Coastal Forces
Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2021 6:23 pm
Big day for small ships as new £1m Coastal Forces gallery opens
Small boats which were the scourge of Britain’s enemies from the Baltic to the Adriatic are celebrated with a £1m new exhibition from Saturday.
The Coastal Forces gallery in Gosport gives a home to two historic ‘Spitfires of the Seas’ – celebrates the men who crewed them and the women who helped repair them.
A mine warehouse at the former armaments depot in Priddy’s Hard has been turned into a large exhibition space for WW1 Coastal Motor Boat 331 and WW2 vintage Motor Torpedo Boat 71 with the remaining space used to tell the story of a force which was involved in some of the key naval actions of World War 2 in particular.
At its peak towards the end of the 1939-45 Coastal Forces operated around 2,000 boats, operated by 25,000 sailors who risked life and limb on a daily basis.
Crew members earned more than 3,000 decorations – including four Victoria Crosses – on more than 900 clandestine and overt missions, during which they sank over 500 enemy craft.
The price was high – one in 12 boats was lost in action. Crew were exposed to the elements and enemy fire, with little protection.
Able Seaman George Chandler is one of the dwindling band of brothers left from wartime Coastal Forces. He served extensively in the Channel and Adriatic in Motor Torpedo Boat 710, including providing protection for the D-Day landings, and was invited to see the new gallery.
See, which includes several photos - https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-l ... lery-opens
Small boats which were the scourge of Britain’s enemies from the Baltic to the Adriatic are celebrated with a £1m new exhibition from Saturday.
The Coastal Forces gallery in Gosport gives a home to two historic ‘Spitfires of the Seas’ – celebrates the men who crewed them and the women who helped repair them.
A mine warehouse at the former armaments depot in Priddy’s Hard has been turned into a large exhibition space for WW1 Coastal Motor Boat 331 and WW2 vintage Motor Torpedo Boat 71 with the remaining space used to tell the story of a force which was involved in some of the key naval actions of World War 2 in particular.
At its peak towards the end of the 1939-45 Coastal Forces operated around 2,000 boats, operated by 25,000 sailors who risked life and limb on a daily basis.
Crew members earned more than 3,000 decorations – including four Victoria Crosses – on more than 900 clandestine and overt missions, during which they sank over 500 enemy craft.
The price was high – one in 12 boats was lost in action. Crew were exposed to the elements and enemy fire, with little protection.
Able Seaman George Chandler is one of the dwindling band of brothers left from wartime Coastal Forces. He served extensively in the Channel and Adriatic in Motor Torpedo Boat 710, including providing protection for the D-Day landings, and was invited to see the new gallery.
See, which includes several photos - https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-l ... lery-opens