MNBDO1

Discussion in 'Commandos & Royal Marines' started by Sjb007, Jan 28, 2012.

  1. Sjb007

    Sjb007 Member

    Hi Mike

    Thank you for all your help, will scan his service records and post them here a bit later, but in the mean time with reference to Durban, I have checked the 5th photo I've attached (with Durban on the back and tent in background) and there is some more writing, some of which I can't decipher, but the bits I can make out are No. 117031 HM Forces, No. 2 Coy, 3rd SA Recce Btn, 1st SA Div. My father is not in this picture, so presumably it is some of the guys from this company/battalion/division, or could this be an address? I assume this is from ww2 as I have lots of pictures of my grandfather also from ww1, but I think he was in the Royal Engineers, so some of the pictures could be from his collection.

    Best wishes
    Sarah
     
  2. Mike L

    Mike L Very Senior Member

    Sarah,
    Re the South African Recce unit, it could be as simple as meeting a few blokes from that unit in Durban and he took a photo, recording the unit details on the back. Of course he could have met them somewhere else but Durban seems the best bet.
    Try starting a new thread with 'No. 2 Coy, 3rd SA Recce Btn, 1st SA Div' or similar in the title and post the photo with a scan of the back as well. Include all those terms in tags associated with the thread.
    There is a lot of interest in Recce and South African units here so you might get some interest. Also include the time frame, most likely April 1941.
    You might get to find out what 'No. 117031 HM Forces; means.

    Mike
     
  3. Sjb007

    Sjb007 Member

    Hi Mike

    Thanks again, will post details shortly and will also post the other two photos separately, might then be able to fill in some gaps if any members recognise them.

    Thanks again
    Sarah
     
  4. Hi Sarah, Just read your post about your Fathers Army service and I was interested to hear that your father was posted to Ceylon. I have recently found out my Father was posted to Ceylon around the same time. He was posted to the Islands of the Maldives to a secret operation called Port T on the island of Gan. They cleared the jungle to build an airport on the island and 20% of the troops were hospitalised due to rats, mosquitoes and bad diet. Troops were then transferred to Ceylon and stayed in hospital for a few weeks to recover. My father was one of these soldiers who was transferred to hospital. There is a book called "Port T to RAF Gan "by an author Peter Dorling which documents the occupation of the islands to control the Indian Ocean. The Islands had deep anchorage and was very strategic to the war effort.
     
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  5. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Hello David

    Sarah has not been on the forum for over 2 years send her a private message.

    regards
    Clive
     
  6. Richard Allen 1963

    Richard Allen 1963 New Member

    Some info on the Garrett barge evacuation from Crete. My grandfather Robert John Allen was one of the RM MNBDO1 members on board.

    Richard
     

    Attached Files:

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  7. Mal Davies

    Mal Davies New Member

    Hi Sarah. Would be interested in seeing your father's service record. My father served in MNBDO 1 as an electrician and I'm keen to find out exactly where he served. I'm unsure whether he was in 'S' searchlight unit or Landing & Maintenance unit. I know he sailed in convoy WS 6 to Durban on 'MV Rangitata', then to Port Said on 'MV Costa Rica'. As you say the regiment''s units seem to have been quite scattered, so any help would be greatly appreciated.
     
  8. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    hello Mal welcome to the forum
    Sarah has not been on the forum for a few years I have sent her a private message hopefully she will pick it up and reply

    regards
    Clive
     
  9. davegreen81

    davegreen81 Member

    This thread has been really useful as my Grandad was in 11th R.M Battalion, MNBDO1 and went overseas on 4.2.1941, disembarking in the Middle East on 20.4.1941.

    He was captured at Tobruk but I've been trying to work out where we might have been between disembarking and that op commencing. This thread has given me a few clues.

    I've attached picture that I can only assume is from Egypt or somewhere else in N.Africa around this time. His record suggets he was temporarialy on Guard Duties at HMS Stag (Egypt) before being transferred back to 11th RMB a few months prior to Operation Agreement at Tobruk.
     

    Attached Files:

  10. Rothy

    Rothy Well-Known Member

    davegreen81 - thanks for the details of your Grandad and the photo.

    Here is a summary of the movements of the 11th Battalion, R.M. from when arriving in Egypt until the launching of the Tobruk raid.

    Rothy

    23/04/1941 arrived at El Tahag
    21/05/1941 left El Tahag for Geneifa
    22/05/1941 Geneifa
    29/05/1941 Geneifa; M.G. Platoon at Kasfariat; half 'B' Company at R.A.F. Ismailia
    31/07/1941 Location statement:
    - Battalion H.Q. and H.Q. Company Camp 22, Geneifa
    - ‘A’ Company Camp 22, Geneifa
    - ‘B’ Company 2 Plns, R.A.F. Ismailia, 1 Pln, Camp 22, Geneifa
    - ‘C’ Company 2 Plns, R.A.F. Fayid, remainder M.E.S., Port Tewfik
    - M.G. Company 2 Plns, Camp 22, Geneifa, 1 Pln, R.A.F. Kasfariat.
    04/08/1941 A' Company relieved 'B' Company at Ismailia, 'B' Coy returned to Geneifa
    19/09/1941 Moascar; 'A' Company one pln at Ismailia, one at El Firdan; M.G. Platoon from Kasfariat to Shandur
    04/10/1941 A' Company pln at El Firdan moved to Moascar
    16/10/1941 Battalion complete at Moascar
    31/10/1941 Moascar, with detachments at Camp Geneifa (guard duties), Abu Zenima, Ras Ghemsa, Port Said (Navy House), and M.E.S. Port Tewfik.
    10/01/1942 moved from Moascar to Geneifa
    11/01/1942 Geneifa
    24/02/1942 Burg-el-Arab, near Alexandria
    06/03/1942 Burg-el-Arab; 'B' and 'C' Companies exercise in Cyprus
    08/03/1942 Burg-el-Arab
    12/03/1942 Burg-el-Arab; 'D' Company at Geneifa
    16/03/1942 Geneifa, less 'A', 'B' and 'C' Companies at Burg-el-Arab
    17/03/1942 Geneifa with 'B' and 'D' Companies; 'A' and 'C' Companies at Burg-el-Arab
    30/03/1942 Geneifa with 'D' Company; 'A', 'B' and 'C' Companies at Burg-el-Arab
    07/04/1942 Geneifa with 'B' and 'D' Companies; 'A' and 'C' Companies at Burg-el-Arab
    14/04/1942 Geneifa with 'D' Company; 'A and 'C' Companies at Burg-el-Arab; 'B Company raid on Kupho Nisi, near Crete (15/16th April)
    21/04/1942 Battalion left Geneifa
    22/04/1942 Haifa; less 'A' Company at Dekeila
    29/07/1942 Kabrit, 'A' Company rejoined
    04/08/1942 left Kabrit
    05/08/1942 Haifa
    11/09/1942 embarked at Haifa for Alexandria for the Tobruk raid
    13/09/1942 sailed from Alexandria for the Tobruk raid
     
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  11. Rothy

    Rothy Well-Known Member

    According to a Wikipedia entry:
    • HMS Stag (shore establishment) was the name used for the base for British naval personnel in Egypt. First established at Port Said, it commissioned 8 January 1940. There were outposts at Adabya, Kabrit, Ismailia, Generiffa, Port Tewfik and Haifa in Palestine. It was paid off in May 1949.
     
  12. Mal Davies

    Mal Davies New Member

    Thanks for that Clive. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
     

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