HMS NILE - Special Services??

[glenda tuckey]

Hi Ed,
I have just read your article to David you have answered a few of my questions on hms sphinx . I believe that one of the royal marines that were killed in the attack on the radar site was my uncle do you have any names my uncle was killed 14 nov 1944. From the navel history all I could find out was the date he was killed his number ch/x 112317. shpinx, greece. It is hard to know were to go for info but all you have said fits with what little I know.


regard glenda

[EDWINBELL]

Hi Ed,
I have just read your article to David you have answered a few of my questions on hms sphinx . I believe that one of the royal marines that were killed in the attack on the radar site was my uncle do you have any names my uncle was killed 14 nov 1944. From the navel history all I could find out was the date he was killed his number ch/x 112317. shpinx, greece. It is hard to know were to go for info but all you have said fits with what little I know.


regard glenda

Hi Glenda, I can confirm that your uncle, Raymond George Batchelor was on the Milos raid which was actually mounted from HMS Easton. I have been to the island several times and in June 2000 took a memorial stone to comemorate the 1944 raid and had it mounted on the old gun emplacement adjacent to the radar unit. Your uncle's name is included on that memorial. The two most helpful sources in my research were George Belivanakis, editor of the Milos paper and local historian and Sid Prevett who was a Colour Sergeant in the same unit as your uncle. Sid lived in New Zealand and has sadly passed away since I first contacted him in 1996. I will try to get some pictures of the memorial, site and a copy of Sid's diaries to you once I have figured how to attach such items to this site.

Regards Ed

[glenda tuckey]

Hi Ed,
Thankyou for confirming my uncle was on that raid it make him all the more speical to the family to know what happen to him & why.My grandson started me on this project as he wanted to know after reading some info on my grandparents head stone. I look forward to receiving pictures from you hope you do not have too much trouble working out how to send them.If you can not send them I can always send you my email address.Can you help with my other uncle who was killed 21/02/1944 he was flt sgt Christopher Richard Batchelor 1581875, 115 sqdn RAF Volunteer Reserve this is all the info I could find via the W.G.C..I have tried several other sites but can get no further. Thanks once again.


regards Glenda

[peter nicholl]

Hi Glenda
If you have not already tried the following, then it is one avenue which could be tried.
The death of 21 year old Christopher R Batchelor was registered at Ampthill in the First Quarter of 1944. The GRO Reference is March Quarter 1944, District Ampthill, Volume 3b Page 525.
If you don't have a copy of the Death Certificate, it should give you details of how and where he died. His death may not have been due to enemy action, my Uncle was killed in an road traffic accident while serving in the RAF as the WO at the Airmen's Convalescent Depot; he has a CWGC headstone. If death was due to being wounded on a raid, there may be info as to dates. Kew has copies of RAF Operational Record Books which may help.
Peter
PS If there is SKS near Rugby, they might be able to find his grave as per the CWGC site details.

[glenda tuckey]

Hi Peter, Thankyou for info I will look into that it is not one that I have tried I have found the grave via w.g.c I just could not find out where he was stationed or what happen to him once again thankyou. regards glenda

[peter nicholl]

Hi Glenda
At the time 115 Squadron were based at RAF Witchford, Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire. They were flying Avro Lancasters. 115 were the only Squadron to lose more than 200 aircraft during the War, they also lost 22 due to crashes.
Peter

[MrsFish3781]

I know that this is an old post - but my father has just passed away and his Naval record is rather limited.
I wonder if anyone can help me find the name of the destroyer on which he served.
Full Name: Harold Anthony Armstrong Official No: MX109246
HMS Glendower 18 May 1942 - 30 Jun 1942
HMS Victory II 01 July 1942 - 13 Aug 1942
HMS Drake I 14 Aug 1942 - 04 Jan 1943
(RNH Barrow Gurney)
HMS Victory I 05 han 1943 - 18 Jan 1943
(RNH Haslar)
HMS Victory II 19 Jan 1943 - 22 Feb 1943
HMS Nile 23 Feb 1943 - 30 Sep 1944
(64 General Hospital)
HMS Nile 01 Oct 1944 - -5 Jul 1945
(RNAH Alex)
HMS Nile 06 Jul 1945 - 04 Aug 1945
HMS Victory II 05 Aug 1945 - 18 Jun 1946
HMS Victory X 19 Jun 1946 - 24 Aug 1946

Any information anyone has (no matter how small) would be great

[ouzman]

Can anyone help, or point me in the right direction, to find any details regarding an entry on my late grandfathers Royal Navy service record.

Charles Henry Houghton BOWN's rank in November 1943 was that of 'Stoker' stationed at HMS NILE.
The record shows that from 3/11/43 to 31/1/44 he was on 'Special Services'. Does anyone have any idea what this might mean or involve?
Gratefull for any help.

David.

Yes it was a special unit a naval arm of the SAS as we know it today Miltary records of British service men were always brief and work carried out by service men was not inclusive in thier records - As I understand it HMS NILE was a land depot in Eygpt from were operations were planed and excucuted. Sadly, the British Government like so many others during war time forgot about their service men after the war - many of whom were serverly damaged by the events.

My father in law (CPO Peter Kane RN) one of them who died in Queensland aged 64 in 1974

[DAVID LYON]

I know that this is an old post - but my father has just passed away and his Naval record is rather limited.
I wonder if anyone can help me find the name of the destroyer on which he served.
Full Name: Harold Anthony Armstrong Official No: MX109246
HMS Glendower 18 May 1942 - 30 Jun 1942
HMS Victory II 01 July 1942 - 13 Aug 1942
HMS Drake I 14 Aug 1942 - 04 Jan 1943
(RNH Barrow Gurney)
HMS Victory I 05 han 1943 - 18 Jan 1943
(RNH Haslar)
HMS Victory II 19 Jan 1943 - 22 Feb 1943
HMS Nile 23 Feb 1943 - 30 Sep 1944
(64 General Hospital)
HMS Nile 01 Oct 1944 - -5 Jul 1945
(RNAH Alex)
HMS Nile 06 Jul 1945 - 04 Aug 1945
HMS Victory II 05 Aug 1945 - 18 Jun 1946
HMS Victory X 19 Jun 1946 - 24 Aug 1946

Any information anyone has (no matter how small) would be great

Hi, from all the information I have received, it would appear that HMS Victory and HMS Nile are shore based establishments. ( Victory; Portsmouth, England Nile; Alexandria, Egypt )

Regards David .