Hi, Although I have plenty of photographs and information on the ships listed below, I am amazed by what is available in the World Wide Web. If you can assist any replies will be looked at and if I can be of any help don't hesitate to ask. I have a few friends world wide who share the same interest as I do with these ships. My Late Father was on HMS Prins Albert and later in Special Services, Combined Operations and a Royal Navy Commando. All HMS Belgian Ships Prinses Josephine Charlotte Prins Albert Prinses Astrid Prince Baudouin Prince Charles Prince Leopold Princesse Marie Jose Prince Philippe. Two Dutch ships Prinses Beatrix Queen Emma Regards
Now thats a flash from the past..... if ever there was one. My landing ship Princess Astrid, bless her. All these ships carries small assault craft for the run in. I tried to paste an article about these craft and the casualty rate. But for some reason this site would not let me post it. If you like? send me your Email address and I will forward it to you
Does anyone have information on the merchant LSIs? Particularly any reports of those who trained on these ships and were landed by them. Empire Anvil 169768 Blue Star Line Empire Arquebus 169819 524 Donaldson Bros & Black Empire Battleaxe 169703 537 Cunard White Star Empire Broadsword 169737 Cunard White Star Empire Crossbow 169808 Peninsular and Oriental Empire Cutlass 169740 Canadian Pacific Empire Gauntlet 169807 552 Ellerman City Line Empire Halberd 169695 539 Furness Withy Empire Javelin 169774 551 Blue Star Line Empire Lance 169742 Canadian Pacific Empire Mace 169752 Anchor Line Empire Rapier 169757 Furness Withy Empire Spearhead 169773 Royal Mail Lines Clan Lamont 7,526 Clan Line Llangibby Castle 11,951 Union Castle Monowai (NZ) 10,852 Union Steamship Pampas 8,244 Royal Mail (Reserve) The packets were between 1,600 and 4,200 g.r.t. and were mostly capable of steaming at more than twenty knots. They were each equipped with six Landing Craft Assault (LCA) craft and most carried over four hundred troops. They were; Red Ensign ships Amsterdam 4,220 London North Eastern Railway Ben-my-Chree 2,586 Isle of Man Steam Packet Biarritz 2,388 Southern Railway Canterbury 2,910 Southern Railway Duke of Argyll 3,814 London Midland and Scottish Railway Isle of Guernsey 2,143 Southern Railway Isle of Thanet 2,701 Southern Railway Lady of Mann 3,104 Isle of Man Steam Packet Lairds Isle 1,783 Burns & Laird Maid of Orleans 2,386 Southern Railway Assault Flotilla 514 Meckleburg 2,907 Dutch Mail, Zeeland (Dutch Flag) Princess Margaret 2,552 London Midland and Scottish Railway Princess Maud 2,883 London Midland and Scottish Railway St Helier 1,952 Great Western Railway Victoria 1,641 Isle of Man Steam Packet Roy
Hi, I have been thinking about the WW2 Ships Logbooks. Were they kept, disposed of or hidden. I have contacted the National Records but no go. Same with the Royal Navy and the Maritime Museum. Any ideas? Regards
Roy I assume you have the basic details of the ships. On searching further, a random pick for the Maid of Orleans I found on this site http://www.kenthistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=11478.0: Captain Payne mustered the crew of the Maid in the saloon and gave a rousing eve of war speech, part of which went: "Our job is to deliver the troops and keep on delivering. Joan of Arc, the Maid of Orleans, liberated France - the Maid will help to do the same, by the grace of God." In the early hours of June 6th, 1944, the ship entered the swept channel and reached the appointed lowering place by 5.50 a.m. At 6.05 her six LCAs were hand -winched down to land men of 3, 4 and 45 Commando at Ouistreham on Sword beach. As the commandos leapt from the LCAs, with shells bursting around them, Brigadier Lord Lovat's kilted piper, Bill Millin, piped them ashore with 'Highland Laddie' and 'Road to the Isles'. Five surviving LCAs were re-embarked between 9.50 and 10.30 that morning, the ship having to manoeuvre to provide a lee and pour oil to windward to stem the breaking waves. At this critical juncture the Maid came under shell fire and had to change her position again before all were safely on board. The Maid of Orleans made several more trips to Normandy but was lost by mine on June 28th, 1944, (although other accounts state she was torpedoed by U988). http://www.kenthistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=11478.0 I have the feeling you have hours of research in front of you. Another suggestion would be to contact some of the members on this link http://ww2talk.com/forums/forum/136-back-to-normandy/
Hi all, One of the ship's I am researching is the HMS Prince Leopold. She was sunk by a U-boat just after D-Day and is now a popular dive wreck. According to the Royal Navy she is still on the Restricted List for information. Around the wreck are depth charges- I kid you not-and depth charge rails are still on the deck loaded. The RN stated that none of the type, LSI(S) ever had depth charges... ...Until I sent them a photograph of another ship, HMS Prinses Beatrix, which shows the non issued depth charges. Some of the ships had Sonar Operators on as crew, some just had the depth charges but no Sonar Operator but none of the ships had any Sonar equipment. The Royal Navy does not use Red Tape-its all rainbow coloured. Regards
Tricky Dicky, Thanks, sorry I haven't replied before. Yes I've ben researching those merchant LSIs for a couple of years, but could never get any text of the Master's speeches. Fred, As you are aware it doen't seem possible to access the US Ranger's story of landing at Pointe de Hoc on you site, sad because he might have landed from the Ben-My-Chree, as she was the only LSI there. Of course he could equally well come in with one of the many Landing Craft. Roy
Rickles23 HMS Prince Leopold - http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/ships/3300.html " " " crew - http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship3300.html U - 621 - http://www.uboat.net/boats/u621.htm
Thanks Tricky Dicky, I have not been to that web site for some time. A few more names for the Leopold's crew list. On the HMS Prins Albert I have seven (7) men positively identified from the crew photograph. Regards
Dear Roy I happened upon this thread when looking for links to the 524 LCA Flotilla that were shipped on Empire Arquebus. My father was landing RUR troops on Sword, but his best friend Bob Laverton was part of 524 Flotilla and I recently visited him and am in the process of handing some of his original charts and related materials to the D-Day Museum in Portsmouth. In that small collection there are some photos of the 524 watches taken in front of their craft on davits aboard the LSI. There is also a copy of the Daily Orders Book from 1st April to 10th July for the flotilla. Whilst this is not the crew of the LSI, it is directly related to the naval crews they were transporting. Attached is an article that was written about Bob's experience for a Somerset paper a few years ago. In one photo Bob is holding a painting of the LSI. Best Paddy
Paddy, That sounds most interesting, I have never seen a painting of the Empire Arquebus and would very much like a print; the only painting of the merchant LSIs I have seen is good, but sadly has them flying the White Ensign! I hope that Bob Laverton keeps copies of the other stuff, or passes them on to you. Best, Roy
I didn't see the print in question when I visited him, but it must be in his possession. Next time I'll take a photo of it! Paddy
The Lost Films of WWII on BBC4 tonight had a fantastic bit of amateur cine film shot by an officer aboard Queen Emma on D-Day. It was all over very quickly - I wonder where the original resides?
Haven't seen the BBC4 broadcast but by the sound of it, must be this: AND SO TO FRANCE - A NAVAL STORY OF THE INVASION [Main Title] Michel
