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Messages - have gun

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World War Two / Re: help with royal marine ww2
« on: Wednesday 17 February 10 23:08 GMT (UK)  »
By the way Gig,

I dunno if you really want to find out about you Grandad's little misdemeanours, it was probably nowt too serious, but obvious to someone who knows Service Certificates. If you'd like to contact me at by e-mail, I could advise you on which lines to delete.

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World War Two / Re: help with royal marine ww2
« on: Wednesday 17 February 10 21:06 GMT (UK)  »
NP2400, in which my Dad and your Grandad served, was one of 5 MOLCABS formed, by those people at HMS Odyssey in Ilfracombe. They would then have trained together and been transported to the Far East. When the Japs surrendered, only Molcab1 and Molcab 2 were actually deployed. Once in Cochin, India, or Singapore, they became HMS LANDSWELL. Their purpose was to provide accommodation, security and technical facilities/support for Landing-Craft crews while they were operating away from their Parent Ship.(L.S.I's / Troopships) A MOLCAB consisted of 36 Officers and 374 other ranks, of which the vast majority were Royal Marines, under the command of a Royal Marine Officer. There were also Naval technical personnel, like Engine Room Artificers. I have found on a blogsite connected to Kranji War Memorial, in Singapore, mention of the grave of an Engine Room Artificer named B. JONES. He died whilst serving in HMS Landswell on 14th January 1946, at the age of 23.
As an ex Engine Room Artificer myself, I plan to visit his grave when I go to Singapore next month.
Though I can't yet be certain, the information I have and particularly the dates add up, so I am almost sure, they were transported to the Far East and possibly back again on board HMS RAJAH. Well worth looking up. My main source of information is the Royal Marines Museum at Eastney and their website.

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World War Two / Re: help with royal marine ww2
« on: Wednesday 17 February 10 20:41 GMT (UK)  »
HMS Odyssey was just an Administration base, a sort of Head Office. It was actually set up in a hotel in Ilfracombe, Devon. They formed and controlled a lot of NAVAL PARTIES. These Naval Parties were groups of specialists, Naval and Royal Marines personnel put together to perform a particular task in a particular area. As we reclaimed Ports in Europe and and farther afield, they were responsible for guarding these ports, mine clearance and running the ports, transporting stores and personnel to and from ships etc.
Naval Parties numbered in the 800's were based mainly in the Mediterranean.
   "          "            "          "   "    1500's  "       "         "        " Normandy and Northwest Europe
                                                  1600's                                 Northwest Europe
                                                  1700's                                Germany
                                                  2000's                                 India and the Far East
For example NP 1730 was named HMS Royal Albert and was a base for NP's in London and Berlin. T.B.C.

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World War Two / Re: help with royal marine ww2
« on: Thursday 11 February 10 20:00 GMT (UK)  »
STOP PRESS!

It turns out that HMS Odyssey was the Collingwood Hotel in Ilfracombe, Devon. (It's still there, Tel:01271-863621.) It was set up as an Admin Centre for various Naval Parties. So I doubt your Grandad and my Dad ever even saw it, let alone sail on it!
Perhaps the HMS Landswell was a Depot Ship? I've read it was at Cochin, in India and in Singapore.(most likely Sembawang?)
Get in touch and perhaps i'll tell you why you're broadcasting to the world that your Grandad was a naughty, naughty Boy!

Good luck with the research,
Will

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World War Two / Re: help with royal marine ww2
« on: Monday 08 February 10 19:29 GMT (UK)  »
I've just read the following from the Royal Marines Museum weblog. Naval Party 2400 which our relatives joined on the Odysey in November '44,later became " MOLCAB 1."  This was the Mobile Landing Craft Advance Base. It was formed in February 45, under Col. C.M. Sargeant to provide Shorebase facilities for minor landing craft flotillas and their maintenance units, operating away from their parent carrier ships.(LSI's) The blog says they sailed for Australia in February and served in Singapore, before returning to UK and being disbanded in Autumn '45. Though not sure, my best guess is that they sailed to Singapore in the Odyssey, then joined a shore base in Singapore. When the NP2400 returned in the autumn '45, they were retained. I believe my Dad was guarding Japaneze POW's at an Army Barracks in Changi, Singapore.

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World War Two / Re: help with royal marine ww2
« on: Sunday 07 February 10 16:06 GMT (UK)  »
Just started reading my late father's Service Certificates. Turns out he was a contemporary of your Grandad. My Dad was a Royal Marine:
Dad joined the ODYSSEY (n.p. 2400) from 13/11/'44 to 31/3/'45.
They joined the Landswell on April 1st '45 and my Dad stayed on till 6th April 46.

Dad joined up on 28/9/43, aged 17years 1 month. Trained at RM Lympstone, till March 44. Then spent 3 months in HMS Jackdaw, a Naval Air Station near St Andrews, Fife, before joining Odyssey.

After the Landswell, my Dad spent a couple of weeks on HMS High Flyer, Four Months on Ukassa. Repatriated 9/9/46 and was discharged from Chatham Dockyard in December 46.

If you find any information about the Landswell and where exactly she served in that period. My Dad talked of India, Ceylon (trincomalee) and Singapore. I'm off to Singapore mid-March and hope to find out as much as possible before then.

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