RAF Air Sea Rescue service
The RAF ASR units operated all over the world. In Malta it was the work of 1151 Marine Craft Unit.
The RAF ASR units operated all over the world. In Malta it was the work of 1151 Marine Craft Unit.
1151 Marine Craft Unit
That yellow Ford Escort Mk1 on the right is my car!
That yellow Ford Escort Mk1 on the right is my car!
'Nor Fish Nor Fowl'
Colin Yorke
Colin says;
My Dad was at 1151 MCU from 1954 to 56 first as C.O. and later, on extension of his tour, stepping back to enjoy a more practical period (out of the office).
My book - 'Nor Fish Nor Fowl' tells his story including time on the armoured target boats, war service as Coxswain of HSL 102 and on Whalebacks etc. but goes on to include two chapters of his time at 1151. Two chapters but even so, heavily edited.
I have 'given' 'Nor Fish Nor Fowl' to the ASR/MCU club to market and make what they can from. I think they will sell it @ around £15 plus P and P. If your interested please contact Joe Thomas at the club.
Website link is - https://asrmcs-club.com/
My Dad was at 1151 MCU from 1954 to 56 first as C.O. and later, on extension of his tour, stepping back to enjoy a more practical period (out of the office).
My book - 'Nor Fish Nor Fowl' tells his story including time on the armoured target boats, war service as Coxswain of HSL 102 and on Whalebacks etc. but goes on to include two chapters of his time at 1151. Two chapters but even so, heavily edited.
I have 'given' 'Nor Fish Nor Fowl' to the ASR/MCU club to market and make what they can from. I think they will sell it @ around £15 plus P and P. If your interested please contact Joe Thomas at the club.
Website link is - https://asrmcs-club.com/
Wonder what happened to some of the boats from 1151?
http://rsl1654.weebly.com
Also, look at the website/facebook of Captain Lawrence Dalli
http://maltashipphotos.com/
https://www.facebook.com/maltashipphotos
Many, if not all, the launches were taken over by the Armed Forces Malta and were reallocated with 'C' numbers. E.g. RSL 1654 was allocated C20.
On the Maltashipphotos.com website search for C 71, C 20, C 21 and C 68.
I've received a couple more photographs from Capt Lawrence Dalli, Maltashipsphotos.com
Two of them show an RSL, not sure which one as there is no 'C' number, alongside C71 formerly RTTL 2771.
The other photograph shows two RTTL launches C71 and and unmarked one which would be C68 (RTTL 2768).
24 April 2020 - Added two photographs of ML Pinnace 1202. One in it's RAF MCU role and the other may be after it's time with the AFM as there is no C number on the hull.
With thanks to Capt Dalli for his kind permission to reproduce these photographs.
Two of them show an RSL, not sure which one as there is no 'C' number, alongside C71 formerly RTTL 2771.
The other photograph shows two RTTL launches C71 and and unmarked one which would be C68 (RTTL 2768).
24 April 2020 - Added two photographs of ML Pinnace 1202. One in it's RAF MCU role and the other may be after it's time with the AFM as there is no C number on the hull.
With thanks to Capt Dalli for his kind permission to reproduce these photographs.
Click to enlarge the photo
RTTL 2771 at High Speed. RTTL = Rescue and Target Towing Launch. It was either this one or 2768 that I went out for a jolly. They were towing a 'Skid' for a Nimrod to pick up on radar (looks like a conning tower). An exciting day, wish I hadn't been so seasick!!!!! Photo origin unknown, taken from a Nimrod of 203 Squadron. |
UPDATE ON RSL1654 - APRIL 2020 - From Francis Plowman
Francis very kindly contacted me about the ongoing state of RSL1654. Not good news as you can see from the two photographs he has sent.
RSL1654 continues to deteriorate and wooden parts crumbling with dry rot.
A little information about Francis;
I'm ex RAF (admin), served 70-94 including some time at Brawdy in the late 70s when Master Coxon Wilf Hardy (if I recall correctly) ran the MCU at Tenby. But that was my only connection with the watery RAF before finding the attached photographs.
Francis very kindly contacted me about the ongoing state of RSL1654. Not good news as you can see from the two photographs he has sent.
RSL1654 continues to deteriorate and wooden parts crumbling with dry rot.
A little information about Francis;
I'm ex RAF (admin), served 70-94 including some time at Brawdy in the late 70s when Master Coxon Wilf Hardy (if I recall correctly) ran the MCU at Tenby. But that was my only connection with the watery RAF before finding the attached photographs.
RAF Air Sea Rescue boats website at this link
http://www.asrmcs-club.com/boatswebsite/index.htmlweeblylink_new_window
Many photographs of all the different variety of boats used by the RAF Marine Craft Units through the years.
Many photographs of all the different variety of boats used by the RAF Marine Craft Units through the years.
RAF Air Sea Rescue Service Malta commemorated for their decades of service from 1918 to 1978.
Manuel has sent me this from the Times of Malta, see link below. Thought it appropriate to have the RTTL's back on the home page considering this honour bestowed on them.
The plaque is located at the Upper Barrakka gardens, Valletta.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110624/world/Remembering-the-RAF-members-of-the-Air-Sea-Rescue-services-in-Malta.372164
1151 MCU Query!
This photograph was sent in when it was spotted it at a boot sale in Malta January 2020.
Wondering if anyone can shed any light on it's origins and the connection to the MCU.
Was it a practice bomb, or maybe dredged up when pulling in the skid, possibly dug up when the MCU hangar was being built?
Someone has written, in red paint, MCU 1151 and the date 3 - 3- 72 (03 March 1972).
Any information would be welcome and I'd publish it here.
Thanks
Dave Rose
This photograph was sent in when it was spotted it at a boot sale in Malta January 2020.
Wondering if anyone can shed any light on it's origins and the connection to the MCU.
Was it a practice bomb, or maybe dredged up when pulling in the skid, possibly dug up when the MCU hangar was being built?
Someone has written, in red paint, MCU 1151 and the date 3 - 3- 72 (03 March 1972).
Any information would be welcome and I'd publish it here.
Thanks
Dave Rose
IWM Video Link
The link was sent by Colin Pomery whose friend, a freelance film maker, sent it to him. After the first minute or so is very Shackleton orientated but also includes RTTL 2758 rushing to the rescue:
http://film.iwmcollections.org.uk/record/index/50203
Paul Scibberas - Hell Boats 1151 MCU
Photograph from Paul showing some of 1151MCU in RN uniform when the RTTLs' were used during the filming of 'Hell Boats' in 1967. Film was released in 1970.
Sent in by Tom 'Taff' McCarthy.
Taff took this photograph of the plaque while wandering around near Ta'Xbeix. He lives out there now after visiting every year for a few months
Kevin Patience - 67-70
Not much doubt that if anyone knew Kevin they would certainly remember his car!
Photograph of it with 2768 at Kalafrana.
George Said
Goerge sent me this photograph of his Father in Law's launch with it's AFM maritime marking of C71.
Not much doubt that this was 2771 of 1151 MCU in Marsaxlokk.
Peter (Jack) Frost - 1958
Les Bush - WoP on 2768 in 1962/63
Norman Seargeant - Coxswain on 1151 MCU 1977
Photos of Filfa Island. Still a popular diving spot, and the two RTTL's.
From Brian Kennedy-Thelwell (for captions see Photo gallery page 2)
Martin 'Mitch' Hankin sent these and they are also in the Photo Gallery section but worth repeating as the Commemoration in the Times of Malta prompted me to create a separate 1151MCU page.
Photo's taken by David Rose from the RAF Sailing Club 1973
1151 MCU as it is October 2012 - Photos from Dave Rose
Could this be 1654 rotting away!
N.B. I subsequently found out that is 1654 and she was C20 when whe was with the Armed Forced Malta Coastguard.
After a short investigation I started the website http://rsl1654.weebly.com/ in an attempt to rescue her and get her restored to act as a monument, if it wasn't possible to get her seaworthy.
Look at the website for full information.
I could not see the side of the bow when I took these photographs so don't know what the number is. Someone on the guestbook comments mentioned 1152 but I think they may have been getting mixed up with the MCU unit number 1151.
I came across this site after walking from Birzibugga to Marsaxlokk, short cut over the hill. It is behind where the sailing clubhouse used to be, it was demolished in March 2012 and a new building is currently being erected in October 2012.
She'll never be seaworthy again but it would be a terrible shame if she was just broken up and scrapped. I've contacted a heritage group, in Malta, to see if it might be feasible to restore her as a monument to 1151MCU.
I came across this site after walking from Birzibugga to Marsaxlokk, short cut over the hill. It is behind where the sailing clubhouse used to be, it was demolished in March 2012 and a new building is currently being erected in October 2012.
She'll never be seaworthy again but it would be a terrible shame if she was just broken up and scrapped. I've contacted a heritage group, in Malta, to see if it might be feasible to restore her as a monument to 1151MCU.