HMS Salsette deaths 25/4/43

Hi Simon,

Glad to hear that file might be useful to your research. It's only about 25 pages but is packed with information, including several long lists of names and appointments. I will upload it along with some other files on Coastal Forces/Combined Ops that might be of interest and send you a private message with a link (anyone else looking for the file is welcome to contact me for a copy too).

It comes from the National Archives of India, which is unearthing some amazing stuff every day at the moment. A search for your father's ship brought up a page from the RIN war diary showing its arrival at Bombay for example:



NAI also seems to have the full 1942 diary for 29 Brigade. I will have a search through for anything on SS Sobieski when I can get it - their website is having one of its intermittent bad spells at the moment and isn't loading documents. I already have copies of 29 Brigade's 1943-45 diaries from the UK archives as my relative joined them in 1943 and did combined ops training with your father's lot near Bombay; from memory of the diaries I can't recall any specific mention of Salsette etc. in that period though, or anything that would be very helpful to your research.

I think the Lt. Brown I'm trying to track down might be H.C.G. Brown of the BRNVR. He was awarded a DSC (Gazette of 10 July 1945) though I can't find the citation in the archives. I have a hand-written history of the Burma Navy by him, which unfortunately stops just before First Arakan. The only mention of him I'm working from is in an infantry Brigade HQ diary entry of 21 March 1943 which says “Lt BROWN RN OC ML 1100 reports having met refugees...” but it's enough to make me question whether Lieutenant Commander Campbell actually skippered ML1100 on the Mayu River as most books say.

Regarding the landing craft, loss lists at naval-history.net and thisismast.org have conflicting causes and dates. They agree on the fate/date of No. 17 but differ wildly on No. 16 and 23, so one (or both) of the websites has to be mistaken. Got a lot more digging to do on this...

Would absolutely appreciate your findings on the Mayu as you might well have seen something I've missed.

Anyway I'm getting sidetracked yet again! Uploading the files and sending you a message shortly.
Martin

 

Thank you for the info. Little odd as I have copy of the shipping card for SS Sobieski. She left Diego Saurez (Madagascar) 9th July and arrived Bombay 21st July. I know shiiping cards deliberately avoided giving too much detail regarding routes taken in case of capture, but no mention of S. Africa on shipping card. On 29th July she departed Bombay for Karachi (dont know why) returning to Bombay 2nd August. On the 9th Aug she set sail for the Cylde via S. Africa not to return to India.

Given your interest in the 29th Division you might be interested in the following which would seem to confirm the 29th was carried by the SS Sobieski when it joined convoy WS17 (Operation Ironclad) in late March 1942 sailing from the Cylde.

Roy Fallowfield (of the 29th Division) also wrote " Our troopship had been the Sobieski a Polish luxury liner. All evidence of luxury had been removed. Long tables with wooden benches had been screwed to the deck, metal rings bolted to the steel beamed ceiling held the rope of the hammocks that were to be our beds for the journey. By the time the Battalion embarked all ranks had become used to living on board ship.............................the only novelty was the Polish crew with whom the most friendly relations were soon established, and the Polish methods of cooking which at first seemed strange to the troops and to which they never got entirely used". It must be said that throughout the war there was a strict demarcation between officers and the ranks.

Regarding Alastair Campbell and TRM Cole the book FromTrombay ........ lists them as part of 59th Flotilla "B" Fairmiles Burma RNVR with Campbell as SO. Cole as CO ML414 and Lt Kin Maung Bo as CO ML418. No date given. However ML414 and 418 together with ML415 (Lt Khin Pe Gyi were detached from the 59th flotilla in Sep 1944 until April 1945 to form the ultra secret Bengal Auxillery Flotilla with Cdr Norman RN as SO. Probably insignificant but does seem to confirm Campbell and Cole survived the Mayu River incident.

Regarding the LC lost on the Mayu - so much of what is written and recorded is often contradictory as I am sure you have found, and when do you take a best but informed guess.? I have found my father as serving at three separate bases at the same time. 2 in India one in the UK and all recorded in the Official Navy List, and another officer still listed at Salsette long after he was killed at Elba (Beach Commando). I suppose they can be excused after all they were gallantly fighting a war and not helping me with my research!!

Regards
Simon