Copra 30th aprill 1944 to 29th oct 1945

Any information on HMS Hopetoun, 525 flotilla from, 01 jul 1944 to 14 sept 1944, part of my father service record history from 1940 , 101 rm b ,5TH rm b . 45 commando to 1945 EX3426 lawrence maloney ROYAL MARINES thanks

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 14/04/2013 15:06:50

Hi Maloney,
(Sorry I don't know your first name).

maloney wrote:part of my father service record history from 1940 , 101 rm b ,5TH rm b

You listed 101 Rm B and 5th RM B - I think it is probably 101 RM Brigade and 5th RM Battalion.
5th Battalion was part of 101 Brigade.

5th RM Battalion

Formed 2 April 1940 at Cowshot Camp (Brookwood) Hampshire, commanded by Lt.Col H. E. Reading. The Battalion was part of 101 RM Brigade. An advanced party went to Hayling Island in preparation for boat training, but the Battalion began to move to Tenby (South Wales) on 19 June. In August it embarked in the transport Karanja for the Dakar operations and sailed to Freetown. It returned to Scotland in late October, where it carried out exercises until June 1942. In February that year Lt.Col S. G. Cutler became CO and the Battalion moved to Ystrad (South Wales) on 8/9 June, and on 2 September Lt.Col K. Hunt took command. Some companies returned to Scotland for amphibious training in November/December. These companies and those in South Wales were assembled at Hursley (Hampshire) from 12 December 1942, moved to Ryde (Isle of Wight) in April 1943 and to Burley (Hampshire) on 29 May. Disbanded at Burley early in August 1943, the HQ and most of the personnel were re?formed as 45 RM Commando.

45 RM Commando/Commando RM

Formed during the first week of August 1943 from 5th RM Bn at Burley, Hampshire, with five Troops ('A' to 'E'), support Troop ('F') and HQ Troop ('H'), with 500 all ranks. After WWII, the Commando was reorganised in the UK, redesignated 45 Commando RM in Hong Kong about March 1946 and continues.

Landed 6 June 1944 in Normandy with 1 SS Bde; in Orne line; 19 August night infiltration with 1 SS Bde to Angerville.
Returned to Bexhill (Susses) after 83 days in France.
Returned to Europe and on 23 January 1945 in action at Montforterbeek; March to April in river crossings of the Rhine, Weser, Aller and Elbe; reached Neustadt on Baltic on 2 May; stationed in Germany until June 1945, when Commando returned to Sussex.

The commando was reorganised in the autumn of 1945 and retained in preparation for service in the Far East.

The Commando sailed for Hong Kong in January 1946; served on internal security duties in Hong Kong 1946/7. January 1947 Troops redesignated 'A', 'B', 'E', 'X' and 'Z' to come in line with other units in 3 Cdo Bde.

May 1947 to December 1948 based on Malta, deploying to: Benghazi (Libya) March 1948; Haifa (modern Israel) in spring 1948; July last 'Hostilities Onlies' left; August training in Tripoli; January 1949 to Canal Zone catching 40 thieves, many stealing telephone cables; June/July at Aqaba, at that time Jordan's only port. Sailed from Suez for Hong Kong in August to reinforce the Honk Kong garrison for nine months.

The commando arrived in Malaya from Hong Kong in June 1950 for jungle training; July at Tapah in Perak to resettle Chinese squatters and conduct antiterrorism patrols; August 1951 moved to Batu Gajah in Ipoh area, patrolling swamps; 31 March 1952 sailed for Malta.

HMS COPRA was a Royal Navy shore base for the maintenance of personnel records and the calculation of pay and allowances for RN personnel attached to Combined Operations. COPRA stands for Combined Operations Personnel Records & Accounts.

HMS Hopetoun was a Combined Operations Training Centre established at Port Edgar on the Firth of Forth during 1943, where British and Allied Navies carried out training for the D-Day landings.

The harbour served as landing craft and minesweeper base, and was commissioned October 25, 1943, and paid off February 28, 1946.

While HMS Hopetoun was at Port Edgar, HMS Lochinvar, which was the incumbent establishment, moved east to the harbour at Granton, from where it operated until HMS Hopetoun was paid off.

Hope this helps a little,
Nick

Hi the book:

The Royal Marines 1919-1980 by James Ladd is well worth tracking down it is probably the definitive history.

Published by Janes 1980

regards

John M

Thanks Nick
my father was called up for service in the ROYAL MARINES National Service Act 1939
13/02/1940 an to required present him self on Friday 23 February 1940 RMRD Lympstone Devon
and so he did and joined 5 R,M Brigade from Exton 2/4/40 on the 29/06/40 they embarked on princes Beatrise ? pem dock and arrived at s fort 09/07/40 on the 18/08/40 RD23/02/41? they left Plymouth on 18/08/41 arrived Liverpool they left from Liverpool 31/08/40 arrived in Freetown 14/09/40 left on the 06/10/40 and arrived Gibraltar 15/10/40 then to Glasgow 27/10/40
any information many thanks my name is also Lawrence Maloney

Hi John
thanks for info on James D Ladd . i now have a copy

thanks lawrence

Hi Lawrence

You mentioned

Freetown 14/09/40

, you may not have seen it, but there is another thread which mentions HMS Princess Beatrix sailing to FreeTown on this date.

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoForum/posts/list/3674.page#12882

Hello all
my father service form. part 11 order .RM No 739/43 . unit A2 , commenced as R M Commando .date 1/8/43 , on 17/09/43 to D.W Holding unit L O S? Form 45th Commando, 04/10/43 unit 45 commando to str,,,,to rm holding , 04/10/43 div holding unit to c.t c Dorlin QUEBEC 1944 ship seved in R.M,T,G / R.M.T.G. w. , HMS HOPETOUN. WESTCLIFF. ROBERSTON , NORTHNIG 111, CRICKET , FLOTILLAS 525 . 553. 446 . 1SEPT 44 ULSTER MONARCH 521 Flotilla , ribbon issued 39-45 star . Atlantic star , f and g star. defense star
any information is welcome Nick Thanks lawrence