HMLST THRUSTER - PHOTO GALLERY

~ HMLST THRUSTER - PHOTO GALLERY ~

HMLST Thruster was a flat bottomed landing craft not unlike a modern roll on and roll off ferry. These rare photographs are of Thruster itself, Len Thacker and the men who served alongside him on Thruster, the actions Thruster was involved in and the ships Thruster encountered on her travels.

Background The Ship The Crew The Action Other Ships

Miscellaneous Correspondence Acknowledgments

Background

In WW2 there were many kinds of landing craft, large and small and each type served a particular purpose. HMLST Thruster and similar craft were the forerunners of today's roll-on roll-off (RoRo) ferries - they carried tanks, lorries, other vehicles, heavy equipment and the men to operate them. The main differences were that Thruster only had bow doors and it was flat bottomed to allow it to discharge its cargo directly onto the beaches in the absence of useable harbours.

HMLST(1) Thruster was built by Harland and Wolf, Belfast, Northern Ireland and launched on September 24th 1942, being commissioned in the Royal Navy on January 28th 1943. She later took part in the invasions of Sicily, Salerno, Anzio and those in Southern France.

The Ship

HM LST Thruster	HM LST Thruster	Freetown, S. Africa, from Y gun deck	Loading at Naples	A view astern with an LST in the wake	LCP being lowered away at Piraeus

Malta	Piraeus Harbour Nov 1944
The Crew

Class W8 HMS Royal Arthur Skegness, 8/41. Len Thacker 4th from left rear rank.	The crew of HM LST Thruster 4th February 1945	(L-R) John Lodge, Len Thacker & Den Cruthley	Jock Broom, Ken Hollings, Eric Taylor & Dick Beatley	Freetown 1942. Len Thacker, Jack Leathersich & Algy Hobber	Ginger Birkenshaw with HM LST Thruster at Naples

Ginger Birkenshaw and Albert Taylor	(L-R) Frank Moss, Harry Reeve, Len Hacker & Jack Pyle May 5th 1944	Eric Taylor	Eric Taylor	Dick Beatley, Ginger Birkenshaw, Albert Taylor & Dick Anderton	Dick Anderton.

Len Thacker	Len Thacker, May 5th 1944 in Malta.	Norman Roberts at the 10 inch Aldis lamp Porto Vecchio	Norm Roberts with Aldis Lamp. Naples	Signalman Norman Roberts keeping lookout	Flag deck tea party Albert, Frank, Len Hacker & Coops

Awnings rigged at Bombay	Under The White Ensign Hary Dunn and Harry Reid	Len Hacker & Tich Meddings Durban 1942	December 31st 1943 Malta. Len Thacker	On the beach at Porto Vecchio June 1944	At Rest Camp Dec 1944
The Action

Naples Jan 1944 American troops bound for Anzio	Anzio Jan 1944	Anzio Jan 1944	Anzio Jan 1944 during a raid	Anzio Jan 1944. Fires on the beach	Anzio Jan 1944 near misses on LST

Approaching Salonika	HM LST Bruiser at Green Beach S France Aug 1944. Op Dragoon	HM LST Bruiser beaching at St Raphael 8/44. Operation Dragoon	D Day S. France 8/44. Operation Dragoon	HM LST Bruiser at Malta	HM LST Bruiser off Corsica

HM LST Bruiser at Malta	French Creek Malta	Operation Dragoon San Raphael S. France 8/44	Salonika	Salonika
Other Ships

Town Class Cruiser HMS Birmingham	Town Class L ight Cruiser HMS Sheffield	B Class Destroyer HMS Boreas	King George V Class Battleship HMS Anson	HMS Birmingham at Simonstown	USS Marblehead alongside HMS Glasgow At Simonstown

F Class Destroyer HMS Faulknor - escort to Anzio	Leander Class Frigate Minerva at Porto Vecchio	Town Class Cruiser HMS Newcastle	Omaha Class L ight Cruiser USS Marblehead	Light Cruiser USS Marblehead at Simonstown	Battle Cruiser HMS Renown 1942
Miscellaneous

Vesuvius in Eruption	Entrance to Casbah Tunis July 1944

Correspondence

I thought you might be interested to know that HMS Thruster was, at one time, earmarked for conversion to a Fighter Direction Ship. Fighter Direction Ships were designed to perform a similar role to the Fighter Direction Tenders but were based on different vessels. FDTs were converted Landing Ship Tanks (LSTs) while FDSs were conversions (1943) of HMS Ulster Queen and HMS Palomares. They were merchantmen originally classed as auxiliary AA Ships for convoy escort duties. They were later joined by HMS Stuart Prince

In mid 1944, as the focus of the amphibious aspects of WW2 moved from the west to the far east, the Admiralty decided that long range Fighter Direction Ships with a speed of 16 knots, and capable of operating with assault escort carriers, were required for assault operations in the Pacific. Three LSTs Mk1s, HMLSTs Boxer, Bruiser and Thruster, were identified as suitable for conversion but only H.M.S. Boxer was completed. However, she never saw action in the far east since Japan surrendered as the vessel entered the Suez Canal.

Phill Jones

Further Reading

Visit our Index page where you'll find links to numerous pages on Landing Craft and major landings.

There are over 200 books listed on our 'Combined Operations Books' page which can be purchased on-line via the Advanced Book Exchange (ABE) search banner which checks the shelves of thousands of book shops world-wide. Type in or copy and paste the title of your choice or use the keyword box for book suggestions. There's no obligation to buy, no registration and no passwords. Just click on the book icon opposite to take you to the ABE banner.

Acknowledgments

These rare photographs of HMS Thruster were kindly supplied by Matthew Harte, grandson of the photographer, the late Len Thacker, who served on the ship. They came our way through the good offices of Tony Chapman, Archivist/Historian of the LST and Landing Craft Association.