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St Vasst
or
Courselle
raid?
My
father
was Hugh
Maines
and he
was a
member
of No 1
Commando.
Before
his
death in
1978 he
gave me
a
photograph
showing
him and
a group
of other
commandos
in a
landing
craft
having
just
carried
out a
reconnaissance
raid on
the
coast of
France.
He told
me that
the main
object
of the
raid was
to take
German
prisoners.
I would
be very
interested
in
finding
out
which
one of
the two
Sep
27/28
raids
this
photo
depicts
i.e. St
Vasst or
Courseulles.
As you
will see
from the
photo
one of
the
commandos
has
clearly
received
an
injury
and has
some
sort
field
dressing
to a
head
wound.
If you
or any
visitor
to the
website
can
provide
me with
assistance
or
advice
on this
I'd be
most
grateful.
Andrew
Maines.
(1/08)
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LCT 4099.
I am
writing an
account of
the Royal
Navy's
involvement
in the
Suez
Crisis of
1956 and
I am so
glad I
have found
your
website. My
shipmate Swanee
Rivers and
I (Chick
Fowler)
were among
those who
took LCT
4099 out
of reserve
at
Llanelli,
made her
ready for
sea and
took her
to the
Mediterranean
to
practise
landing
troops and
equipment. Before we
left UK
all the LCTs were
given
names and
4099
became HMS
Buttress.
When we took
her to
Suez she
behaved
impeccably
apart from
'taking a
swing' at
HMS Theseus
and losing
most of
her mast!
Having
searched
and
searched,
I had been
unable to
find any
information
about 'our
ship'
prior to
our
joining
her. If
you or any
of the
visitors
to your
website
can tell
me
anything
about her
'previous
life' I
shall be
extremely
grateful. [Chick
is now in
touch with
the LST
and
Landing
Craft
Association
but would
welcome
contact
from
anyone
with
information
about
4099's
previous
service.]
Yours
sincerely,
Chick.
(12/07) |
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Frank
Cameron
Royal
Marine
Commando?
RM
Historical
Records
( R32)
of
my late
father's
WW2
service
disappointingly
lacks of
any
significant
detail I
can
understand.
I write
in the
hope
that
someone
may be
able to
crack
the
code.
His
service
Number
was CH/X
113013
which I
believe
to be
Chatham
division. He
only
ever
seems to
be
discharged
from
there.
He
rarely
spoke of
his
wartime
experiences,
only
ever
mentioning
the
happy
times
with his
comrades
at
Gibraltar,
Malta,
Poole
and
other
harbours.
It would
be a
great
help to
know the
significance
of SZAZ
77/4
which
appears
at the
top of
the form
with
Inverness
15/7/42
and
Vol.
As he
lived
in
Fort
Augustus
near
Inverness, I
think
that
would
be the
recruiting
station
and
his
status
as a
Royal
Marine
Volunteer
at 15
July
1942.
He was
small
in
stature
being
5ft 5
ins on
signing
up at
17.5
years
of
age. The
original
joining
date
was
shown
as
15/7/42
but
his "
real"
service
record
starts
on 7
January
1943.
This
may
suggest
that
he was
either
under-age
or he
went
somewhere
else
for
training.
So
where
was he
for
the
six
months?
Because
of his
small
stature
I
doubt
that
he was
Provost
or RM
Police
although
he did
grow
another
couple
of
inches.
Here
are
some
entries
from
the
continuation
sheet
of his
record.
Depot RM
Lympstone
7 Jan 43
-22 Feb
43 [CO
R Ling].
There is
a faint
erased
entry
'CO
Gold-Smith'
above
that.
The
latter
may have
been an
error...
or was
it
significant?
I
believe
Lympstone
became a
commando
training
centre
taking
on a lot
of the
Achnacarry
role
during
the
period
he was
there.
It
would be
useful
to know
if this
is
correct.
HBL RM
Division
23 Feb
43 - 23
Apr 43
[CO AM
Morris
(?)].
Portsmouth
Division
24 Apr
43 - 9
Sep 43
[CO V
Rowell].
Copra
10 April
43 - 9
October
45 (Co
RHS Teek
)*
Found
him
online
as a
"Flying
Marine".
HBL RMTG
10
October
45 - 20
November
45
Cormorant
21 Nov
45 - 25
May 46.
On
passage
26 May
46 -30
May 46
Chatham
Division
31 May
46 -- 6
Aug 46
Here is
information
based
upon my
father's
comments.
He
landed
in
Pantelleria,
was in
Valetta,
Malta:,
Landed
on the
Normandy
beach
(Sword
or
Juno?)
with the
Canadians
beside
them. He
landed
0600 ..
very
insistent
on that
point.
Landed
at
Walcheren,
He
was
later on
his way
to
Burma via
the
Mediterranean when
his ship
was
re-called
to
Gibraltar
(Cormorant)
following
the
surrender
of
Japan. My
brother
remembers
dad
talking
of how
one ship
he was
on was
torpedoed
and it
passed
through
the bow
failing
to
explode.
My
father
always
said
that he
was
never
trained
in
Scotland. His
unit
apparently
joked
that he
could
have
gone
home for
a cup of
tea and
to visit
his
family
who
lived in
the
training
area
near
Achnacarry
where
Commandos
trained
in the
Scottish
Highlands.
41 and
42 RM
Commando
were
mentioned.
He had
three
squares
of
"silk"
(probably
Rayon)
with
a heavily
embroidered Globe
in the
lower
corner.
These
'kerchiefs
were
black,
powder
blue,
and
white. He
operated
the
pom-poms
(?)
when aboard
a "big
ship".
He
appeared
to be
involved
in
fighting
and
operating
bren
guns at
Walcheren
and
Normandy.
He
correctly
stated
that his
"unit" were
decimated
at
Walcheren.
There
was a
suggestion
that he
was
attached
to a
Commando
unit.
Of his
chums
the
following
names
are
prominent;
RM James
Proudfoot
who came
from
Edinburgh
and
maybe
emigrated
to
Australia
after
the
war, RM
James
McGuigan
who
eventually
was
a teacher
in
Coatbridge,
Scotland
and
another
called
Monty.
My best
guess is
that my
father
was one
of the
many RM
Volunteers
of 4 SS
Brigade.
However,
having
read
your
website
pages I
wonder
if he
was
transferred
to some
kind of
Holding
Unit at
Gibraltar
(RMTG)
prior to
embarkation
for the
far
east. I
would be
grateful
for any
information
triggered
by any
of the
above.
Many
thanks
in
anticipation,
Alan
Cameron.
(10/07)
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Bruneval
Raid - Paratrooper William Balloch. My Grandfather, William
Balloch, was one of the paratroopers who took part in the Bruneval
raid and I would like to know more about the men he served with and
to see any photographs prior to and post the raid itself. As part of
this I will be contacting the Public Archive at Kew and the Imperial
War Museum in London but any information, especially from veterans
or their families, would be very much appreciated. Chris Manuel
(8/07) |
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William Edwin Merry, LCM 131 & 668 Flotillas. We are looking
for information about my father's war service record. He was Mr
William Edwin Merry from Blaby, Leicester, England. Information is
sought about LCM Flotillas 131 and 668, particularly the names of
the ships the flotillas were attached to. We believe he was in
Messina, Sicily and saw action in the Italy and the D Day landings.
Lynda Randall (8/07) |
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Czechoslovak
Commandos. I'm working on a website about Czechoslovak Commandos
and on the establishment of a Czechoslovak Commando Re-enactment Group.
I'd like to hear from anyone with information of possible interest about
the Czechoslovak contingent of No 10 (IA) Commando or any other
Czechoslovak Commando groups. Sources of information in books and
archives and information about the badge (above) would also be most welcome. Martin Sedivy.
(9/06) |
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HMLCI(S) 535, 201LCI(S)
Flotilla, D-Day Normandy.
The photo opposite shows the crew of HMLCI(S) 535, with the exception
of one man, on the morning of June 6th 1944 in Normandy. On that day
535 carried men of Lord Lovat's Special Service Brigade on to Queen
Red sector of Sword beach at La Breche. Former AB Jack 'Curly' Bartle
recalls...
535 was towed back from Sword beach to Spithead by the depot trawler
HM War Wing. Later on we were taken under tow by LCPs and returned to
our base at Warsash on the River Hamble. During the journey back
across the English Channel the 535 managed to stay afloat at an angle
of 45 degrees with her stern in the air!!
Photo left to right back row -
'Walt' Disney, Dennis Karn, Cyril Neville, Evan Carey, Jack 'Curly'
Bartle, Billy Myatt, Bob Bradley, 'Geordie' Turner, 'Jock' Nicholls,
Tommy Kiley & Bill Beedle.
Left to right front row - Ken
McCavish, Sub Lieutenant Rideout, Lieutenant Harold Cavey, Coxswain
John Sheered, 'Jock' McTavish & Harry 'Gunboat' Gough.
I am in contact
with veterans Jack Bartle, Dennis Karn, Bill Beedle, Evan Carey and
Jack Burton. They would welcome news and contact with former
shipmates. Please contact me... I would be delighted to reunite
you with your former shipmates. Tony Chapman, Official
Archivist/Historian, LST and Landing Craft Association (Royal Navy).
(06/06)
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HMLCI(S) 508
of the 200th Flotilla.
The photo opposite shows the crew of Landing Craft
Infantry (Small) 508 as they were in May of 1945. Prior to that time
the craft had seen service in Normandy on D-Day when she was assigned
' Beach Rescue Craft' for the 200th Flotilla of which she was part. On
the day 508 and her sister craft were involved with landing Lord
Lovat's Special Service Brigade on Sword beach. On November 1st 1944
508 was a 'Beach Rescue Craft' in the costly assault on Walcheren. The
craft of the 1st LCI(S) Squadron carried men of the 41 Royal Marine
Commando.
The granddaughter
of Able Seaman Terence Lyons (pictured 4th from right back row in the
group photo and opposite) would welcome contact with anyone who might
remember him, especially, of course, men who served alongside him
during his service with LCI(S) 508... in particular Lt R W Smith, Sub
Lt N Barratt, Petty Officer/Coxswain Cyril Smith, Chief Petty
Officer/Motor Mechanic Austin Underhill, Telegraphist Tickle,
Signalman (Bunts) Radford, Able Seaman Bradshaw, Brown, Coldwell,
Francis, Keelan, Macrae, Rathmill, Wilson, stokers Bourne, Grant and
Trehearn and Wireman (Electrician) J A Telford.
In the first instance please
contact Tony Chapman of the LST & Landing Craft Association. (5/06)
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Operation Zipper. I'm 81 years of age and served
with REME 24th ABW part of SEAC and was seconded to Combined
Operations for the invasion of Malaya, code named operation
ZIPPER August 1945. I would like to know more about this
operation and possible contact of any comrades that may be still
alive who served in this theatre. I was aboard the armed
merchant ship HMS Tamele. I'd also like to know about
this vessel and its war time history. Many thanks. Bert
Townsend.
(4/06) |
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607 LCM Flotilla,
Normandy 1944.
Former Royal
Marine Ken Burt, now residing in Australia, would be pleased
to hear from any former comrades who served alongside him with
607 LCM Flotilla. If any veteran Royal Marines served with the
flotilla, prior to and during the Normandy landings, I would
be delighted to hear from them and to put you in touch with
Ken. Tony Chapman, Official Archivist/Historian, LST
and Landing Craft Association (Royal Navy).
(7/05)
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HMLCT 2226. Royal
Navy veteran George Cooper served with the American built
British manned Mk5 LCT 2226 throughout the period of the D-Day
landings in Normandy and later still when the 2226 was assigned
in Holland. At now 60 years down the road he wonders if any of
his former 'old ships' are still about......if any former crew
members of 2226 should find themselv | |
