LST 420

Discussion in 'The War at Sea' started by Chris Raymond Antcliffe, Nov 10, 2008.

  1. dee shacklock

    dee shacklock Member

    ok many thanks clive for the information I will have to write to them again explaining the situation and hopefully they might send me the info I would like to know... but I am proud to say that my self and my 3 daughters have and still are.. all been in Army or RAF uniform as some point over the past few years and i am looking forward to celebrating his life and remembering him this Sunday when I watch my youngest daughter march with pride in her uniform in memory of him and all that have fallen past present n future ..i will try to keep you up dated with my progress as to finding information out
    once again many thanks
     
  2. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    British vessels lost at sea in World War 2 - landing ships and craft, LSI, LST, LCT, LCG, LCV, LCVP etc
    No.420 (16/2/43), sunk by mine off Ostend, November 7, 1944

    British, RN warships lost 1944-1945
    November 7 - Landing ship tank (Class II) LST No.420 (2,750t, 16/2/43), sunk by mine off Ostend


    HM LST-420 - Wikipedia
    Loss
    On 7 November 1944, a small convoy of vessels comprising LST-200, LST-320, LST-367, LST-405 and LST-420 crossed the English Channel bound for Ostend, Belgium. The weather had been very poor for a week and a severe storm was rising. By mid-afternoon when they arrived off the Belgian coast conditions were terrible, and as a result they were refused permission to enter port at Ostend due to concerns that an accident in the harbourmouth might cause considerable disruption in the supply line for land forces. The convoy duly altered course back towards England planning to shelter overnight in the Thames Estuary before returning to Ostend on the following day.[7]
    At approximately 15:00, within sight of Ostend the bow section of LST-420 struck a powerful German mine which tore a large hole in the ship's hull causing it to break into two parts. The ship's galley fires were lit at the time due to the evening meal being prepared and gallons of petrol from the damaged fuel tanks of the vehicles caught fire enveloping the stern section of the ship in flame. LST-420 sank very rapidly and due to the heavy seas only larger vessels were able to attempt to rescue survivors in the water.[6]
    Of the ill-fated “BSRU” only 31 or 32 men were saved from life rafts.[7]
    The position of the wreck is recorded as 51°15.033′N 2°41.798′ECoordinates: 51°15.033′N 2°41.798′E.[8]

    Base Signals and Radar Unit (B.S.R.U.)

    TD

    Tank Landing Ship LST

    HMS LST 420 (LST 420) of the Royal Navy - British Tank landing ship of the LST (Mk 2) class - Allied Warships of WWII - uboat.net

    There is a family tree on Ancestry that includes him
     
  3. dee shacklock

    dee shacklock Member

    thank you so much where would I be able to find this information and is there any video footage if known as I would love to accutly see the boat or even him as I never meet him as he died before I was even born
     
  4. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Hi Dee

    Within the link Tank Landing Ship LST - there is another link that takes you to
    Tank Landing Ship LST
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    and it also states at the bottom of the initial link:
    There are no images of LST-420 available at NavSource

    so not sure where you read about the video link
    TD
     
  5. dee shacklock

    dee shacklock Member

    ok thanks it was a lead I was given about 5 yrs ago from someone else and have spent a good while searching for it but never managed to find one but thanks anyway for your help
     
  6. dee shacklock

    dee shacklock Member

    tricky dicky
    the family tree you mentioned do u know the name of the person as I seemed to remember starting mine on a family tree website and not sure if this could be mine
     
  7. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Laurence Henry Mace
    1909–1944
    BIRTH 1909 • Edmonton, Middlesex, England
    DEATH 7 NOV 1944 • London, England
    [​IMG]

    There are in fact 2 family trees that have his details

    one is Shacklock and the other is Askew

    TD
     
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  8. dee shacklock

    dee shacklock Member

    omg really thank you so much and I will check that out then when I get home from work as i know i have family out in canada on my grandads side so thank you
     
  9. Spitfires of the Sea

    Spitfires of the Sea Stephen Fisher

    I don't think this link has been posted on this thread before, but you may find it of interest. It's an interview with former crewmen of LSTs 420 and 430 and some brief reminiscences of the former's loss. There's also a picture of 420, apparently at Normandy, which I've attached below.
    http://australiansatwarfilmarchive.unsw.edu.au/archive/592-theo-arthurs
    Regards,
    Steve
    (Apologies if this has been linked to earlier in the thread and I've missed it!)
    [​IMG]
     
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  10. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    That looks like its been photoshopped if you look at the black square it is not correct it is too black for the rest of the photo and sits proud of the photo
     
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  11. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Hello Dee

    You just need to complete the relevant forms on the link below
    Apply for the records of someone who's deceased
    You can apply for a copy of someone else’s service records if any of the following apply:

    • you’re their immediate next of kin, for example their spouse or parent
    • you’ve got consent from their immediate next of kin
    • you have a general research interest - you’ll only have access to limited information, unless they died more than 25 years ago
    You need to know the person’s full name, date of birth and service number.

    Fill in 2 forms - a request form and a search form.

    Fill in a request form
    Download and fill in a request form for either:

    Fill in a search form
    Download and fill in the relevant search form, depending on whether the person was in the:

    Post your forms
    Send both forms, with the fee of £30 for each separate application, and any supporting documents (for example a death certificate) to the address on the search form.

    There’s no fee if you were the person’s spouse or civil partner at the time of their death (or their parent, if there was no spouse).

    You can pay by cheque or postal order - or by banker’s draft or international money order if you’re overseas.
    Get a copy of military service records


    regards
    Clive
     
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  12. Great link and picture Steve. This photo is new to me, and I don't think it (or the link) has been posted before.

    It was indeed shot after D Day, most probably on one of the Normandy beaches, because the hull number is within the large Green square indicating an LST of Naval Force "S", which was the case for LST 420.

    I do not think the picture was tampered with, because few people are aware of these markings. The apparent excessive constrast is more likely caused by the relatively poor quality of the print/scan.

    Michel
     
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  13. Spitfires of the Sea

    Spitfires of the Sea Stephen Fisher

    I gave the photo a scrutinous squint when I first saw it, but I think on the balance of probabilities it's legit. As Michel points out, LST 420 was in Force S, who carried a 10 ft green square with the pennant number in white for the landings. I agree it's almost certainly post D-Day, and thinking about it 420 probably had very little time to beach anywhere else between the Overlord build up and her loss. The clothing suggests it's the Normandy beaches during the summer months.

    The square is dark, but retains the low resolution characteristic of the rest of the photo, and is no darker than some of the clothing or the hold. The green squares on LSTs are often very dark in wartime photos - see for example LST 365, in particular the image below.

    Cheers,
    Steve

    [​IMG]
     
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  14. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    I have my doubts - if the square and number 420 are 'that clear' I would have expected the Red Cross sign on the ambulance to stand out more as well, especially as they are red on white. Also the blurring around the figures in the foreground is unsettling

    My expectations are that with all our D Day experts on here there would have been some trace of a photo somewhere before - but then what do I know

    TD
     
  15. Hattie bayliss

    Hattie bayliss New Member

    I don’t suppose you know if Norman Walter Bayliss was on board? He was in the medical corps and survived a similar event around the same time, I’m trying to track down the ship! If anyone knows anything that would be amazing.
     
  16. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Hello Hattie
    have you applied for his service records Get a copy of military service records


    regards
    Clive
     
  17. John Hodgkinson

    John Hodgkinson New Member

    A general question: are any remembrance events planned for LST-420?
     
  18. Bill Gill

    Bill Gill Junior Member

    3pm. 75years ago LST420 was lost off Ostend. My thoughts are with my father William Percy Gill and all the other service people who died that day.
     
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  19. bigmull

    bigmull Member

    I am trying to find out Information on the RN losses( i have a full list of them).Given that she had a complement of 117 and 55 were lost can i assume that there were 62 survivours of the RN Crew?Possibly could she have been "Short Handed" due to the amount of Personel and equipment aboard her?
     
  20. Gary Helyer

    Gary Helyer Member

    Hi bigmull a Navy mate and I are working on that, that is our theory but as yet unproven as the Navy did not keep crew lists yet would need to change watches.
    The RAF would have known their number and they state that around 30 survived, However most of the Army from 111 Gen Hospital and 335 HQ Coy CMP died so I was shocked to receive an email from my Navy friend written by Sgt Bayliss RAMC about that night.
    If we find more we can update
    Cheers
     

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