Royal Navy - WW2 - H.M.M.G.B. 657 (?)

[cathyaus]

Can someone please help with some research that I am doing for Ordinary Seaman Michael John Joseph Reed-Lethbridge P/JX 368196.

He died on 1 August, 1943 & is remembered on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial Panel 76. (which I have found a photo of).

Need some assistance with Royal Navy - H.M.M.G.B. 657 - can someone please explain is this the name of the vessel he was on & any idea what happened on 1 August, 1943 & was this an enemy attack on a boat or did Michael Reed-Lethbridge die of other causes ??

Thanks
Cathy

[Rudolf H B]

Hi Cathy,

it is the Motor Gun Boat 657,

I will try to find out more.

Regards
Rudolf

[KGarrad]

Some info here:
http://www.uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/17193.html

Mined off Rimini, 12th September 1944

[ShaunJ]

On operations off Sicily around that time

http://www.worldnavalships.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3420&page=4

"20th MGB Flotilla
MGB 657, MGB 658, MGB 659, MGB 660, MGB 662
14/7/43   MGB 659 and MGB 662 escort Ulster Monarch and Tetcott, with a special reconnaisance column embarked, into Augusta Harbour Sicily. MGB 659 runs aground 600 yds from an enemy held fort. Whilst stranded, MGB 659 claims a Fw190 aircraft shot down. MGB 659 is towed off by a destroyer on the following day.
26-27/7/43   MGB 657, MGB 658 and 659, bombard the railway station and sidings at Taormina, Sicily.
1943   Raids with French commandos in the Tyrrhenian Sea"

[DavidJP]

Hi Cathy,

As Rudolf has said above, the vessel in question is the HM Motor Gun Boat 657.

From what I can tell from piecing bits together is that MGB 657 was probably in the Mediterranean off Sicily & may have been involved in the the invasion of Sicily, which took place at the beginning of August 1943.

Incidentally the MGB 657 was sunk off Italy in the Adriatic Sea on 12th September 1944.

Hope this helps.

Kind regards

David

[ShaunJ]

Killed in action per this inscription http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=56704221&PIpi=24307841

[Rudolf H B]

Hi Cathy,

there is no known grave for him.

"Killed in Action - Buried at Sea - Aged 19 Years"

The Mediterranean Sea.


MGB 657, is a Motor Gun Boat, Fairmile D (MGB) type, 20th MGB Flotilla.

There are two books (658 is the sister boat):
- Reynolds, Leonard C. Motor Gunboat 658: The Small Boat War in the Mediterranean 1955/2002. ISBN 0-304-36183-6
- Reynolds, Leonard C. Dog Boats at War: Royal Navy D Class MTBs and MGBs, 1939-1945. 2000. ISBN 978-0-7509-1443-7

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairmile_D_motor_torpedo_boat
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_Gun_Boat

May be a helpful forum:
http://cfv.org.uk/forum/search.php?keywords=MGB+657&sid=d7d0cd46ee10eafade52e7b45f26c579

Rudolf

[cathyaus]

Thanks to everyone who replied 

I guess there was no major incident on that day that would be the cause of Ordinary Seaman Reed-Lethbridge's death.

Cathy

[GaryN]

Hi cathyaus,  You may not believe this, but my dad Richard Newton served on MGB 657 and was very badly wounded on the same night as Mr Reed-Lethbridge was killed, (if my memory serves me right 31/07/ - 01/08/1943). My dad thought they were had been attacked by German flack ships, but after some research I found out that it was German e-boats.  My Dad was taking ammunition to the 6 pounder gun when he was singled out by a German machine gunner, and that was the end of his time on 657.  He recovered and went on to serve on ML 919 in the European theatre.  I have quiet a bit of information on this if you would like to email me. ^(*)

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