Postby Brian Holmes » Fri Jan 10, 2014 3:38 pm
MTB_442 British Power Boat Co, Hythe Hampshire
For an action in which four E Boats were damaged in the Nore area 14/2/44
DSM AB Harold Ernest Danks P/JX359095
MID AB William Henry Glover D/JX305955
MID AB James Alfred Wynn C/JX376150
For an action with E Boats off Smith’s Knoll 24/10/43
DSM Ord Thomas Henry Taylor D/JX420568
MID AB Trevellan Charles Ernest Leslie Bright P/JX159560
New Year Honours 1945
MID LSea Philip Ratcliffe C/SSX17536
Known Crew
TLt Charles Arthur Burk RCNVR Ordinary Seaman in 1939 after graduating from the University of Toronto and trained in Toronto in 1939 to 1940. HMS Raleigh and HMS New Market (Destroyer) TSLt 30/12/40 Third Officer MGB 101 1941 TLt 17/9/41 First Lieutenant MGB 14 5/11/41 at HMS St Christopher 1941 Commanding Officer MGB 17, Commanding Officer MTB 442 17/4/43 Commanding Officer MTB 439 Commanding Officer MTB 461 28/2/44 Commanding Officer MTB 491 4/10/44 – 29/1/45. Three DSCs in 1944, MID in 1943 and MID in 1944. President of the Naval Officers Association of Canada and of the Montreal Branch of NOAC. Born 17/9/16 and died 6/97 in Montreal
TSLt Gordon Stanley Trew RNVR 5th MGB Flotilla HMS Mantis 20/7/42 First Lieutenant MTB 442 17/6/43 Born 1921 in Islington, London and died 25/10/43
TSLt W J Clemow RNVR 11/1/43 First Lieutenant MGB 51 19/6/43 MTB 442 26/10/43
LSea Philip Ratcliffe C/SSX17536 ALSea MGB 17 MID 1943 LSea MTB 442 MID 1945
AB Trevellan Charles Ernest Leslie Bright P/JX159560
AB Harold Ernest Danks P/JX359095
AB William Henry Glover D/JX305955
AB James Alfred Wynn C/JX376150
Ord Thomas Henry Taylor D/JX420568
Wartime Activities
Built as MGB124
1943 Redesignated
3rd MTB Flotilla
Based at Lowestoft, Ramsgate and Felixstowe
24/10/43 An action off Smith’s Knoll involving MTB 439, MTB 442, MTB 606, MTB 610, MTB 629, MTB 630, MTB 632, MTB 650 and MTB 652 MTB 439 is damaged
24-5/10/43 32 German S-Boats of the 2, 4, 6 and 8 S-Flotillas sortie from Ijmuiden and attack Convoy FN.1160 off Cromer. The Convoy is escorted by the destroyers Pytchley, Worcester, Eglinton, Campbell and Mackay, MGB 609, MGB 610, MGB 607, MGB 603, MGB 315, MGB 327, ML 250 and ML 517. HMS Mackay rams and sinks S 63. MGB 603 and MGB 607 hit on the boats of the 4. S-Flotilla on the return leg and sink S 88 which was standing by the damaged S63
14/2/44 MTB 439, MTB 440, MTB 441, MTB 442, MTB 443, MTB 444 (SO) and MTB 455 are on an anti E Boat patrol to seaward of the east coast convoy route. The boats are former MGBs and only MTB 455 is fitted with torpedoes.
1900 The force is ordered to move much closer to the Dutch coast at 38 kts and approach the entrance to Ymuiden. A large force of E Boats has been driven off by corvettes and is believed to be returning to Ymuiden.
Two trawlers and a flak ship are sighted. MTB 455 makes a torpedo attack covered by gunfire from MTB 439, MTB 441, MTB 443 and MTB 444. MTB 455 fires two torpedoes which both hit. Gunfire silences one of the trawlers. The flak ship fires on MTB 444 inflicting casualties and damage. The oerlikon gunner is killed and the Senior Officer is mortally wounded.along with two others on the bridge. The First Lieutenant disengages and takes the badly damaged MTB 444 back to base. MTB 439 (Now leading), MTB 441 and MTB 443 engage the flak ship inflicting further damage before disengaging to search for MTB 444 and MTB 455.
MTB 439, MTB 441 and MTB 443 encounter six E Boats and attack. The leading E Boat is set on fire and stops. The second E Boat is damaged. MTB 441 temporarily loses contact, attacks a further group of E Boats before losing touch. MTB 439 and MTB 443 make two further attacks before disengaging at 0440.
14-5/2/44 German Account
S 62, S 67, S 80, S 83, S 86, S 92 and S 98 of the Second. S-Flotilla (KKpt. Feldt) and S64, S65 and S85 of the Eighth S-Flotilla (KKpt. Zymalkowski) conduct a minelaying operation east of Great Yarmouth. The covering force consists of S 93, S 99, S 127, S 129 and S 133. On the return leg, the Boats are pursued by HMS Mallard and HMS Shearwater. German air cover observes the approach of MTB 439, MTB 441, MTB 443, MTB 444 and MTB 455. S 64, S 65, S 85, S 93, S 99, S 117, S 127, S 129 and S 133 are directed to intercept. MTB 455 and MTB 444 are damaged in an action with 3 Boats of the German 34th Minesweeping Flotilla. The German M 3411 sinks whilst attempting to avoid a collision. S 89 and S 133 and the MTBs are damaged in the resulting actions
Post War Fate