 and died in Aylmer, Quebec 15/8/2007
TLt Charles Donald Chaffey RCNVR Ord HMCS Discovery (RCN base & reserve depot, Vancouver, BC) 10/40 HMS Raleigh 11/40 HMS Pytchley (destroyer) HMS King Alfred 12/40 TASLt 31/12/40 HMS St Christopher for MLs 5/9/41 ML 209 15th ML Flotilla Based at Scapa Flow First Lieutenant MTB 232 2/4/42 TLt 31/12/42 10th MTB Flotilla MTB 309 Commanding Officer MTB 232 Commanding Officer MGB 212 6/5/43 HMS Attack (Portland) for small craft 26/5/43 29th MTB Flotilla Based on Portsmouth Commanding Officer MTB 465 27/3/44 – 9/2/45 Further awards for Operation Neptune MID 29th MTB Flotilla Commanding Officer MTB 486 25/2/45 – 3/3/45 Born in 1918 and died in 1989
TSLt Michael Somerset Hannington SANF(V) TSLt 5/8/43 MTB 266 For an action in the Mediterranean 9/3/44 MID MTB 309 1944 HMS Lanka (RN base, Colombo, Ceylon)
TSLt H K Roll RNVR TSLt 9/10/41 HMS Nile (Alexandria) for MTBs 2/42 HMS Mosquito (Alexandria) for MTBs 5/6/42 10th MTB Flotilla MTB 309 2/12/42 TLt 9/4/44 HMS Turtle (Poole)
TSLt K J K Woodhams RNVR MTB 309 30/10/43
LTel Francis McMahon D/JX149283 15th MTB Flotilla MTB 309 For services during the withdrawal from Tobruk summer 1942 MID
Sto1 Ernest Baynes D/KX127770 15th MTB Flotilla MTB 309 For services during the withdrawal from Tobruk summer 1942 DSM
Wartime Activities
11/02/42 Transferred to Royal Navy under lend lease
15th MTB Flotilla
22/04/42 Commissioned at Alexandria
22/23/5/42 MTB 309 and MTB 312, sailed from Tobruk and landed agents on the North African coast.
23/24/5/42 MTB 309 and 312 carried out a successful landing operation in Crete, working from Tobruk or MTB 309 and MTB 312, sailed from Tobruk and landed agents on the North African coast.
26/27/5/42 At 0300, MTB 309 and MTB 312, are on patrol in the Bomba area when a Flak lighter is sighted. They attack with torpedoes and at least two pass under the shallow draft vessel. They then attack with depth charges. MTBs 309 and 312 conduct a search but find neither the Flak lighter nor wreckage.
Services during the withdrawal from Tobruk summer 1942
7-8/6/42 MTB 309 and MTB 312 patrolled in the vicinity of 32 26N 23 09E during the night to investigate an air report of F boats unloading. A small ship, possibly an F boat was seen close inshore and attacked with torpedo, but results were uncertain
20/6/42 Escaped from Tobruk carrying official records.
9/42 10th MTB Flotilla
26/9/42 Operation MAZI
The destruction of shipping approaching Rhodes Harbour and in the harbour.
MTB 307, MTB 309, MTB 311 and MTB 316 sailed from Alexandria for Paphos where they laid up, refuelled and awaited a suitable opportunity to carry out the operation. The RAF provided 10,000 gallons of fuel.
31/09/42 MTBs 307, 309, 311 and 316 depart Alexandria for an attack on Rhodes. The boats refuel at Paphos.
1-2/10/42 MTBs 307, 309, 311 and 316 fire torpedoes into Rhodes Harbour. Explosions are heard but the results are unknown.
30/12/42 A convoy of five empty merchant ships (two for Tobruk) sailed from Benghazi escorted by Saktouris, corvette HMS Erica, naval trawlers HMS General Birdwood, HMS Maple, ML 348, ML 349 and MTB 309
3/2/43 Arrives in Malta from Benghazi. Navigational problems resulted in the vessel overshooting Malta and making a landfall at Pantelleria. The mistake was realised and the vessel set course for Malta, ran out of fuel, but was spotted by searching aircraft and rescued.
11-12/5/43 MTB 265, MTB 309 and MTB 316 capture 117 prisoners from a group of small boats off Cape Bon. This includes a party of German paratroopers. A vessel, thought to be a submarine is sighted and a torpedo attack made. The torpedoes miss what is the partly submerged wreck of a destroyer. In MTB 309 there are five times as many prisoners as crew. Crewmen guarding the prisoners use German weapons and a co-operative prisoner provides instruction in their use
Based at Bone
24/9/43 10th Motor Torpedo Boat Flotilla, MTB 260, MTB 263, MTB 266, MTB 307, MTB 309, MTB 313 and MTB 315 arrived at Benghazi from Malta for onward routing to Alexandria. They were required to future employment in the Aegean.
7-8/10/43 MTBs 309 and 313 are on patrol between Rhodes and Symi. They destroy a seaplane, moored in Symi harbour, by gunfire and damage a caique.
17/10/43 MTB 313 is caught alongside in an air raid on Casteloriso and a dockside building collapses on top of her. MTB 309 tows MTB 313 clear of the harbour and, after temporary repair, MTB 313 reaches Alexandria under her own power
19-20/10/43 At 1815, MTBs 307, 309 and 315 depart Casteloriso to search the north coast of Kos.
0045 MTBs 307, 309 and 315 are off Cape Deplini running eastwards, on silent engines, at 12 kts about a mile off shore. MTBs 307, 309 and 315 cross to Kalimno and then work back to the north of Kos.
0235 A ship is sighted and, at 1000yds, is identified as a Flak Lighter. A second vessel is then sighted to the east. MTB 309 is ordered to torpedo the Flak Lighter. MTB 307 is ordered to stand by and MTB 315 goes after the other target now identified as a 500-600 ton coaster. MTB 315 fires her port torpedo which misses and explodes on impact with the shore. The starboard torpedo passes under the vessel and hits a Flak Lighter on the other side and aparently unloading it. There is an initial explosion followed by several secondary detonations. MTB 307 is then ordered to torpedo the coaster. The starboaard torpedo hits the coaster’s bow causing her to sink. MTB 309 attacks the other Flak Lighter without success. The starboard torpedo goes rogue and runs off at ninety degrees whilst the port torpedo passes under the lighter and explodes on impact with the beach.
13/11/43 MTBs 307 and 309 evacuate troops from Leros.
25/12-20/1 MTBs 260 and 309 operate in the vicinity of Rhodes.
12-13/1/44 MTB 260 and MTB 309 sink one caique by gunfire off Piscopi Island
9-10/3/44 MTBs 307 and 309 intercept and attack three destroyers that manage to evade their torpedoes.
14/7/44 Operation Tenement – Raid on Symi
MTB 309, ML 349, HDML 1386
Post War Fate
10/10/45 Returned to the United States Navy
26/10/45 Destroyed