811 Flotilla

Hi,

I have been researching my Grandfather recently, who was a Royal Marine during the Second World War crewing Landing Craft. I have recently found out through Navy Command that he was assigned to 811 Flotilla between January 1944 and September 1944, for the most active part of his service, in between the usual training and holding bases of Copra, Northney and others.

I am trying to find out a little more about Flotilla 811, which as I understand it, would have been a group of around 12 landing craft assigned to a parent ship. I am trying to understand what type of landing craft this would have been, and what parent ship, or ships, he might have been attached to. I know that he was attached to 811 during D-Day, so it would also be good to know what beaches etc. he may have been deliverying troops or equepment to.

I have been unable to find out much about Flotilla so far, despite research on the Internet and a book specialising in landing craft and operations during WW2. My grandfathers records also do not show any more details other than this Flotilla for this part of his service.

If anyone would be able to provide any information, or any hints on where to find information on these topics - that would be wonderful - as I am at a bit of a dead end.

Thanks for any assistance you can provide,

Chris

Hi Chris,

Welcome to the CVA Website & Forums and thanks for your query.
To be honest, our knowledge of Landing Craft and Flotillas etc. is fairly sparse as during WWII not all Royal Marines were commandos - which is where our 'expertise' rests...
In fact there were no RM Commandos until 1942 and then only some of the Royal Marine Corps was converted to become commandos.

I have done a wee bit of digging and, so far, the best I can come up with is that 811 HMLCV(P) Flotilla was one of four LCV(P) flotillas - 810-814 inclusive - which made up 'C' Squadron of HMS Robertson, a holding base for RM landing craft personnel (guns crews) and minor landing craft base, at Sandwich in Kent.

LCV(P) = Landing Craft Vehicle (and Personnel).

Nick

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 11/10/2018 05:42:00

LCV and LCV(P), Landing Craft Vehicle (and Personnel) ? able to carry 36 troops or 3t vehicle

Landing craft vehicle LCV (10-11 tons)

No.579, lost at Inverary, W Scotland, December 13, 1942

No.584, sunk off Inellan, W Scotland, March 15, 1943

No.597, lost in Home Waters, September 12, 1942

No.719, cause and place unknown, June 1944

No.752, 754 (total 2), lost in "Fidelity", sunk N Atlantic, December 30, 1942

No.798, lost in Home Waters, September 25, 1942

No.801, broke adrift and holed, Portsmouth area, S England, October 18, 1944

No.802, lost in tow in Home Waters, August 2, 1945

No.814, lost in Home Waters, January 30, 1945

No.825, blew up during exercise off W Scotland. Date given as May 21st-22nd, 1943

No.894, lost on service with Royal Army Service Corps, CTC, Rothesay, Scotland. Date reported, February 1944

Landing craft vehicle (Personnel) LCV(P) (10.5-13.5 tons)

No.1016, 1029, 1031, 1033, 1044-1046, 1049,1054, 1056, 1062, 1065, 1084, 1088, 1093, 1098, 1101, 1102, 1104, 1106, 1111, 1114, 1117, 1120-1122, 1124, 1129, 1132, 1133, 1139, 1146, 1153, 1155, 1157, 1159, 1165, 1170-1172, 1184, 1188, 1201, 1204, 1211, 1216, 1218, 1242, 1245, 1246, 1248, 1249, 1251, 1255, 1260, 1262, 1264 (total 57), June, lost in Operation Neptune, Normandy Landings, N France. Date approximate, June 1944

No.1040, capsized off Newhaven, S England after engine room flooding, November 1, 1943

No.1066, lost during exercises, Richborough area, Kent, SE England, February 1944

No.1103, abandoned at Chichester, S England, November 20, 1944

No.1129, sank, Portsmouth area, S England, November 25, 1944

No.1167, lost, Channel Islands, English Channel, July 15, 1945

No.1191, cause and place unknown, January 1945

No.1228, lost in Home Waters, November 27, 1944

No.1288, lost in Home Waters, July 13, 1944

No.1358, lost by stranding, E Mediterranean, April 1945

Kevin.

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 11/10/2018 10:13:00

A couple of links which mention LCV (P) 811 flotilla in the content.

Combined Operations
https://combinedops.com/814%20HMLCV(P).htm

Royal Marines Museum on page 40
https://www.royalmarinesmuseum.co.uk/sites/default/files/Royal%20Marines%20%26%20Landing%20Craft.pdf

You may want to also make an enquiry of both the Royal Marines Museum above but also the Royal Navy Museum https://www.nmrn.org.uk/enquiries

Good luck.

Thanks for all this information Gents, very much appreciated. I will use these insights to dig a little deeper. Cheers, Chris