Coastal Forces Veterans

I think the boat in the photo is FPB 5020 (decommissioned 1956). Yes, John Lambert's book on the Fairmile D contains a drawing of FPB 5001 (former MTB 780 ) as of 1954, having the same forward, mid, and aft armament as shown in the photo, together with the clear wheelhouse, and which depicts the wh...

futher to my meeting with my researcher concerning mtb 670 he has pointed out on the subject of the torpedo tubes being removed ,notes made on dads comments show that the tubes were removed when they were on mine sweeping manoveres this was done for safety reasons... SOE and The Resistance: As Told...

That's an interesting photo David. Those with greater knowledge of D-Class boats may be better able to comment on the nature of the four aerials that are visible, as well as on the type of radar equipment carried. But comparing this photo to the known one of MTB 670 that jonco has posted, obvious di...

Hello David That's very interesting, and it certainly bears further investigation. I suspect the affair is probably linked to the political goings on at the time in the region, the Allies having started off by backing the Chetniks, before deciding to throw their weight behind Tito's Partisans instea...

Just to help clarify something here. MTB 670 is recorded as having been lost on passage between Malta and Alexandria on 30 January 1946. It was lost in conjunction with a number of other boats, including MTB 658, which was Len Reynolds' boat — the well known Coastal Forces author. I was just reading...

The Imperial War Museum has certain materials for all of those boats (not sure about photographs) including sound recordings from crew members who served, though you would have to pay to procure any items.

The only one I am aware of at the moment is: Rum and Raki: War in the Eastern Adriatic 1939-1945 ; War in a Narrow Sea by Charles W Koburger, Jr (2003) I am not entirely sure though if this publication, which is more a brief monograph than a book, ever had an actual publisher. Other works of his hav...

Here are just a few names of officers for MTB 670 obtained recently from the Navy List for June 1944

Temporary Lieutenant A.S. Rendell RNCVR (in command)
Temporary Sub-Lieutenant J.K. Findlay
Temporary Sub-Lieutenant J.O. Young

I managed to glean the following names of officers who served at various times with MTB 638 from the Navy Lists, during a recent visit to Birmingham Central Library: MTB 638 Officers October 1943 Temporary Lieutenant L. H. Blaxell RNVR Temporary Sub-Lieutenant A B. Childs RNVR February 1944 Temporar...

I found this short piece that happens to mention MTB 638, in a newsletter of the now disbanded Coastal Forces Veterans Association. The Admiral’s Powder Parlours — not so amusing at the time!! A group of Dog Boats arrived at Gibraltar Feb 43 with upperdeck fuel tanks, one of the boats was MTB 638 in...

Hello suddardsp Thank you for your post regarding your later father Jack Sidebottom. I don't have precise details of the incident for which your father was awarded the DSM but the London Gazette entry for his citation may be found within the issue for 10th October 1944. The link provided will take y...

Hello Rita The short answer to your question is that any member of the public can view materials held in the National Archive, but you will need to arrange for a reader's ticket . The National Archive is essentially like a big library, the only difference being that documents have to be brought to y...

Just to briefly clarify the issue of crew lists recorded within archives. Imperial Museum North at Salford happens to have the Log Book for SGB 4, which it has on display, and which is open on the page that gives details for its movements on D-Day. There is a crew list written in pencil by the Senio...

Hello Croation Navy Thank you for your informative post, and for giving us the benefit of your research into the action around the island of Vir involving MTB 638 and others. You may already be aware of the official Royal Navy report for this action, but this London Gazette supplement: Coastal Force...

Hello again jonco Thanks for the update, and sorry you haven't been able to learn a whole lot more. I wonder if you need to know the names of ships, boats, bases in advance to specifically ask for records relating to them, to be sure of getting all available information, or else the information simp...

This wonderful short film from the IWM is a dramatisation made at close of war in 1945, but featuring actual personnel of Light Coastal Forces — and a great set of characters they are too! The story-line illustrates the typical workload of Coastal Forces in the North Sea, from long, cold, uneventful...

The Imperial War Museum (IWM) has recently redesigned its web site, to which it has added a beta Film and Video Archive Sales section. Among the films available to view online is this 30 minute gem on the Fairmile design and construction process. The following descriptive text is taken from the IWM ...

Given the name Louisastraat is the correct location then the best bet may be old postcards if there are any sites on that subject. Looking at Ostend in Google Maps and using streetview (drag the little orange figure at left on to the street) Louisastraat is a quite a long street running part of the ...

Yes he would have come under HMS Wasp for pay and record keeping etc, whilst attached to MASB 33. In a lot of cases Coastal Forces personnel lived on their boats full-time, even where there was a base ship, or shore base available, as they usually just contained the base admin staff and the wardroom...

Hello Kris

HMS Attack and HMS Wasp were Coastal Forces shore establishments, HMS Wasp being a quite famous one located in the Lord Warden Hotel at Dover, which still exists within the port of Dover and carries a plaque from the Coastal Forces Heritage Trust to mark its wartime role.

Regards
Admin

Hello Sparks Others may have more information to give you, but the following crew members are recorded as having received awards while members of ML 120 and ML 150: ML 120 Jack Swan (Tel) C/J 101252 Laurence Lightwood (Tel) C/WRX 125 Edward Kerfoot Jones (TLt) ML 150 Herbert Caffrey (MtrMech) C/MX 7...

Hello Jaime Thank you for your interesting contribution to the forum offering an insight into the work of the Coastal Forces base personnel, which is a subject seldom covered. Just out of interest, in case you were not aware, Ken Forrester, who was present at the Ostend disaster, writes about it in ...

The anniversary of the Bari Raid will soon be upon us. The port of Bari in Italy, situated on the Adriatic coast, was the scene of a relatively unknown but devastating incident during the Second World War, which involved Coastal Forces units stationed there. An operation aimed at supplying the Briti...

Just to add another small bit of information, J. S. Guard in his book Improvise and Dare: War in the Aegean briefly mentions ML 579 as having been off of the Island of Arki (Arkoi) when she was attacked and sunk.

It seems likely that HMS St Angelo would have been the pay and administration 'ship' for those serving with Coastal Forces at Malta, so the fact he is still recorded as being St Angelo would suggest he stayed within that administrative area (Malta), possibly serving on one or more Coastal Forces cra...

Is that possibly Trained Operator (Wireless Telegraphist)? the non-substantive part referring I believe to having the training and the pay, but not the advancement—in terms of rank—that the training might ordinarily entitle you to. This enabled men to seek advancement in their particular trade witho...

Hello Julie

Thank you for your kind words regarding the new look web site. As you can see, we have been busy creating a new format for existing material from the former site, whilst also adding new content, and we hope to add more articles and features in the coming months.

Regards

Admin

We have carried out some additions and amendments to the forum. We have added a new forum Fast Patrol Boats under the Coastal Forces Craft section. This is intended to cover the period of post-war development in general up to the demise of Coastal Forces as a formal branch of the Royal Navy in 1957....

Having been online for over two years now, it was felt the existing forum topics were not serving the forum and its posts as well as they might, and that the time had come for a comprehensive overhaul of the board, to improve its usability, and help provide a better experience for readers. The major...

The following is offered by way of help & advice when posting to the forum: Subjects for Posts When entering a title for your post in the subject title box, please try to keep the title brief yet descriptive, avoiding vague or ambiguous subject titles e.g. use a specific title like MBG 658 at Ko...