Thank you both. Mike, your quote is the only reference to LCT1000 I have found so far. Hugh, I will try and post our copy of his record on here if I can convert it to a postable file type. He was 'lent to LCT1000' from late 43 to late 45 before being demobbed.
Ah, thanks Hugh - haven't come across any of those before. Would be interesting to see a copy. I understand what you mean about the 'stone frigates'. In a lot of the Mk1 LCT research I am doing most of the officers are listed as HMS Stag which was in Alex, some show HMS Saunders which was the Combined Training Centre at Kebrit, an outpost of Stag. Most of the ORs (at least those who were lost) seem to have their landing craft number recorded though. This could be since many of the LC officers were beachmasters, flotilla officers etc and could have been on any of the flotilla vessels.
Hello Rebecca and Clive, Welcome to this forum! Apparently LCT (Mark 4) 1000 was ordered in 1943 and launched in 1944 by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Co., Ltd. (Chepstow, Wales). I do not have any photo of LCT 1000, but she was listed as part of 56 LCT Flotilla, 'Q' LCT Squadron, based at Plymouth and attached to Force 'B' (follow-up force bound for the US beaches) as of 5 June 1944. Unfortunately I don't know her Serial Number, so can't give you her load. If you have any photo showing even part of the deck of LCT 1000, this might help. There are a couple of photos on fold3 showing LCT 515 and 1048 unloading in OMAHA Area: http://www.fold3.com/browse.php#251|hbSH1CZcRdyfhUm0F4WXU8hdLBsdX_cjglYFT8bi5_R6voH7n http://www.fold3.com/browse.php#251|hbSH1CZcRdyfhUm0F4WXU8hdLBsdX_cjglYFT8bi5IJG6gDS6 http://www.fold3.com/browse.php#251|hbSH1CZcRdyfhUm0F4WXU8hdLBsdX_cjglYFT8bi5ypok4Vl7 She is reported as having finally been sold to the Netherlands in 1945. She might have served in Indonesia like the old LCT 1056, and is perhaps one of the other LCT here: http://www.gahetna.nl/en/collectie/afbeeldingen/fotocollectie/zoeken/weergave/gallery/tstart/0/q/zoekterm/LCT/f/Geografisch_trefwoord/Indonesi%C3%AB or perhaps this one: As for "HMLZ42", I think it simply means "HM Lighter Z42". The photo showing Clive's grandfather does provide some clues, because the short bulwark behind the group is similar to those seen on the sides of Z51 here: Michel
More on Z Lighters, from an old thread here: http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/23380-the-z-lighter/ This shows that Z7 and Z22 were of a slightly different design from Z51, with a large portico to raise the ramp. It also shows that the lateral bulwarks were probably hinged to fold outwards, just like the folding bar visible on the bottom left of Clive's photo suggests: Finally, a better, more complete version of the photo showing Z51, with two other Z Lighters to the left, with French troops of B Army embarking in the Gulf of Taranto for Operation ANVIL, August 1944: Michel
Yet more photos of Z Lighters, obtained by searching the IWM Collections with "Z Craft" as keyword: "New Grant and Stuart tanks being unloaded from a ship onto a "Z" craft which will then take them ashore, 13 March 1942." THE BRITISH ARMY IN THE MIDDLE EAST 1942. © IWM (E 9226)IWM Non Commercial Licence "New Grant tanks being loaded from a ship onto a "Z" craft which will then take them ashore, 13 March 1942." THE BRITISH ARMY IN THE MIDDLE EAST 1942. © IWM (E 9222)IWM Non Commercial Licence The following photo does not show the Z Lighter, but provides a nice view of the floating crane used for offloading tanks: "A newly-arrived Sherman tank being loaded onto a 'Z' craft to be taken ashore at Port Tewfik, Egypt, 9 September 1942." THE BRITISH ARMY IN NORTH AFRICA 1942. © IWM (E 16603)IWM Non Commercial Licence "Valentine tanks being offloaded from ships onto 'Z' craft at Port Tewfik in the Port of Suez, 10 July 1942." THE BRITISH ARMY IN THE MIDDLE EAST 1940-43. © IWM (E 14135)IWM Non Commercial Licence "Bishop 25-pdr self-propelled gun of 8th Armoured Division driving off a 'Z' craft at Port Tewfik, Egypt, 10 July 1942." THE BRITISH ARMY IN NORTH AFRICA 1942. © IWM (E 14167)IWM Non Commercial Licence Nice constrasts in size: "Reinforcements arrive in the Middle East having been transported by the liner QUEEN ELIZABETH, 22 July 1942." THE BRITISH ARMY IN THE MIDDLE EAST 1942. © IWM (E 14706)IWM Non Commercial Licence "Men of the Durham Light Infantry board a 'Z' craft at an Egyptian port to be transported to a ship bound for Sicily, 12 July 1943." THE BRITISH ARMY IN NORTH AFRICA 1943. © IWM (E 25716)IWM Non Commercial Licence This has the same design as Z51: "A "Z" Craft beached on the Myebon Peninsula loaded with 25-pdr guns used to fire on the Japanese lines less than 6 miles away, 13-18 January 1945." THE BRITISH ARMY IN BURMA 1945. © IWM (SE 1395)IWM Non Commercial Licence Plus a number of interviews or private papers relating to Z Craft: Looker, Richard William 'Bill' (Oral history) (29078) Thomas, Brian Ewart (Oral history) (14884) Pocock, Herbert Edward (Oral history) (27296) Allan, George Wilfred (Oral history) (10432) Private Papers of Lieutenant R Davey (Documents.15633) Several offline photos (post-war ones not listed here): "RE-ENTRY INTO GREECE: ATHENS - A "Z" craft loaded woth British infantrymen of the K.R.R.C. waiting to leave the side of the cruiser HMS Black Prince" http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205230199 "FOOD FOR GREECE - The supplies are rapidly unloaded from the "Z" craft onto the dockside." http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205230217 "COLLECTION: BENNETT J H D (MRS) - Construction of Z Craft, Second World War" http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205002821 Additionally, a number of films related to Z Craft are listed, including a series of seven clips prefixed AYY 505/1/ which correspond to the Britsh Pathé film 594.09 mentioned by idler in the post linked above, shot in Port Said on 30 Jun 43: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/search?query=AYY+505/1&submit=&items_per_page=10 Michel
I found this photo which clearly shows how the lateral bulwarks could be lowered to facilitate loading/unloading from the sides. Ranks of the 2nd Battalion, King's Own, are disembarking from HMT Georgic onto a lighter prior to going ashore in Egypt 5 NOV 1947. Accession Number: KO0714/13, © copyright of Trustees of the King's Own Royal Regiment Museum. Kevin
Thanks for this photo Kevin. It shows that in contradiction to what I thought, the bulwarks could be folded inwards and not outwards. Michel
I had a request from darcydog for any more photos of Z craft. I have none but did find this photo on page 22 in the 31 May 1948 issue of LIFE Magazine. and a letter on pages 18 and 20 in the 21 June 1948 issue Hope that's of interest. Kevin
For completeness sake, here are a few more images I did run across : from Boats of the Royal Air Force Marine Branch 1918 - 1986 http://www.rafboats.co.uk/a12.jpg and from a website of The 488th Port Battalion Transportation Corps, 5th U.S. Army http://www.488thportbattalion.org/AlBetke1.gif http://www.488thportbattalion.org/AlBetke3.gif http://www.488thportbattalion.org/pic302_ZED_craft.jpg Kevin
I found a few more pictures of these while browsing the Australian War Memorial website. The images are not as crisp as they might be but I'm posting them as they weren't obvious in their collection - not to be found by just searching for Z craft or Z lighter. Port Tewfik, Egypt. 1943-01. Return of 9th Australian Division and Headquarters A.I.F.(M.E.) to Australia from the Middle East. Troops being ferried out to transports by Tank Landing Barge. Port Tewfik, Egypt. 1943-01. A barge load of troops of the 26th Australian Infantry Brigade approaching HMT NIEUW AMSTERDAM, anchored outside Port Tewfik, to embark for Australia. Port Tewfik, Egypt. 1943-01. Return of the 9th Australian Division and Headquarters A.I.F.(M.E.) to Australia from the Middle East. Two barge loads of troops alongside the troopship NIEUW AMSTERDAM on which they will embark for the voyage home. Kevin
Hi, I recently had dig around in my late Father's spare room. I think this may be of some interest. Z87 is in one of the photographs on this thread.
