MLs 122 and 563

Motor Launches (ML), Harbour Defence Motor Launches (HDML) & Rescue Motor Launches (RML)
jonco
Chief Petty Officer
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Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2011 6:47 pm

MLs 122 and 563

Postby jonco » Sun Oct 02, 2011 7:49 pm

I am trying to find information relating to my father's service record - his name was William Aubrey Jones and he was a telegraphist. He volunteered in 1941 and was Class A discharged in 1946.His service record included ML 122 (Aug 42 to Feb 43) and ML 563 (Feb 43 to July 45). However ML563 was sunk in Aug 44 off Frejus, France. He survived but I don't know where he was redeployed to for the remainder of his time at St Angelo.

Brian Holmes
Commander
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Location: Portsmouth

Re: MLs 122 and 563

Postby Brian Holmes » Sun Oct 02, 2011 8:19 pm

ML_122 A M Dickie & Sons, Bangor, North Wales & Tarbert Scotland 16/10/40

Known Crew
TLt H M Coghlan RNVR Commanding Officer 5/4/43
TLt L E Maughan RNVR Commanding Officer 1/5/44
TSLt R G Wallis RNVR First Lieutenant 15/5/43
TSLt V T Hurley RNVR First Lieutenant 2/5/44
LSea John Wardropper Turner C/JX 190958 who died on 29/01/1943 Age 25 in an explosion. Son of John Wardropper Turner and Sarah Ann Turner; husband of Lilian Josephine Elsie Turner, of Maida Vale, London. Buried in Willesden New Cemetery
AB Frank Richardson D/JX345147 Died 30/01/1943 aged 23 Son of William and Elizabeth Ellen Richardson, of Woodley. Buried in Bredbury St Mark Churchyard New ground. Grave 386

Wartime Activities
Royal Norwegian Navy 13/12/40 - 23/8/41
1/1/41 4th ML Flotilla Based on Scapa Flow
ML 122, ML 124, ML 125, ML 128, ML 208, ML 210, ML 213 and ML 233
4th ML Flotilla Based on Portland
ML 122, ML 124, ML 125 and ML 128
4th ML Flotilla Based on Plymouth
ML 122, ML 124, ML 208 and ML 233
Operation Neptune Invasion of Normandy
Attached 16th Minesweeping Flotilla for assault

Post War Fate
10/45 For disposal

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

Re: MLs 122 and 563

Postby Brian Holmes » Sun Oct 02, 2011 8:21 pm

ML_563 Solent Shipyard, Salisbury Green, Nr Southampton 3/3/43

For Operation Dragoon - Landings in Southern France 8/44
DSM Sto1 Cyril Egerton P/KX144221

Known Crew
TLt Thomas David Andrews RNVR Briefly in Command during commissioning
AB Kenneth Hughes P/JX 386598 Died 29/9/44 cause unknown Age 20 Son of Herbert and Jane Hughes, of Salford, Lancashire. Buried in Caserta War Cemetery, Italy I, D, 10
Sto1 Cyril Egerton P/KX144221

Wartime Activities
8/44 Operation Dragoon Landings in Southern France
16/8/44 Sunk by mine off Frejus, Southern France whilst going to the assistance of a vessel that had itself been mined.

jonco
Chief Petty Officer
Posts: 57
Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2011 6:47 pm

Re: MLs 122 and 563

Postby jonco » Mon Oct 03, 2011 10:00 am

Thanks Brian - a few more pieces in a still imcomplete jigsaw.
My father was William Aubrey Jones JX300350. He was an 18 year old volunteer in August 41 and was trained as a telegraphist.
His service record shows him on the ML122 from 1Aug 1942 to 11 Feb 1943 - initial base was Forward II which was then renamed Aggressive. It then shows him on the ML 563 from 20 Feb 1943 to 6 July 1945 bases St Christopher, Hannibal and then St Angelo. It indicates a non substantive rating of T.O. (W/T) from 2nd August 1943. He was on the ML563 when it was abandoned after hitting a mine during rescue operations from an american minesweeper which had also been hit. His best mate `Hughie' died following this. I presume this was AB KEN Hughes and he was the severely injured rating who died of his injuries on 29th September.
He always said he was sunk twice and on one of the occasions they were picked up on the 13th which became his lucky number - I cannot find any trace of this however. Any advice on where to look for further info would be appreciated. Thanks again.

jonco
Chief Petty Officer
Posts: 57
Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2011 6:47 pm

Re: MLs 122 and 563

Postby jonco » Tue Oct 04, 2011 9:41 am

I have noticed that 2 of the known crew of ML 122 sadly lost their lives on consecutive days i.e LSea John Wardropper Turner C/JX 190958 who died on 29/01/1943 in an explosion, and AB Frank Richardson D/JX345147 Died 30/01/1943 - cause not given. Would any diary show whether this was the same incident and whether it occurred at sea? If so where should I look?

jonco
Chief Petty Officer
Posts: 57
Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2011 6:47 pm

Re: MLs 122 and 563

Postby jonco » Wed Nov 16, 2011 8:23 pm

Have recently found the attached photo of the crew of the ML563 in my father's war-time album. Do not have a date for it but the caption says it was at Mers-El- Kebia, North Africa.
The caption also includes the crew names i.e starting from back left to right Ken Cleary, BillJones ( my father), Micky Fannan, `Soapy' Hudson, Dick Worledge, Jesse McLeish, `Tosh' Wiseman, Ron Chatfield, `Ping' Millar.
Ring any bells anywhere?
ML 563 - crew.jpg

jonco
Chief Petty Officer
Posts: 57
Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2011 6:47 pm

Re: MLs 122 and 563

Postby jonco » Tue Nov 13, 2012 9:16 pm

Photo of Bill Jones (right) and Ken Hughes on ML563 (?) posted for benefit of BigB
Bonafacio Straits - self and Hughie with fish brought to surface by exploding mine.jpg

BigB
Seaman
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2012 7:00 pm

Re: MLs 122 and 563

Postby BigB » Tue Nov 13, 2012 9:21 pm

Thanks so much for posting this!

jonco
Chief Petty Officer
Posts: 57
Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2011 6:47 pm

Re: MLs 122 and 563

Postby jonco » Tue Nov 20, 2012 8:45 pm

Does anybody know which flotilla(s) ML 563 was allocated to prior to her loss in Aug 1944. I can't find them anywhere?


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