Messages posted by: kewdos

jostevens wrote:I am the grand daughter of Stanley Stevens who was a Royal Marine Commando and part of the group know as the 'Cockleshell heroes' in World War 2.
He talked very little about any aspect of the War and gave away all items from that time.
My family has tape recordings from the only interview that we could persuade him to do (with the Imperial War Museum) and a few books namely 'The Secret Navies' and SBS but would be extremely grateful for any information regarding my grandfather.

Hi I can give you some information on William Stanley Stevens: quite a lot actually.

i dont wish to share via site for moment.
suggestions on contacting ? think you can do a private message but unsure how to.........
rsvp

steve/hebbs wrote:my grandfather walter hebbs served in RME 395 detachment MNBDO and was awarded the distinguished conduct medal according to his demob papers he served from 1939 -45 was wondering if anyone has any information as its very thin on the ground at the moment
info we do have is INDIA ,BURMA possibly MALAYA
would love to know what medals he would have earned and if anyone can find out how he came to earn the distinguished conduct medal
kind regards
steve

STEVE

Do you mean 385 detachment? if so can assist
Q

I shall be leased to report on the memorial dedication event for you and supply some pics... as said I have been asked to produce the memorial booklet.. high on photos short on text... all info taken from my book anyway...

If I can be of any help let me know...

There is an awful lot about ww2 canoes and the frankton raid that has not been known about before... its about time this was addressed. The HEROES book is all about PEOPLE and what they did esp. he 13 men that were chosen for the raid... you get to know them at last.

Photos... Should I forget remind me c.end April

regards to all :)

John M wrote:Hello Q

Nice to have a man such as you aboard the forums.

Your book is fantastic and I can recommend it to anyone who wants to further their knowledge of these specialist vessels.

Congrats on your publication.

Best regards
John m

Hi John.. Thanks for the accolade... glad you liked it... 8 years research and a constant winter full time writing it...! out of interest did you hear about it from the Navy news review in may 09 or somewhere else?

The mk 2's is the important bit as it clears up all the (small amount of ) rubbish previously written.

next book being written as we speak!

Q

Q

Bill Best wrote:Here are some photos. He is at the back on the top two photos and in the middle right and bottom left. The top photos were taken at a place called Teknaf and the middle left before a trip down the Ganga

Hi

ref your search..... some of the information you need can be found in 'The Cockleshell Canoes' which is brimming with info of where he was etc and what they got up to... Some of the photos seem very familiar and likely to have been taken at Hammenheil camp.. ( also in book). Also something can be understood when you loke at the canoes used in one of the other photos which are the Mk 1** canoes. small details like this will add to your knowledge pay attention to the Bibliography as this will assist. To get to know about Lt Best himself is going to be a much harder task but may be made easier by the threads found elsewhere. I know of a number of other groups inc sbs in the area and at the same camp.. THEY did NOT talk much to each other, indeed friends often did not know they were stationed in the same place! if require further help email me.. PS i am the author of book.

Are you sure he was in the SBS at the time rather than in another detachment?
even the smallest of detail can reveal a thread to take you on to the next thread.
you may also find inaccuracies within publications or elsewhere.. Anything written by those that were there tend to be spot on.. but they only deal with the immediate knowledge which may not cover what you are after..

its a bit like saying all canoes are folbots .. the name is given by people who dont know the history ..

Q

Hi

just a side note as this falls into my field of expertise and the more people know about the gent the better esp as he was put up for an MBE but never received same.

REF the post...
The moments of C Troop?s capsized boat and the men in the water were filmed by official Army and RAF film units. The film was never edited, nor was there any ?talk?-over?. The film covers the loading of the Goatleys aboard an LCT (Landing Craft Tank) at St Ives, the sea passage to the Brandys, the dramatic run-in of the Goatleys, the capsized boat and the struggling men in the water, the rocky landings, climbing up the cliff, the haulage of a medium machine gun and a three inch mortar, the tactical movement of the troops to the objective and the final assault and demolition of the objective.

The 'Goatleys' referred to are boats designed by a Fred Goatley from the I.O.W. He also designed ( not Haslers design) two similar collapsible canoes the first of which was the Mk 2 which was used on the Frankton Raid.

The full story of his history ( and that of the canoes designed and how the 'cockleshell heroes got the name is down to Goatley and is comprehensively covered for the first time in the book 'The Cockleshell Canoes' by Quentin Rees ISBN 9781848680654 . The book was first published in dec 08 and has just had the second reprint in June 09 such was its popularity..... no doubt due to the fact it covers a whole section of British Military Maritime history previously unknown.

Goatley was the man who through his designs saved many lives.

hope this goes some way to add to your knowledge

kewdos

Note these reviews just in...

This from Prof. Eric Grove - Review in Navy News May 2009.

' this volume really is one of the most original, interesting and informative to have appeared recently'

'an excellent and ground breaking work', 'described in great detail'.

From 'The Croaker' April 2009 issue by M.J.A.

'Clarity of delivery'.

'Rees writes well and his narrative flows'

'a stimulating and revealing tract'

'fascinating and detailed accounts'

Globe and Laurel - March - April 2009 issue by G.A.D

'remarkable book',
' this great and important military and maritime story - which he tells very well',
'good looking and man sized book' with 'stunning photographs'

ON LINE VIEW of article in Navy NEWS...

http://content.yudu.com/A178mx/navynewsmay09/resources/index.htm?referrerUrl=http://www.navynews.co.uk/

kewdos wrote:

NIC wrote:Okay guys that's a good list there thanks.
what I'll do is compile a list from your lists and post it as a Sticky so everyone can use it as a reference.
Cheers,
Nick

MAY i suggest one more..?

The Cockleshell Canoes isbn no 978184868

Its just had a review in The Croaker ie the globe and laurel.. others are about to appear in the navy news and soldier mag...

had other reviews in various local papers .. one coming in The
Independent.

is a gripping tale..97% of info never been written about, hell, its not been known of since WW2. 140+ vintage and rare pics many never published b4.

hope helps.. its 320 pages and 19.99 or less on amazon

Hi Ref the book mentioned... 'The Cockleshell Canoes'

There have been numerous newspaper articles etc and even a review in The Southern Evening Echo BUT.. these are the most important reviews from Navy News, Globe and Laurel and 'The Croaker'....

This from Prof. Eric Grove - Review in Navy News May 2009.

' this volume really is one of the most original, interesting and informative to have appeared recently'

'an excellent and ground breaking work', 'described in great detail'.

From 'The Croaker' April 2009 issue by M.J.A.

'Clarity of delivery'.

'Rees writes well and his narrative flows'

'a stimulating and revealing tract'

'fascinating and detailed accounts'

Globe and Laurel - March - April 2009 issue by G.A.D

'remarkable book',
' this great and important military and maritime story - which he tells very well',
'good looking and man sized book' with 'stunning photographs'

The full blurb can be found from the articles EG Navy News on line PAGE 44 .. link http://content.yudu.com/A178mx/navynewsmay09/resources/index.htm?referrerUrl=http://www.navynews.co.uk/

TTTThats all floks

NIC wrote:Okay guys that's a good list there thanks.
what I'll do is compile a list from your lists and post it as a Sticky so everyone can use it as a reference.
Cheers,
Nick

MAY i suggest one more..?

The Cockleshell Canoes isbn no 978184868

Its just had a review in The Croaker ie the globe and laurel.. others are about to appear in the navy news and soldier mag...

had other reviews in various local papers .. one coming in The
Independent.

is a gripping tale..97% of info never been written about, hell, its not been known of since WW2. 140+ vintage and rare pics many never published b4.

hope helps.. its 320 pages and 19.99 or less on amazon

Hi

Ref your mention of 'MSC' or Sleeping Beauties' ...(which covers the second mission with the sleeping beauties in more detail )....

If you want to know the best story and information to date on the 'Sleeping Beauty' - that is to say what, when, how etc - the best unrivalled account is within
'The Cockleshell Canoes' published by Amberley at £9.99

The information is within the chapter 'The canoe that was made to sink' and another chapter entitled 'The Talented Few' gives you all the information about the designer of the MSC.
Faultless and new historical information to boot!

Hi

I only wonder how the 'evidence ' put in the tiger book was obtained... there is so very much inaccurate you do have to wonder.

agree about men etc

What I have issue with (no with you) is certain aspects re who what when about the SB and Lyons.

other issues such that Hasler thought the SB was a death trap need more evidence than because someone wrote it.

There is no evidence to that point in fact the contrary.

In short once you realise how what about the SB story you co relate that with what you knew before and see that someone is wrong. As mine can be evidenced ...........

Maybe i am a purist...
Q

REf your...

Regarding the "sleeping beauties " i think we are talking semantics here when i said Lyons got SoE to produce i did not mean Design ....he saw the first one on trials and with the help of a SOE liaison officer got them put them into production for Operation Rimau using an obscure naval budget

There was great debate over whether the secret weapon should be put anywhere near the enemy ..but Lyons said what is the point of having them then and with his prior success with operation Jaywick they eventually agreed .

[b]I am now a little confused over the type of canoe if the research of the original poster has proven they were not Folboats . The Australian Wartime: which is the official magazine of the Australian War Memorial 23 (2003): 53 states again as does The Book "the tiger returns" they were Folboats.

Its important BECAUSE its history that has been hidden until now and history has to be accurate otherwise you have people saying certain things that spread disinformation unknowingly.

Just because you read something in a book does not mean its accurate and a point of case is what you have written.

REF your

he saw the first one on trials and with the help of a SOE liaison officer got them put them into production for Operation Rimau using an obscure naval budget

First you have to establish WHEN he first saw the 'first one on trials' then you have a date, then you find out where he actually was to show that he was not there anyway. then that dispels what you believe to be true.
No liaison officer got them put into production for Op Rimau specifically. and NOT using a obscure naval budget.

There was great debate over whether the secret weapon should be put anywhere near the enemy ..but Lyons said what is the point of having them then and with his prior success with operation Jaywick they eventually agreed .

Ref this part it just doesn't hold up ..There was great debate over whether the secret weapon should be put anywhere near the enemy...

Its too time consuming to go over everything just to show that what you have read doesnt stand up.

Get 'The Cockleshell Canoes' book and read it , not only will it explain about the foldbots but also about the SB's.
Then you will see that other publications that say certain things are inaccurate and that the research has been far too light.

To explain to you about the foldboats and the sb here would entail copying the book out... and i didnt spend all those years getting it right to then spend more time explaining it again.

The book contains c. 95% NEW information its 320 pages and 137 photos most of which have not been published before. VERY little has previously been written about the canoe/story about 50% of which is wrong.

You will learn so much and realise so many new bits of crucial info that you will then wonder how others got it so wrong.... I would answer 'because the story required far too much energy and research, they just didnt want to spend the time and trouble getting it right..

Please the account about the SB is the fullest to date and answers all the questions and then some that you could ask. ITS ALL EVIDENCED.

YOU can go and view documents etc and check that I am correct. THATS the joy of it. AND it saves you eight years of you life and a lot of grey cells working it out.

read about the folboats etc you will then see that certain craft were produced at certain times therefore it narrows it down to a certain type.

etc etc.etc etc.

Just because the official magazine of the Australian War Memorial states something it doesnt mean its correct.
I have had reviews in newspapers and other places that have got facts wrong about what they have read from my book... its called human error.
I call it lack of attention to detail.

You only have to look at some of the stuff on the web to see how crappy some people are at just reporting so I am unsurprised to find that the official magazine are saying certain things..

In this case its just you interpretation of what you are reading that is not correct - if you read my book it will become clear. HONEST.

They dont KNOW what a foldboat is........ have they definitive photos or drawings with records showing which canoes they used? NO so they hear a word and use that.

Are they talking about Mk 3's? these could be faintly confused as foldboats?

Maybe the mk 2's?

I know that they cannot be either of these craft... find out why..read my book.

Got to go - have to live my life.

To quote from a recent review of the book...

'The Cockleshell Canoes by Quentin Rees, price £19 99, is published by Amberley Publishing Plc. At first glance it might seem heavy going in places but for anyone interested in the finer detail of war it is well worth reading'.

:)
Q

Sadly there are a number of special forces who were beheaded.

Thats a subject for my next book

Q

Hi

The 'folbots', 'foldboats' etc is a little difficult to understand due to the fact that it has not been documented until now. (My book).

It would be easier if you acquired the book as its the whole 9 yards as the say.

British special forces would have trained on British canoe avail at that time.

Given the time its likely that a certain mk of canoe was supplied but there is only evidence of canoes of a collapsible nature, and it could have only been one of two types and once you know a little about both this can be narrowed down to a specific mark BUT we have no definitive answer only a very high likelihood.

All can be made clear from reading the book. Other types were also sent out to Aust etc once they came on stream.

I dont deal with the raid apart from mention same to do with types used.

I do have the sleeping beauties covered in the book ... to date its the best and fullest history of this craft.

Lyons did not get the SOE to produce the SB but you will see this in the book.

Hope helps - trying to encourage the reading of book...

latest review (one of many good ones).. link..enc.

http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/columnists/heroes-small-boats/article-707302-detail/article.html

cut and paste on browser

Q

Hi
Reference the post from Steve Silvester.

After EIGHT years of research I cannot let the wrong information be written. If this is what was written in the book steve read THE BOOK IS WRONG !

I know that the canoes used WERE NOT American canoes.

There is a lot of misinformation about BRITISH MILITARY Canoes in WW2 in some books. If you want to know the correct information about all the WW2 canoes used by the military you need to read 'The Cockleshell Canoes'
The detail and information within will amaze you the ISBN no is 9781848680654.
Reading it will save you from making the same mistakes as in some other publications.

I hope that one day everyone will know of the new information contain in my book.