Messages posted by: griftur

I will certainly keep this Forum updated on what I find about Operation Hooker, Ferdy and the landings at Sapri :D

Griffin

Hi Nick

Thank you very much. I do have a small admission to make, and that is the Relaysystem website belongs to me.

Best Regards

Griffin

Hi Danny

Thank you very much for looking.

A re-enforced N1, a sub unit Nan RN Beach Commando possibly called 'Ringwood Party' definitely took part part in the Sapri landing but who they were trying to get ashore I just don't know.

The landing occurred just after the German's had left and before the lead elements of Eighth Army arrived.

In my opinion the Eighth Army advance to link up to the 5th Army is often portrayed as being slow and laboured but when you see that it involved three separate amphibious operations it appears a lot more dynamic. Especially as their original role was to engage the Germans in the far south and not as a relief force for the 5th Army landing at Salerno.

Best Regards

Griffin

Thank you Danny

Glad I didn't buy the codewords book!

I don't suppose that 1956 list has a codeword for a third landing made further north in support of the 8th Army on their way to support the 5th Army at Salerno.

The landing was at Sapri, it took place probably between 12th to 16th and may have been called Ringwood.

Best Regards

Griffin

Thank you Nick, for answering my question so quickly. :D

If anyone is interested there is a plan of Vibo Valentia Marina from 1943 online.

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/ams/italy_city_plans/txu-pclmaps-oclc-6499241-vibo_valentia_marina.jpg

There is however another query I have reference the Landing at Porto San Venere, it appears to have two code names.

Operation Hooker which I mentioned previously and Operation Ferdy which is designated to what appears to be the same operation in

Volume IX of History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, SICILY- SALERNO-ANZIO, January 1943 -June 1944 By Samuel Eliot Morison. p234/235

Have two operations been confused? Was there a naval codeword for the operation and an army codeword?

Or were the two beachheads considered separate operations? There is a reasonable distance between the two beachheads, in the region of 15km as can be seen from the attached map.

Dear All

I am trying to put together some details about Operation Hooker which took place in Southern Italy in 1943, Porto San Venere is one of the beachheads that had to be secured. The landing at Porto San Venere is also one of the Army Commando Battle Honours, 3 Army Commando or at least two re-enforced troops of, took part in the operation.
Unfortunately I have not been able to identify the exact location of Porto San Venere, I suspect the name is no longer in general use.

So my question is, where is Porto San Venere?

Hi Tom

I cross referenced the two documents and wrote a short summary, which is on http://www.relaysystem.co.uk/id8.html

Royal Naval Beach Commando Uncle

R.N.B.C. Uncle National Archives Record
The unit was formed in September 1943 at HMS Armadillo. It was reported they did not show up too well in initial training and subsequent exercises because of the bad influence of a number of General Service ratings.

The unit remained in Scotland at HMS Armadillo, Gailes Camp (HMS Dundonald I) at Inverary and HMS Brontosaurus at Castle Toward until July 1944 when they were moved to HMS Foliot in Devon.

There they were designated Naval Party 1516 in October 1944 and moved to HMS Mylodon in Lowestoft in November 1944, a base used for Landing Craft Training for RM Commandos and Combined Operations.

Designated Naval Party 4009 in December 1944 whilst still at HMS MYLODEN they then returned to HMS Armadillo on the 2nd of January 1945 prior to their embarkation for SEAC, South East Asia Command on the 5th, 7th of January 1945.

Arriving in Bombay on the 2nd of June 1945. They were in Cocanada (Kakinada today) in July 1945, returning to Bombay on the 10th of August 1945.

The Naval History records show the Naval party arriving in Madras on the 8th of September 1945 however the RN Beach Commando records indicate they took part in the Malaya Landings in September 1945. The Japanese in Malaya signed their surrender document on the 2nd of September 1945. The British then landed in Malaya on the 9th of September in the Port Swettenham area, as part of Operation Zipper. Able Seaman Alf Humberstone of 'U' RN Beach Commando recollects the landing in the book Beachhead Assault by David Lee, so at least part of the Commando was there possibly as part of the 46th Indian Beach Group.

In October 1945 they were in Singapore but returned to Bombay in November 1945 where they were disbanded on the 15th of December 1945.

Regards

Griffin

Dear all

Does anybody know of any reference to personnel from G2 and G3 sections of Royal Naval Beach Commando George, which was possibly still referred to as Naval Beach Party George working with 1 and 6 Army Commandos in North Africa?

It would only of been from late November to mid December 1942 after which most of the RN personnel of G2 and G3 returned to the UK, except for some of the officers who left in early January.

Around the 19th of November the two sub sections G2 and G3 of RNBC George moved off from Bougie for Bone in LCA and LCM. Making the trip in three night-passages, the first to Djidjelli, the second night to Philippeville and finally Bone on the last night.

They then apparently went inland and were at Souk Ahras in late November and were as far as Tabarka in Tunisia in early December but then returned to Bone in Algeria. The RN Commandos State Report for December 14th 1942 shows both G2 and G3 sub sections still on Operation Torch/ North Africa but the following week?s report on the 20th of December 1942 shows both sub sections back at Foliot III in Devon.

However the RN Commando State Reports also show Lt Redshaw (possibly a temporary Lt Commander at the time) the Beach Master of G2 and Lt Thomas Turton, the Assistant Beach Master of G2, had remained in theatre. During which time Lt Redshaw reported they served with numbers No1 and No6 Army Commandos for a short period spending Christmas day in the Hotel Transatlantique in Bone and returning to England and going alongside in Liverpool on the 13th of January 1943.

How is it possible to access the war diaries for these two units?

Also were No1 and No6 commando working as a brigade or independently during the period in question?

Griffin

Hi Sue

I thought I would send you some info on G Commando, G for George in the phonetic alphabet used by Combined Operations at the time.

RNBC G, Royal Naval Beach Commando George details copied from the National Archives; http://relaysystem.co.uk/G_RN_Commando.pdf

G Commando landed with Force 'V', at the Bark West, Sugar Beaches supporting the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade of the 1st Canadian Division.

Later during the invasion of Italy, G1 landed with 231st Malta brigade at Vebo Valencia, G2 and G3 landed with the Canadian 1st Div at Cape Spartivento on the south side of the toe of Italy, later elements landed at Termoli.

What you might find interesting is the reference to assisted in recovering prisoners in the Adriatic, as this was mainly done (as I recall) from local fishing boats and I think is referred to in both the books about the RN Commandos; the first was The Beachhead Commandos by a Cecil Hampshire, published by William Kimber & Co Ltd in 1983 and the more recent Beachhead Assault by David Lee, published By Greenhill Books in October 2004.

Also see links related to RNBC G at http://www.relaysystem.co.uk/id8.html

Best Regards

Griffin

Hi Tom

This appears in Naval History Net where there is a list of Naval Party numbers; http://www.naval-history.net/xBW-RNNavalParties.htm

4009 NAVAL BEACH COMMANDO U ex NP 1516 12.44/MYLODON 12.44/passage Bombay 01.45/ Bombay 02-06.45/ Cocanada 07.45/ *Bombay 10.08.45*/ Madras 08-09.45/ Singapore 10.45/Bombay 11.45/ disbanded 15.12.45

The Record for U 'Uncle' RN Beach Commando copied from that in the National Archives http://relaysystem.co.uk/U_RN_Commando.pdf

Best Regards

Griffin

P.S. Formerly NP1516 U Naval Beach Commando FOLIOT 10.44/MYLODON 11.44/Naval Party 4009 by 12.44