545th Landing Craft Flotilla

[janetm]

My dad was a Boat officer in the 545th Landing Craft Flotilla, I have his service records but cannot find out what exactly the 545th did ! the only thing I have is Mobile Landing Craft Advanced Base (MOLCAB) III at Rhine crossing, 03.1945]) Any help please ......Oh he was on HMS Dragonfly

[mazi]

Is this him,  Alf

http://www.unithistories.com/officers/RM_officersG.html,

HMS dragonfly on Hayling island was the shore base for landing craft preparing for the crossing of the Rhine, march 1945,  known as operation Plunder,

As boat officer he would likely have been responsible for a small group of landing craft, which comprises a flotilla, maybe five to twenty depending on size.

Landing craft generally had only one officer on board, many,  like my cousin, saw volunteering for landing craft as a good way of getting promotion, and freedom from a lot of the navy red tape ,
so an experienced boat officer may have been invaluable in organising them.

I expect someone with much more knowledge than me will be along with further info, and correct my errors,

Mike

[janetm]

Yep that's my dad, I am finding all these military terms very confusing. I thought that actually getting Dad's records would be like reading a story................oops not like that is it !

[mazi]

It's not, is it, it tells you where he was posted, what training he undertook, but nothing about what he actually did.

Mobile landing craft covers a wide range of vehicles, by this late stage it is hard to see what it encompassed, but at its basic it was his job to see that his flotilla was in good working order, fully equipped and that his crews knew what they were to do and when, and finally that they were in the right place at the right time.

Mike

[mazi]

The landing craft were part of Royal Navy force U, three squadrons each comprising one flotilla of landing craft mechanised  and one of landing craft vehicle personnel, these were transported overland via Antwerp and nijmegen, hidden behind a smokescreen on the banks of the Rhine for seven days, to be used to ferry the first wave of troops across the Rhine. Quite a bit of organising needed there, 50 foot long boats carried overland.

In the event the American buffaloes, sort of floating tanks, were so successful the landing craft were not needed

Mike

[mazi]

I do to know if he went with them, it's just my thoughts that you would expect the flotillas boat officer would be, but I need expert help on this

Mike

[janetm]

I seem to remember him mentioning the Rhine, he was so proud to be a Royal Marine, but apart from funny stories during his training he didn't really talk about the war years.