Postby Pioneer » Wed Nov 18, 2009 11:06 pm
Hello ‘mjfox7’ Welcome Aboard.
As you may know, the 32nd Flotilla was formed December 1942 – disbanded in December 1943 with any remaining boats spread between the 56th, 57th, and 61st Flotilla’s.
During September 1943 the boats of the 20th MGB and the 33rd MTB Flotillas were attached to “Task Group” – “80.4” - under Captain Andrews USN in the American destroyer USS Knight. This task group was given the objective of securing the surrender of the islands of Ventotene, Capri, Ischia and Procida (off the Gulf of Naples). No resistance was encountered in any of these operations, in fact at each; the boats were welcomed, this being a most rewarding interlude in a campaign that had, until then, been characterized by relentless air attacks and hazardous patrols.
Ventotene, the most distant island was taken on 9 September ‘43 (the day the Salerno invasion began) followed by Capri on the 12th, Procida on the 15th and Ischia on the 16th.
It fell to a few officers, with the lowly rank of Lieutenant, to formally receive the enemy surrenders; most unusual it would appear from today’s viewpoint especially of such a prestigious island as Capri. But a document exists showing that the Commandante of the island addressed his surrender to Lt E.T.Greene-Kelly RNR - acting Senior Officer of the 33rd – (later to lose his life in what is now termed as a “friendly fire’ incident – the loss of 636 under the guns of 658). The Commanding Officer of 636 was Lt F.A. Warner (much later our Ambassador to Japan). It is also worth noting that Douglas Fairbanks Jr USNR, (now far removed from Hollywood), was Liaison Officer to Captain Andrews USN on this operation, and was not new to working with British Coastal Forces. (He had been at the Dieppe landings being awarded a British DSC).
The Isle of Capri became in due course a leave centre for US forces, with the Isle of Ischia, a British Coastal Forces Base, (mainly for MLs).
HMS Hannibal was the Shore Base commissioned January 1943 at Algiers (originally founded at HMS Nile - Alexandria) This base also supplied staff for mobile CF units that could be found at Bone, Oran, Taranto and other places as the Mediterranean War moved over onto the Italian mainland.
Your Grandfathers Record would be showing where the accounts were held for the 32nd Flotilla - St Angelo (Malta) then Hannibal (Algiers). It would appear that after the disbanding of the 32nd (and 33rd) in December 1943 the accounts were back at Malta (St Angelo)
To find out whether your Grandfather was still a member of one of the ‘new’ Flotilla’s you may have to contact HMS Centurion - RN Barracks Portsmouth.
Hope this helps
(source for the above: Dog Boats at War - L Reynolds, and Allied Coastal Forces at War - J. Lambert and Al Ross)