Folkestone Harbour - A railway model Adventure

Wow what incredible work from everyone!!! Im currently researching a bunker on road or remembrance Folkestone which I hope to open as a museum of Folkestone’s wartime history. The information you’ve all provided is incredible!!

The bunker was originally constructed as a hardened telephone exchange but was later described as “combined operation’s” . Its no more then 30m from the former Royal Pavilion Hotel. It was run by WRENS and ATS staff!!

It undoubtedly was responsible for all communications in and out of HMS Allenby. I’d love to know if anyone has any specific information on it

 

ROR Bunker,

Welcome. The two main members who added information are Commander Chuff, last logged in February 2026 (lives in Warwick) and DannyM, last here two weeks ago.

I will send them a Private Message (PM) alerting them to your post, asking them to return and help. A reply depends on the email address given when registering is still valid and they are motivated to help.

PM explanation

If you hover over the name of the member in their avatar it will show a new text box and within is the date of their last logged visit. Some members "flag" their interest in a thread, which means they get a system alert. Once you have posted five times - a measure to stop spam - you can send a private message (PM) to members using 'Start a private conversation' accessed via your avatar. Such messages depend on their email given at registration is still valid. You can receive and reply to a PM already.

You find it useful to search the site via the very simple option (top right) to identify other threads. I have a vague recollection your "bunker" has appeared here before, or on the SubBrit website.

 

I was there at the beginning of the month.

 

Ah brilliant, shame the Road Of Remembrance is closed or you could of walked up and see the historic features

 

I can confirm there was no embarkation of invasion personnel at Folkestone, which was effectively too close to France and potentially observable. The hards there were part of the raft of hards built along the south coast in 1942 (only half of which were actually used for D-Day or the build-up). Here's the red list and green list entries for 4 and 5 June respectively. As Danny has shown, other vessels will have come and gone, these are the ones based here from the landing craft and coastal forces lists.

 

The MMSs that Michel mentions could well include 143 MMS Flotilla who were under Plymouth Command but had been despatched to Dover. They were part of Force S and would be doing part of the sweeping on the eastern channels to the beaches. Curiously enough, one of the boats from this flotilla, MMS 251 still survives, just. Here's me doing a quick survey in the Falkland Islands.

 

ROR Bunker,

Well done for raising the prospect of a new museum, and would be happy to support when appropriate.

Folkestone Harbour: A Summary of Military Activity.

Folkestone Build Up to D-Day:
Jan 1942: Royal Naval Patrol Service: Local Air Sea-Rescue Service was provided at Folkestone by fast patrol boat BLUEBIRD commanded by Ty/Sub Lt J D Caldwell RNVR. (Don Kindell, Admiralty Reports Dover Command RN Ships, Naval-history.net). The term fast patrol boat is very misleading as I believe that this vessel was HMS Chico, the second Bluebell boat of Sir Malcolm Campbell, and it was only capable of cruising at 11 knots. It appears that she was mainly employed on servicing the rescue floats anchored in the Channel.

1942:
Director of Movements November 1942: Plan to bring the harbour back into operation.
Folkestone would be used in the Follow Up and Maintenance stage of “Round Up”. Four personnel ships per day.

HMS Allenby - Landing Craft Base
May 1943: Combined Operations base was commissioned as HMS Allenby on 14/3/43 and paid off on 10/4/45. Some records show that the base was in existence as early as 1/12/42. Possibly called Bluebird III before 12/42. If so reverted to Bluebird III 11/45. The Royal Pavilion Hotel provided accommodation for the RN unit and stores. (Combined Operations forum).
September 1943
Principle Functions : Landing Craft Base
Accommodation for 48 L.C.P.s and 6 N.A.T.s.
Accommodation for Officers and Men, Royal Pavilion Hotel.
WRNS Quarters, 44 Bouverie Road
Officers and Men, Princes Mansions Hotel
Accounts kept by HMS Lynx

Construction Works
Landing Craft base: consisting of x1 LST and x3 LCT Hards (NT 1).
Hard “NT 1” Folkestone Completed January 1944.
11/1/44 Railway Pier - 3 LCT - First entry for this hard.
25/1/44 3 LCT + 1 LST. No fuel or water laid on at this date.

HMS Allenby Base Flotilla
Unit Allocated to HMS Allenby, Unit Equipment 12 Minor Landing Craft (6 LCA & 6 LCV):
LCP (r) 713 and 975, of 454 Ancillary Flotilla HMS Robertson (Richborough).
MFV 1052 or 3; On Passage 4th June 1944 - Folkestone (RNO)
Local Air Sea Rescue Service: Motor Boat – Allenby 25 L (25 is HMS Lynx -
Dover, L is Manned by R.N.P.S.) – renamed Bluebell III.
Mine Sweepers, 143rd Squadron, part of Force S during D-Day, Dover, x10 vessels.

Anthony Holtham - BMPT Forum
LROY not known. BLUEBIRD III was Ex-ALLENBY Ex-BLUEBIRD III Ex-BLUEBIRD. Previous owner G Ragless. Classed as a motor boat by the MOWT. Was requisitioned by the MOWT under the R(T98B) net charter parties agreement on the 26.8.41 for £5, employed in miscellaneous naval duties. Continued until the 3.6.42 was she was compulsory acquired by the MOWT. Kept doing these duties until March 1944. She was then re-allocated to other miscellaneous naval duties until June 1945. From June 1945 until November 1945 was employed on other naval duties until being laid up. IMPORTANT. The vessel called ALLENBY was requisitioned and became BLUEBIRD III, the naval establishment was named after the vessel, not the other way around.

Mulberry Harbour tugs: sections of the Mulberries were parked at Dungeness, and Seymour Castle (now Devon Belle) was used as a tug to move components around the Folkestone area (from ADLS). Built by Ferris & Blank, Old Mill Creek, Dartmouth, in 1938, she is 60 feet long and 37 tons.
Devon Belle Harbour launch - Ferry service for leave troops, mail ships, and landing of unusual loads from LCT’s (captured German equipment and salvaged aircraft).

Operation Quicksilver III
21st March 1944 Recce for launch areas Folkestone
“Launching possible from behind Pier (673537) and also from beach in front of esplanade (673543 - 678545)”
6/6/44 - One harbour launch from Det 626 Motor Boat Coy Ramsgate report to 10 WORCS Dover. Launch will be attached to 632 Water Tpt Coy on arrival.
“Bigbobs MK II and Mk V will be launched and maintained in accordance with the phased program at Appendix “A”.

Operation Quicksilver III - Big Bobs “B” Coy 10 WORCS at Folkestone
Bigbobs to be launched at Folkestone. 18 Bigbobs in total expected there. 19/5/44

War Diary - 10th Bn Worcestershire Regt 1944
1st May Delivery of devices begin at Dover and Folkestone.
27th May Operations begin at Folkestone
11th June. Construction of devices finishes at Dover and Folkestone ( D – 42, F – 17)
13th June. 00.40 to 05.50 hrs Shelling, mainly of Folkestone. Several rounds in harbour close to devices. No cas in personnel
Between the 29/5/44 and 31/7/44 there were between one and four Landing Craft Personnel (Ramped) from the 454th Ancillary Flotilla, based at HMS Robertson, at Folkestone to help with the Bigbobs.

Folkestone - Lists of Ships
Available 16th to 31st May 1944
ALLENBY (Bluebell III)
GADGDEN
FORMOST 22
MFV MILLICENT D. LEACH
MFV 464
SEYMOUR CASTLE (Devon Belle)

Folkestone on D-Day:
Operation Glimmer – x12 HMDL’s formed part of the decoy operation and sailed out towards the French coast flying balloons, and fitted with loudspeakers, to represent a fleet of larger ships.
Follow up Force L – on evening of D-Day a WREN was in the harbour and watched troops loading into LCI’s.

David