Intro His Majesty’s Motor Launch 916 and my Dad.

[Doots]

Hi - I am younger son of Lt G.G.MacPherson skipper of ML 916 blown up on an acoustic mine 8th Nov 1944 in the Scheldt estuary. My father survived with bad injuries and there was another survivor who we can’t trace.
Any info about this ship, her crew and surrounding events most welcome.

Great to join you all.

Stuart MacPherson

 

[Bombardier]

Glad to have you aboard, welcome to Mi.Net

I will quote your recent private message to me and tag @28th61st & @28TH61ST+ONE in on it to see if they can assist you better

I’ve been looking for info about the sinking of HMML 916 in Scheldt Estuary Nov 8th 1944.
My father Lt George Gordon MacPherson was skipper of this ship and survived together with one other. But nineteen men died. I found a lot of info from Coastal Forces Veterans about this event and some amazing info about my father that I never knew before. I want to contact as many families of these crewmen as possible to tell them what this ship was doing there and what happened to them - it was important to the ending of the war. I have only found five families so far mostly through genealogy sites and every now and then type in ML 916 to see what happens. Last night I did that and the gravestone with the name Buttery came up on your site. He was one of the crew whose body was never found. So it was a surprise to see his name on the stone and may help me find his family.
The question is what info do you have on the rest of the crew and how can I find it? I can give all the names except the name of the other survivor who is being difficult to trace. Their names are all on CFVA site bit if you have info on this ship you may have the names already.

 

[TIGREDELAIRE]

welcome, interesting history!

 

[BravoZulu]

Welcome @Doots

 

[Mokordo]

Hi - I am younger son of Lt G.G.MacPherson skipper of ML 916 blown up on an acoustic mine 8th Nov 1944 in the Scheldt estuary. My father survived with bad injuries and there was another survivor who we can’t trace.
Any info about this ship, her crew and surrounding events most welcome.

Great to join you all.

Stuart MacPherson

Welcome @Doots . I found this in a simple search with google, so I supose you must already have seen it(or even you made it):

MOTOR LAUNCH, ML 916.

It includes operational history ,photos and this list:

ML.916, ship loss.
(MPK - Missing Presumed Killed)
BUTTERY, John E, Stoker 1c, D/KX 139507, MPK
CURTIS, Dan B, Ty/Act/Sub Lieutenant, RNVR, killed
DOBSON, George, Stoker 1c, C/KX 152552, MPK
FRASER, Donald J, Able Seaman, P/JX 426061, killed
HALLER, Sydney, Able Seaman, D/JX 151027, MPK
HATLIFF, Jack, Petty Officer Motor Mechanic, P/MX 77888, MPK
HOLTOM, George L, Ordinary Seaman, P/JX 522657, killed
HOMEWOOD, Royce T, Able Seaman, P/JX 298631, MPK
KINGHAM, Brian A, Telegraphist, C/JX 614937, MPK
LAY, Ernest, Ordinary Seaman, C/JX 557641, MPK
MACKINTOSH, Walter, Able Seaman, D/JX 186952, MPK
NEWSON, Frederick G, Ordinary Telegraphist, P/JX 624883, MPK
OAKTON, Thomas M, Act/Leading Seaman, P/SSX 25460, MPK
SCALES, William F, Able Seaman, P/JX 321222, MPK
SCOTT, Edmund, Ordinary Seaman, C/JX 545582, MPK
SIDEBOTHAM, Peter M, Ty/Act/Sub Lieutenant, RNVR, MPK
THOMAS, Adrian L, Able Seaman, C/JX 220363, MPK
WARD, Alfred G, Able Seaman, C/JKX 375220, MPK
WOOD, Edward, Able Seaman, C/JX 354280, MPK

 

[Doots]

Thanks Mokordo - Yes I know these names well.
The story is - that after living with my Dad and his tin leg and compressed spine for 38 years, it wasn’t till thirty years after his death that it occurred to me that I knew very little about ‘what he did in the war’. I had some conversations with him about how he lost his leg so only knew he was blown up in the Scheldt and all except one of his crew were all killed. I knew he was skipper of an ML and had got up to Antwerp but that was about all I knew.
Like so many others I wished I had quizzed my dad in detail but I was growing up into life and he must have wanted to get on with his life, so didn’t want to go over it and we just got on with doing father and son and family things.
Three years ago a friend asked me about my dad’s war so I thought I had better start seeing what I could find.
From the Royal Navy I found the numbers of the ships he had served on, the places he was based and what type of ship an ML was.
But that was it. I had no idea how to proceed.

Surfing the web one day I stumbled on the Coastal Forces Veterans Association, clicked on Forums then MLs and was surprised to see a thread with ML 916 headlined. This was the number of the ML my Dad was blown up on.
The thread was started by a guy trying to find how his father had been injured and thought it must have been on 916.

I joined in and was totally astonished to find CFVA knew loads about what had happened to ML 916 and commemorated the anniversary of the sinking on their website every 8th of November! They even had a copy of a letter my father had written from hospital (in very shaky hand) to the skipper of their buddy-boat ML 906. So they gave me the names of the crew killed but since we have not been able to find the name of the other survivor.

I now know a whole lot more detail but MLs 916 and 906 were the first Naval ships to reach Antwerp on Nov 4th 1944 sweeping a channel for the bigger Fleet Minesweepers who went on to complete the clearing for the first desperately needed supply ships by 28th bringing everything needed for the Allied advance into Germany.

Ordered back from Antwerp on 8th Nov and second in line 916 set off an acoustic mine. Only six bodies were recovered plus my dad and the other survivor. ML 906 took my dad to port and hospital.

Yet more amazement - CFVA told me one of the crew of 906, who had been made responsible for looking after my father on board, was still alive! They gave me his phone no. and I have spoken to him several times!

There is much more to this story and I feel the families of the lost crew should know what they were doing in the Scheldt and its significance to the ending of the war - so started looking into genealogy sites, following the names.

I’ve been able to find five families of the nineteen and told them all about it but have found it very difficult to find the rest so was amazed to see the name Buttery carved into a gravestone in a photo on this site. His body was never found and I have never found his family.

As I said the names are very well known to me and three of the families I have been able to find have letters my father wrote, all from hospital, describing what happened and telling their parents how their son performed in running the ship. One famIly remembered an officer coming to their house on crutches to offer his condolences personally.

Neither my brother nor I knew anything about this. How it must have hurt my father to have lost all those young men and how he had to bear this knowledge all through the rest of his life. If only he had told us.

Sorry to ramble on,

Cheers Doots

 

[Mokordo]

Thanks Mokordo - Yes I know these names well.
The story is - that after living with my Dad and his tin leg and compressed spine for 38 years, it wasn’t till thirty years after his death that it occurred to me that I knew very little about ‘what he did in the war’. I had some conversations with him about how he lost his leg so only knew he was blown up in the Scheldt and all except one of his crew were all killed. I knew he was skipper of an ML and had got up to Antwerp but that was about all I knew.
Like so many others I wished I had quizzed my dad in detail but I was growing up into life and he must have wanted to get on with his life, so didn’t want to go over it and we just got on with doing father and son and family things.
Three years ago a friend asked me about my dad’s war so I thought I had better start seeing what I could find.
From the Royal Navy I found the numbers of the ships he had served on, the places he was based and what type of ship an ML was.
But that was it. I had no idea how to proceed.

Surfing the web one day I stumbled on the Coastal Forces Veterans Association, clicked on Forums then MLs and was surprised to see a thread with ML 916 headlined. This was the number of the ML my Dad was blown up on.
The thread was started by a guy trying to find how his father had been injured and thought it must have been on 916.

I joined in and was totally astonished to find CFVA knew loads about what had happened to ML 916 and commemorated the anniversary of the sinking on their website every 8th of November! They even had a copy of a letter my father had written from hospital (in very shaky hand) to the skipper of their buddy-boat ML 906. So they gave me the names of the crew killed but since we have not been able to find the name of the other survivor.

I now know a whole lot more detail but MLs 916 and 906 were the first Naval ships to reach Antwerp on Nov 4th 1944 sweeping a channel for the bigger Fleet Minesweepers who went on to complete the clearing for the first desperately needed supply ships by 28th bringing everything needed for the Allied advance into Germany.

Ordered back from Antwerp on 8th Nov and second in line 916 set off an acoustic mine. Only six bodies were recovered plus my dad and the other survivor. ML 906 took my dad to port and hospital.

Yet more amazement - CFVA told me one of the crew of 906, who had been made responsible for looking after my father on board, was still alive! They gave me his phone no. and I have spoken to him several times!

There is much more to this story and I feel the families of the lost crew should know what they were doing in the Scheldt and its significance to the ending of the war - so started looking into genealogy sites, following the names.

I’ve been able to find five families of the nineteen and told them all about it but have found it very difficult to find the rest so was amazed to see the name Buttery carved into a gravestone in a photo on this site. His body was never found and I have never found his family.

As I said the names are very well known to me and three of the families I have been able to find have letters my father wrote, all from hospital, describing what happened and telling their parents how their son performed in running the ship. One famIly remembered an officer coming to their house on crutches to offer his condolences personally.

Neither my brother nor I knew anything about this. How it must have hurt my father to have lost all those young men and how he had to bear this knowledge all through the rest of his life. If only he had told us.

Sorry to ramble on,

Cheers Doots

Don´t worry, I share a less epic but quite similar story ,but in my case with muy paternal grandfather and his participation in the Spanish Civil War.

When he was alive, he never told us never about the war, and we never asked him because we know he didn´t want to speak about it. He died in 2005, and I am trying now to recompose his story , with possibly more dificulties than these that you have, taking into account that he was in the losing side and many other issues.

If I were you I will try find more directly in the corresponding documentary services if you see that the internet resources are exhausted. But probably you have already tried this way also.

I regret I was no able to help you. Good luck in your search, even thought you don´t find the answers you are looking for, you will learn a lot along the way.

 

[Mokordo]

Curiously a man named Joseph Edward Buttery (not John), 41 years old, stocker 1st class (BUTTERY, Joseph E, Stoker 1c, R/KX 162096) was onboard the HMS Minster the June 8th 1944 when the ship struck a mine. I don´t know if John and Joseph had any relation, but is rather curious.

WRECKSITE - MINSTER CARGO SHIP 1940-1944

MINSTER CARGO SHIP 1940-1944, wreck, wreck database

www.wrecksite.eu

Sorry, this adds nothing to your case.

 

[Conhoon]

Hello!