Postby Brian Holmes » Sun Aug 18, 2013 9:27 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 TSLt 31/3/41 4th MTB Flotilla HMS Beehive 4/8/41 TLt 1/6/42 Commanding Officer MTB 421 8/1/44 Commanding Officer MTB 309 and Senior Officer 10th MTB Flotilla 23/1/45 DSC and MID 1944 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 (Coastal Forces base, Lowestoft)) First Lieutenant MTB 309 30/10/43 – 45 TLt 29/7/45 MMS 182 (motor minesweeper) -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 Commanding Officer MTB 19 9/39 Commanding Officer MTB 31 MID 1940 DSC 1941 MTB 315 MID 1942 10th MTB Flotilla MID 1943 Commanding Officer MTB 309 & Senior Officer 15th MTB Flotilla DSC* 1943
Lt Ross C Campbell RCNVR HMS Raleigh (training establishment, Torpoint) TSLt 31/12/40 HMS Hornet (Coastal Forces base, Gosport) TLt 31/12/41 Commanding Officer MTB 309 8/12/42 Commanding Officer MTB 480 1/6/44 HMS Mantis (Coastal Forces base, Lowestoft) 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 (training establishment, Torpoint, Plymouth) 11/40 HMS Pytchley (destroyer) HMS King Alfred (RNVR officers' training establishment, Hove, Sussex) 12/40 TASLt 31/12/40 HMS St Christopher (Coastal Forces establishment, Fort William) (for motor launches) 5/9/41 TLt 31/12/41 ML 209 First Lieutenant MTB 232 2/4/42 MTB 309 Commanding Officer MTB 232 Commanding Officer MGB 21 26/5/43 Commanding Officer MTB 465 27/3/44 – 9/2/45 Commanding Officer MTB 486 25/2/45 – 3/3/45 Born in 1918 and died in 1989
TSLt K J K Woodhams RNVR MTB 309 30/10/43
LTel Francis McMahon D/JX149283
Sto1 Ernest Baynes D/KX127770
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 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
20/6/42 Escaped from Tobruk carrying official records.
9/42 10th MTB Flotilla
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.
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
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