Postby Brian Holmes » Wed Jan 16, 2013 8:25 pm
Having looked at the service record, I offer the following:
HMS Collingwood conducted basic new entry training for ratings
HMS Victory was used as a manning depot holding men prior to deployment
HMS St Christopher, at Fort William, provided training courses for coastal forces personnel
HMS Midge supported MTB and MGB Flotillas
His service in MGB 326 appears to include the raid on Dieppe and at least one of the clandestine operations as shown previously.
MGB 508 was built at Camper & Nicholson, Northam and completed as a blockade runner at Smith’s Dock, Hull and renamed = Master Standfast which was civilian manned. Perhaps he was on the transit voyage from Southampton to Hull.
MGB_604 A M Dickie & Sons, Bangor, Wales 24/7/42
Known Crew
TLt J O King (Commanding Officer)
TSLt Graham Alexander Wilson RNVR First Lieutenant MGB 604 1/2/44, Third Officer MTB 751 5/44 TLt 11/44 Commanding Officer MTB 490 7/45 Commanding Officer MTB 520 7/3/46
POMtrMch ? Arthur D Mellor MGB 53 MGB 55 MTB 604 MTB 751 Sto2 15/7/42 became Acting Chief Motor Mechanic 4th class Born in Nottingham 3/4/24 and died in Safety Bay, Western Australia
War Activities
17th MGB Flotilla
MGB 601, MGB 603, MGB 604, MGB 605, MGB 606, MGB 607, MGB 609, MGB 610, MGB 612
Based at Great Yarmouth
9/43 Modified and reclassified as MTB
10/43 50th MTB Flotilla
MTB 603, MTB 604, MTB 605, MTB 606, MTB 607, MTB 609, MTB 610, MTB 612 later MTB 673, MTB 676, MTB 677, MTB 678, MTB 734, MTB 751, MTB 756
Based at Great Yarmouth, Dover, Newhaven, Ostend
Post War Fate
10/45 For disposal
MGB_609 William King (Burnham on Crouch) Ltd 9/6/42
For an action with E Boats in the Channel 16/8/42
MID TLt Alan Doxford McIlwraith RNVR
MID TSLt Liston Burns McIlhagga RCNVR
MID ACMtrMch George Henry Seymour C/MX69871
DSM APO Richard Edward Varnall C/JX126930
For an action with E Boats off Smith’s Knoll 24/10/43
DSC TLt Patrick Noel Green Edge RNVR
DSM ACMtrMch Robert Joseph Arthur Bonce P/MX98931
DSM AB Jack Ramsden Beaumont P/JX352195
MID PO William Lindsay Williams D/JX158412
Birthday Honours 1944
MID PO William Lindsay Williams D/JX158412
Known Crew (MGB 609)
TLt Alan Doxford McIlwraith RNVR Commanding Officer (Wounded in action 16/8/42) Senior Officer 19th MGB Flotilla MID 1942 CdeG 1943 Greek War Cross 3rd class (04.07.1944; salvage of Adrias mined in the Aegean) Born 1909 in St Albans, Herts
TLt Patrick Noel Green Edge RNVR MASB 23 1942 Commanding Officer MGB 609. Commanding Officer MTB 506 16/8/43. Served on the staff of ANCXF 1944 Councellor employment of the disabled 1963 DSC 1944 Two MIDs 1942 MID 1944 OBE (Civ) 1963 Born in Wilnecote, Tamworth, Staffordshire 25/12/14
TSLt Liston Burns Mcllhagga RCNVR Ordinary Seaman, Winnipeg Division RCNVR 1939 HMS Jupiter (destroyer) 12/40 – 3/41 HMS King Alfred (RNVR officers' training establishment, Hove, Sussex) HMS Boscawen (RN base, Portland) First Lieutenant MGB 609 Wounded in action 16/8/42 Commanding Officer MTB 232 17/01/43 Commanding Officer MTB 258 5/43 Senior Officer, 16th MTB Flotilla (Trincomalee, Ceylon) 5-8/44 Executive Officer, HMCS Chippawa (Winnipeg Naval Reserve Division) 15/12/44 – 4/46 recruiting officer, HMCS Donnaconna (RCN(R) Division, Montreal) 4/46 – 4/49 Lt.Cdr. RCN(R) 7/48Executive Officer, HMCS Chippawa 14/5/51 Commanding Officer, HMCS Chippawa 7/2/42 staff officers' course 10/8/52 Commanding Officer, HMCS Chippawa 3/11/53 – 27/9/60 MID 1942 Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and died in North York, Ontario 1/2006
ACMtrMch George Henry Seymour C/MX69871
APO Richard Edward Varnall C/JX126930
AB John Edward Knibb P/JX252230 Died of Wounds received in a surface action 17/8/42 aged 21. Son of Albert Edward and May Knibb, of Wembley. Buried in Wembley (Alperton) Burial Ground Plot D.D. Grave 101
AB James Logan D/SS 35903 Killed in a surface action 16/8/42 Buried in Dover (St. James's) Cemetery Row C. Joint grave 16
Ord Kenneth Mattison C/JX 318042 Died of Wounds received in a surface action 17/8/42 aged 19. Son of George Alfred and Edna Mattison, of Harrogate. Buried in Harrogate (Harlow Hill) Cemetery Sec. F. Grave 115
Sto1 Ernest Edward Smith P/KX135877 Killed in a surface action 16/8/42 Age 21. Son of Ernest and Emma Smith, of Moreton. Buried in Bidston (St. Oswald) Churchyard, Cheshire N.E. part
Known Crew (MTB 609)
ACMtrMch Robert Joseph Arthur Bonce P/MX98931
PO William Lindsay Williams D/JX158412
AB Jack Ramsden Beaumont P/JX352195
War Activities
17th MGB Flotilla
MGB 601, MGB 603, MGB 604, MGB 605, MGB 606, MGB 607, MGB 609, MGB 610, MGB 612
Based at Great Yarmouth
On passage from work up at HMS Bee, Weymouth, MGB 609 is diverted to Dover to operate with locally based MGBs.
16/8/42 MGB 6, MGB 10, MGB 324, MGB 330, MGB 331 and MGB 609 depart Dover to intercept 10th R Boat Flotilla laying mines in mid channel. Off Calais MGB 330, MGB 331 and MGB 609 engage the German force with gunfire and are all badly damaged. MGB 330 has all guns out of action but rams R 184 . MGB 330, MGB 331 and MGB 609 are severely damaged and break off the action. In MGB 609, two men have been killed and two men are dying. All three officers and eight ratings have been wounded. Two R Boats are sinking. MGB 6 and MGB 10 make an attack setting an R Boat on fire, boarding it and taking either eight or fifteen prisoners. All boats return to Dover. R184 is finished off by gunfire from a coastal battery.
MGB 609 has only one working engine, no engine controls and no charts..
MGB 609 is paid off for extensive repairs.
27-8/5/43 MGB 605, MGB 609, MGB 610, MGB 612 are driven off in an attack on a German patrol.
9/43 Modified and reclassified as MTB
10/43 50th MTB Flotilla
MTB 603, MTB 604, MTB 605, MTB 606, MTB 607, MTB 609, MTB 610, MTB 612 later MTB 673, MTB 676, MTB 677, MTB 678, MTB 734, MTB 751, MTB 756
Based at Great Yarmouth, Dover, Newhaven, Ostend
24/10/43 An action off Smith’s Knoll involving MTB 442, MTB 606, MTB 610, MTB 629, MTB 630, MTB 632, MTB 650 and MTB 652
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 HMS Pytchley, HMS Worcester, HMS Eglinton, HMS Campbell and HMS Mackay, MGB 609, MGB 610, MGB 607, MGB 603, MGB 315, MGB 327, ML 250 and ML 517.
2318 HMS Pytchley has a Radar contact on E Boats to the north and damages one with gunfire.
MGB 603 and MGB 607 mouth north east to cover the line of retreat to Ijmuiden.
MGB 609 and MGB 610 cover the northerly track of the convoy.
The S Boats arrive astern of the convoy
The trawler HMS William Stephen, a straggler from the convoy, is sunk
C0100 MGB 609 and MGB 610 obtained hydrophone and Radar contact. MGB 609 and MGB 610 make two attacks when the S Boats are seen to approach and drive them off each time. The second S Boat in the line was damaged and left the line
0206 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 MGB 607 rams an S Boat and is subsequently taken in tow by MGB 603.
0400 MGB 603 with MGB 607 in tow obtains a Radar contact and the tow is slipped.
0418 MGB 603 goes into action against six S Boats at a range of under 800 yards significantly damaging one boat.
0445 The S Boats make off to the east and MGB 603 rejoins MGB 607
HMS Mackay rams and sinks S 63.
MGB 603 recovers nineteen survivors from S 88 and tows MGB 607 back to Great Yarmouth
3-4/11/43 MTB 606, MTB 607and MTB 610 are in an action in the Nore area in which two trawlers were sunk and E Boats damaged. MTB 606 is sunk in action by surface craft
24/10/43 An action with E Boats off Smith’s Knoll
22-3/2/44 S 67, S 80, S 86, S 92, S 94, S 128 and S 135 of the Second. S-Flotilla (KKpt. Feldt) and S 64, S 65, S 85, S 93, S 99, S 117, S 127 and S 129 of the the Eighth S-Flotilla (KKpt. Zymalkowski) from Ijmuiden intercept and attack a Convoy near Smith´s Knoll. The Boats are engaged by the destroyers HMS Garth and Southdown with MTB 609 and MTB 610. During the action, S 94 and S 128 collide and have to be abandoned.
Post War Fate
10/45 Sea Cadet Corps
1952 Sold
His service in 609 covers four significant actions
MTB _734 Thomson & Balfour, Victoria Saw Mills, Bo’ness 30/5/44
Known Crew
TLt Harold William Paton RNVR . Joined Royal Naval Volunteer Supplementary Reserve attached to London Division RNVR 29/11/38. Commanding Officer HMS Titan (Auxillary minesweeper 1/9/39 – 4/40. HMS Dolphin 17/6/40 ML 101 Commanding Officer MTB 510 8/42 – 1/43 and Commanding Officer MTB 613 10/1/43 - 4/44. Commanding Officer MTB 734 and Senior Officer 59th MTB Flotilla 18/5/44. He served in the Admiralty from 5/2/45. DSC 1943 Winchester College; Christ Church, Oxford. Called to the Bar (Inner Temple), 1923 and practised at Common Law Bar. Judge of County Courts, Circuit No 54 (Bristol, etc) 1950-71; Chairman, Somerset Quarter Sessions, 1965-71. Born 6/10/1900 in Guildford, Surrey and died on 16/3/86 at Evanton Rosshire.
Wartime Activities
50th MTB Flotilla
MTB 603, MTB 604, MTB 605, MTB 606, MTB 607, MTB 609, MTB 610, MTB 612 later MTB 673, MTB 676, MTB 677, MTB 678, MTB 734, MTB 751, MTB 756
Based at Great Yarmouth, Dover, Newhaven, Ostend
26/6/44 Patrolling off the Dutch coast, MTB 734 is attacked and damaged by friendly Swordfish aircraft and subsequently sunk by MTB 612
MTB_756 Herbert Woods, Broads Haven, Potter Heigham, Great Yarmouth 31/7/44
New Year Honours 1945
DSC TSLt John Alfred Kings RNVR
MID AB Anthony James Higbed P/JX389395
MID Sto1 Freddie Hooper D/KX139405
Known Crew
TSLt John Alfred Kings RNVR
AB Anthony James Higbed P/JX389395
Sto1 Freddie Hooper D/KX139405
Wartime Activities
50th MTB Flotilla
MTB 603, MTB 604, MTB 605, MTB 606, MTB 607, MTB 609, MTB 610, MTB 612 later MTB 673, MTB 676, MTB 677, MTB 678, MTB 734, MTB 751, MTB 756
Based at Great Yarmouth, Dover, Newhaven, Ostend
Post War Fate
1/46 Sea Cadet Corps (Hull)
8/11/54 Sold