Jump to content
Free downloads from TNA ×
The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Did Your Ancestor's Take Part in the Zeebrugge & Ostend Raids


Paul D Kendall

Recommended Posts

Paul, I have 2 men from Fiji who took part in the raids. This is what I know of them. Any extra information would be welcome, particularly to confirm McCracken's medals.

Chief Motor Mechanic Eric William McCracken

Motor Patrol Service RNVR,

Official Number MB 1942

Zeebrugge and Ostend raids

mentioned in despatches

LG 28 August 1918

Distinguished Service Medal LG 28 August 1918

and bar?

......................

Oliver Griffiths

Royal Navy

Levuka Public School 1892

Levuka Public School Great War Board

yngest s/of G Griffiths, Fiji Times was in raid on Zeebrugge

Christine

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dear Christine,

I do have information regarding both men that may interest you.

Chief Motor Mechanic Eric William McCracken

There is a reference to a Chief Motor Mechanic G W McCracken who served aboard the Coastal Motor Boat No.26 during the second Ostend raid on 9th / 10th May 1918in Commodore Hubert Lynes report to Admiral Keyes. It is in document ADM 137/3894 at the Public Records Office. It states:

‘CMB No.26 (Lieutenant Cuthbert F B Bowlby RN) escorted Vindcitive close up to the entrance, then ran ahead, and, finding one of the piers, fired his torpedo at it. The water being shallow, and range short, the explosion shook the boat so severely as to damage her engines, and open her seams. She commenced to sink., but by his presence of mind, and the cool perseverance of Chief Motor Mechanic G W McCracken, Lieutenant Bowlby got he lead stopped, engines going again, and brought his boat out of the fire zone, where Commander Bertram H Ramsey, leader of one of the off shore divisions took her in tow.’.

Although it states G W McCracken I think it must relate to your man and there was an error with the first initial when this report was produced.

I also have a copy of pages which feature McCracken’s name. I can send scans of these images by email if you send me an email to my address at paulkendall291@aol.com.

Oliver Rupert Griffiths (Service Number F50255)

I do have a copy of his service record from the Public Records Office which confirms that Oliver Rupert Griffiths was born on 10th January 1900 on Fiji Islands. It also states that he was an Air Mechanic Second Class in the RNAS and took part in the Zeebrugge Raid. I don’t know what part he played in the operation.

I can also send you a copy of this record if you are interested.

Do you have any further information about these men, or a photograph?

I look forward to your response.

Kind regards

Paul

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Christine,

The documentation I have records Air Mechanic O. Griffiths RNAS as being attached to the Royal Naval seamen's landing party from HMS Vindictive. His role was to land on the Mole and cause havoc to the enemy with phosphorus grenades. If you would like to let me have your email, I will forward a scan of the relevent pages. My own email is dominic.walsh@ireland.com.

Best wishes,

Dominic

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Christine,

The documentation I have records Air Mechanic O. Griffiths RNAS as being attached to the Royal Naval seamen's landing party from HMS Vindictive. His role was to land on the Mole and cause havoc to the enemy with phosphorus grenades. If you would like to let me have your email, I will forward a scan of the relevent pages. My own email is dominic.walsh@ireland.com.

Best wishes,

Dominic

Hi Dominic,

Paul has already sent me the report on the landing, from Lt Hewett's RNAS report. Is this what you have, or something else? Thanks very much for the offer, anyway. In case you have something else, my address is liavaa@xtra.co.nz.

Christine

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The documentation I have records Air Mechanic O. Griffiths RNAS as being attached to the Royal Naval seamen's landing party from HMS Vindictive. His role was to land on the Mole and cause havoc to the enemy with phosphorus grenades.

Dom,

Was Griffiths one of Brock's team from Stratford? Did he in fact get ashore and wreak havoc with his phosphorus bombs? Grateful for a copy of the account you have offered to Christine.

Mick

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Dear Christine,

Many thanks for sending to me the list of Royal Naval personnel from fiji. I have analysed the list and could not find any other Zeebrugge raiders. If I find any further information on McCracken and Griffiths, I will pass it on to you.

Best wishes

Paul

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dear Christine,

Many thanks for sending to me the list of Royal Naval personnel from fiji. I have analysed the list and could not find any other Zeebrugge raiders. If I find any further information on McCracken and Griffiths, I will pass it on to you.

Best wishes

Paul

Fine. Sorry no-one else was one of yours.

Christine

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Paul

He's not a relative, but I have been investigating AB John William Helman, who appears to have been somewhat of a local hero here in Guernsey after the Zeebrugge raids. Local newspapers carry reports of him being feted by the Governor and Bailiff, and his sword and mementos being on display in a shop window in St Peter Port. He has a substantial memorial in St Andrew's cemetery here in Guernsey, erected by the London Channel Islands Society, but isn't on the CWGC lists. His case is currently being investigated as a possible non commemoration. If you would like more info please email me.

Any info you have would also be welcome.

Liz

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Liz,

Many thanks for your email. I have sent some documents relating to the Daffodil which maybe of interest to you.

If you have further questions please contact me.

Kind regards

Paul

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For the Australian involvement, have you looked at Vol X of the Australian Official History? The section on Zeebrugge is online at: http://www.awm.gov.au/cms_images/histories...chapters/39.pdf

Stoker McCrory did well - he was awarded a Belgian C de G, and MID. He seems to have been known variously as Norbert, Herbert & Robert in different records. His diary is in the Australian War Memorial, available for copying subject to condition. His naval file is in the Australian Archives, but contains little information.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Bob,

Many thanks for your email. I am aware of the Zeebrugge information at the Australian War Memorial and I do have a copy of Stoker McCrory's diary.

In December 2005 I wrote an article about the sailors from the Royal Australian Navy who took part in the raid. In February 2006, the editor of Navy News asked me if he could publish it on the Navy News website. Here is the link to the article.

http://www.navynews.co.uk/letters/archive_letters_0602.asp

I used information from the Australian Official History as a basis for the article as well as the research I had carried out for the Gillard family. I hope that you find it of interest.

Best wishes

Paul

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Paul,

Thank you for that link. Well written and informative. I enjoyed it greatly.

If there is anything I can do from over here, please feel free to let me know. My interests lie with the Australian infantry, but I can always be persuaded to look elsewhere!

Bob

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello there,

I have an interest in an Anglesey Zeebrugge casualty as follows:

DIBBEN, WILLIAM ROWLAND(S), AB 214590 RN, HMS IRIS II, died (?KIA) on 22 April 1918 aged 31 and buried in St.James Cemetery, Dover.

He is named on the town War Memorial on the picturesque Church Island, Menai Bridge; also on the "North Wales Heroes Memorial Arch" in nearby Bangor, which lists all the WW1 war dead for North Wales.

I believe his family were still living in Menai Bridge in the 1970s if not later.

Have sent a similar message to the other Zeebrugge thread just in case either of you have any other personal info on this man.

Sincerely,

LST_164

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dear LST_164

Many thanks for your email. I do know that Able Seaman William Dibben is buried in a grave which is marked Known unto God in St. James's Cemetery, Dover. His name is commemorated on the Cross of Sacrifice that stands next to the graves of the Zeebrugge raiders in this cemetery. I do have a photo with his name inscribed, and if you send me an email to paulkendall291@aol.com I can send you a copy.

Thank you also for the lead so that i can make an attempt to contact his family.

Kind regards

Paul

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do know that Able Seaman William Dibben is buried in a grave which is marked Known unto God in St. James's Cemetery, Dover.

Paul,

Do you happen to know how many of Iris's dead could not be individually identified? I'm wondering how the list of names on the Special Memorial was arrived at, given that there were also some 16 men missing.

Mick

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Paul,

many thanks indeed for your kindness in offering to send the photo of Able Seaman Dibben, Zeebrugge casualty.

If you can contact his family, that'll be a bonus for you and maybe further info will result.

Yes, sounds as if the IRIS was a regular shambles, if they knew he was somewhere in the mess but not which body was his...

Best wishes,

LST_164

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Mick,

In answer to your question regarding numbers of casualties who could not be identified, that would take an afternoon's analysis and at the moment I don't have the time to carry out such work due to other priorities. Many of the sailors and Royal Marines who died aboard HMS Iris were identified and buried in graves bearing their names.

On your second question, I know that one of the sailor's remains were identified, but when his identity disc and ring that belonged to him (used to identify him) had been removed from his body in Dover due to administrative error, no one could then identify him. This meant that the Royal Navy knew that he was one of the bodies brought to Dover, but at that stage could not confirm which body was his. Therefore his remains were buried in a grave marked 'Known unto God' and his name inscribed on the Cross of Sacrifice at St. James's Cemetery in Dover. The sailor's father was informed a year later in 1919 that his son lies in an unmarked grave in Dover.

Kind regards

Paul

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dear LST_164

I have sent a photo of his name inscribed on the Cross of Sacrifice at St. James's Cemetery in Dover.

Hopefully I will be able to establish contact with AB Dibben's family, and hope to find a picture of this brave man.

Kind regards

Paul

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mick,

Photo received - I'm very grateful for your help.

LST_164

Mick,

Photo received - I'm very grateful for your help.

LST_164

Or even,

for Mick read Paul

It's been a long day...

LST_164

Link to comment
Share on other sites

bob,

Glad that you enjoyed reading the article. You might want to look at the Great War Forum, relating to Bullecourt. I have started two forum topics relating to the two Battles of Bullecourt, in preparation for my next project.

Kind regards

Paul

Do you have a link? Just had a quick look - couldn't find them. I have quite a few unit histories of the Australian battalions that fought at Bullecourt.

Bob

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Paul,

Have received a note from Dom Walsh, suggesting I ask you about a mention of W.R.DIBBEN in a casualty list ref.

ADM116/1656

is it of any significance?

Cheers,

LST_164

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...