ML 341

[dsrsia]

Good Evening,
New member seeking information on behalf of the Daughter of Temp Lt J G Dixon DSC. (1914 - 1964) The Navy List Oct 1942 shows him with the 3rd Motor Launch Flotilla, St Angelo. Feb 1944 List has him in command of ML 341 with a date of 1 Oct 1943. He received the DSC for minesweeping operations in 1944 with ML 341 off the West Coast of Italy between Naples & Leghorn. Jan 1945 List has him at Byrsa with BYMS 2209.

[Brian Holmes]

ML_341 Collins, Lowestoft 27/10/41
For minesweeping between Naples and Livorno 1944
DSC TLt James Granville Dixon RNVR
DSM PO George Frederick Cusack P/JX128966

For services in the clearance of the Aegean and the relief of Greece (Gazette Date - 14/8/45)
BEM AB Frank Leslie Curtis D/JX287303

Wind up of the war in Europe (Gazette Date - 11/12/45)
MID POMtrMch Albert Maurice Balcombe P/KX636039
MID Sig Mervyn Bernard Mayled C/JX453577

Known Crew
TLt Douglas Lewis Briault RNVR TLt 3/3/40 HMS St Christopher for MLs 3/10/41 Commanding Officer ML 341 1942 Operation Chariot - Raid on St Nazaire. HMS Forte IV (Falmouth) for MLs 24/9/42 TALtCdr On staff of Vice-Admiral (Q) British Pacific Fleet HMS Golden Hind (RN manning depot, Sydney, NSW) 12/44 TACdr SO Harbour Craft, British Pacific Fleet (HMS Beaconsfield) 1/4/45 Born 1901 in Hampstead, London. Died 13.07.1976 Surfers Paradise, Queensland, Australia
TLt James Granville Dixon RNVR TSLt HMS Cormorant (Gibraltar) for MLs 20/6/41 TLt 1/5/42 3rd ML Flotilla HMS St Angelo (Malta) 16/6/42 28th ML Flotilla ML 341 For minesweeping between Naples and Livorno 1944 DSC BYMS 2209
TLt R W R Chiswell RANVR TLt 6/4/41 HMS St Christopher for MLs 7/7/41 HMS Forte IV (Falmouth) for MLs 20/4/42 28th ML Flotilla Commanding Officer ML 341 20/4/43 31st ML Flotilla ML 560 Commanding Officer ML 273 9/11/44
TLt R O Ransley RNVR TSLt HMS St Christopher for MLs 22/6/42 TLt 2/4/43 28th ML Flotilla ML 341 1/6/43 Commanding Officer ML 341 16/8/44
TSLt John Corden Hewett RNVR TASLt HMS St Christopher for MLs 9/11/42 TSLt 7/2/43 ML 341 16/8/44 Commanding Officer HDML 1032 15/4/45 28th ML Flotilla ML 443 1945 For mine clearance off the west coast of Italy MID
TLt I H G Thomson RNVR TSLt HMS Hornet for small craft 18/8/41 4th ML Flotilla Commanding Officer ML 124 15/6/42 TLt 1/11/42 Commanding Officer ML 341 2/5/45TSLt J T Curnock RNVR TSLt 17/7/42 HMS Daedalus ML 341 10/4/45
SLt Thomas Yendoll ML 341 Operation Chariot - Raid on St Nazaire (Flotilla engineer officer attached for Operation Chariot)
POMtrMch Albert Maurice Balcombe P/KX636039 28th ML Flotilla ML 341 Wind up of the war in Europe MID
PO George Frederick Cusack P/JX128966 28th ML Flotilla ML 341 For minesweeping between Naples and Livorno 1944 DSM
AB Frank Leslie Curtis D/JX287303 ML 341 For services in the clearance of the Aegean and the relief of Greece (Gazette Date - 14/8/45) BEM
Sig Mervyn Bernard Mayled C/JX453577 28th ML Flotilla ML 341 Wind up of the war in Europe MID

Embarked Troops (Operation Chariot)
Assault Group 1E (Fourteen men) (To pass through the Old Mole Bridgehead, move south and destroy two gun positions on the east jetty of the Avant Port before forming a picket in the Old Town)
Capt Eric Stewart Hodgson 75234 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment and No. 2 Commando. Killed in Action Age 23. Son of Gerald Hodgson, and of Marjorie Hodgson, of Croxley Green, Hertfordshire
Lt Neil Oughtred
Sgt R Barron
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Medical Team:
Capt Michael Barling (RAMC)
LCpl John Webb (RAMC)
Pte Thomas Everitt (RAMC)

Wartime Activities
1/42 28th ML Flotilla
Based at Falmouth
ML 307, ML 341, both at Falmouth
ML 298, ML 306, both at Hamble
ML 443 on passage to Falmouth
ML 446 at Brixham
ML 447 to join on completion
ML 457 at Brightlingsea
16-17/3/42 Chariot force makes a thirty six hour sweep out into the Atlantic with commandos embarked. The Object is to aclimatise the troops to being at sea in preparation for the passage to St Nazaire. The weather deteriorates as they round the Lizard Peninsula and they shelter for the night in the Scilly Isles to avoid the risk of collisions. On the return trip they run into fog.
21/3/42 Operation Vivid – A rehearsal for Operation Chariot consisting of an assault on Devonport Dockyard. The force is illuminated by searchlights making identification of landing sites virtually impossible. The exercise is essentially a failure. A large liner is berthed at the landing site and half the MLs overshot the target
22/3/42 Force returns to Falmouth from Operation Vivid. The vessels in the force are repainted in Plymouth Pink as a result of Operation Vivid where boats shone when illuminated by searchlights and the MLs are anchored out in Carrick Roads with leave stopped now that the crews have an idea what the operation is.
26/3/42 Departs Falmouth for Operation Chariot
Saturday 28 March 1942 Operation Chariot - Raid on St Nazaire. Embarked troops are transferred to ML 446 after ML341 suffers a defective port engine shortly after leaving point E.
Lt T D L Platt, as senior officer of the port column, requests Cdr R E D Ryder to slow the force down whilst ML 341 is repaired. This is refused and he is told to proceed in accordance with previous orders, which, in this case, require the embarked troops to transfer to another ML. Embarked troops are transferred from ML 341 to ML446
ML 341 is unable to keep up and returns to England.
28th ML Flotilla
Mediterranean
6/9/42 ML 172 and ML 176 sailed at 2115 for an A/S and RDF sweep along the Spanish coast to Marbella, thence back to Gibraltar. ML 443 and ML 341 sailed at the same time for an A/S and RDF sweep along the Moroccan coast to longitude 04 50W, thence returning to Gibraltar
20/9/42 MLs 458, 443, 341, 176, 170 and 463 sailed from Gibraltar at 1600 for an A/S sweep to Cape St. Vincent. They were to rendezvous with SS Cara off Punta del Picacho, and escort her to Gibraltar.
21/9/42 MLs 458 (SO), 443, 341, 176, 170 and 463 rendezvoused with SS Cara in position 180 degrees, 3 ½ miles at 2100 and escorted her to Gibraltar
23/12/42 HMS/M Tribune, escorted by ML 341, sailed from Gibraltar
4/43 Anti Submarine patrols based on Algiers
1944 Minesweeping between Naples and Livorno
Clearance of the Aegean and the relief of Greece (Gazette Date - 14/8/45)

Post War Fate
26/7/45-1960 Greek = Drama
7/4/61 Sold and Broken up

[cdsc123]

Drama was sold to Demetre Mendrinos and re-named Sounion. In LRoY 1966.

[dsrsia]

Brian,
Apologies for delay in replying to your very detailed information on ML 341 and especially for the photographs. I shall pass these on to Dixons daughter and could well be back with some further queries.

[dsrsia]

cdsc123. Many thanks for the photographs.

[Peter]

hi dsria
Interesting topic re Ml341 2 paintings of the craft you highlighted that would be of interest to you Ml 478 leaving St Angelo Malta and BYMS 2244 in Far east , these paintings were by Marine artist Harold Garland for the Coastal Forces Veterans Assoc,
Peter

[dsrsia]

Peter,
Many thanks for posting the photos of Garlands paintings. Would you have any further info on BYMS 2209?

[mark.48@live.com.au]

My father, Leslie Fread served on ML478 from December 1944 to December 1945 as signaller, I have always sought out a photo of ML478 but to find such a superb painting was brilliant but tinged with sadness as he would have loved to have had one hanging on his wall. He passed in 1999 having only in his last few years reconnected with some of his old shipmates through the CFV association.