February 14th is the 80th anniversary of a catastrophic accident that occurred in Ostend Harbour, Belgium: one which saw the greatest single loss of life suffered by Coastal Forces personnel — sixty-two killed and many others injured — when twelve boats were destroyed in a fire and explosion there.
“It was a rest day, and half the crew had been taken on a sightseeing trip to Brugge for the afternoon. It was around 3 o’clock in the afternoon. I had volunteered to make the tea and went up on deck to go to the potato locker which was just below the bridge. Before I got there I saw flames and smoke rising from the middle of a group of Tony Laws’ 72’ 6” Power Boats that were berthed in a large lock entrance some 30 yards away...I was just passing over the gangway that was level with the wall when the boat that was on fire blew up with a huge WOOMPH! like noise...Ammunition was exploding, torpedoes going off, pieces of flaming boats everywhere.” Ken Forrester
“I was happily filing away at the vice in the engine room when there was a massive explosion followed by several more. We were tied up next to the jetty and there were at least two more boats tied alongside us. There were many MTBs, and MLs tied up in the harbour and my immediate thought was that Gerry was having a go at us and we were all sitting ducks...I started all four engines and put them in forward and then aft trying to break the ropes tying us to the jetty but they did not break.” Ron Matthews
“My HDML 1280 was tied up just outside the entrance to the dock...As I recollect, it was about 2 o'clock in the afternoon when I became aware of frantic activity amongst the trots of MTBs a cable’s length or so further down the harbour...There must have been noise as explosion amongst the boats succeeded explosion and engines started up, but in my minds eye today, things present themselves as in a silent film, as the trots broke up with the boats frantically casting off the one from the other and heading for the harbour entrance and the safety of the open sea, some bursting into flames or exploding as they went.” Frank Lovegrove
“In order to remove wrecked boats we obtained the services of a dutch ship crane as an uplifter. As the torpedoes were all now armed because of the tide movement, I was loaned from the 65th Flotilla to disarm them. I was at that time a third class chief. I warned the Dutch crew to lift the wrecks evenly, however they lifted stern first and the torpedos, which were only held by 1/2 stops, all slipped out. The crew abandoned the uplifter when they learned of the danger and the dockyard was cleared, leaving me astride a torpedo 30 feet in the air. Staff were evacuated to the outer dock area, while I after much manoeuvring was able to remove the detonators and primers and render the torpedos safe.” James S Lonie
At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them
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