Hello Ian
Thank you for the additional information. Here is the summation of what I've managed to find thus far.
ML 147
A Mc Ward is shown as in command in the October 1943 Navy List with Lt Cdr D W S Arnaud in command in April 1944. He also took command of ML 164 later, so the crew photo I have from his family member could be from either boat, but I think I spot a resemblance to one crew member who is also in your photograph.
Pretty much all the officers of Coastal Forces craft by this time were RNVR, who were ‘Hostilities Only’ and were almost always Temporary Lieutenants or Acting Temporary Lieutants even.
I haven’t been able to find any precise details as yet of the deployment on the night of 2nd/3rd September when ML 150 rammed an E-Boat. In general MLs and MGBs took up positions on the defensive ‘Z-Line’ as units of two boats, sometimes three in the case of the MGBs, so not all boats from a given flotilla would be at sea together on any given patrol.
- Crew members of ML under the command of Lt Cdr Dudley Arnaud
ML 119
William Reynolds Albertini had inherited the command of ML 119 from O. S. Boome who went on to command ML 592. Albertini had previously been at Beaver III, the Coastal Forces base at Immingham, so this may possibly have been his first command, although he’d been a Lieutenant since March 1941.
In addition, the boat had earlier been under the command of Sub-Lieut F G H Hawkins as of December 1942, and this watercolour of the boat painted by him was purchased some years back by my brother who came across it in Abergavenny Flea Market.
- Painting of ML 119 by former CO Lieut G Hawkins
ML 119 had earlier suffered two casualties not long after the boat had commissioned, whatever happened, whether action or accident. There are also four awards, one posthumous, shown for the period prior to your father joining.
By the time of D-Day ML 119 is under the command of Lieutenant P Johnstone and Sub-Lieut G M Rowland and was with the 2nd ML Flotilla attached to Nore Command. The boats were 112, 113, 114, 119, 120, 171, and 491. In addition they were joined by MLs 116 & 117 who are shown as being elements of the 14th Mine Sweeping Flotilla, which may be where the account of minesweeping derives from? ML 147 incidentally had been re equipped as a
Navigational Leader, which entailed the removal of the funnel, and fitting of a communications mast.
ML 919
As previously mentioned, this was a replacement for ML 916 lost while minesweeping the Scheldt.
Regards
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