I have been privileged to read, and also been given permission to relate, some classic memories from Coastal Forces Veterans of WW2. Hopefully I will be able to record more exploits as they become known.

ML 197 - Navigational Leader (Sword Beach) Commanding Officer Lt Alistair Ward RNVR. Navigating Officer, Lt Graham Rouse RNVR.

In an article written for the Coastal Forces Veterans Association 'Newsletter' of Autumn 2002, Lt Rouse had related to ML 197's rescue of survivors from HMS Swift, sunk by a 'new' German pressure mine. That article gave some detail to this rescue and over the years he had often wondered what had happened to those survivors. Last November, while reading the Remembrance page of the Daily Telegraph he saw the following:

"HMS Swift, sunk by mine, Ouistreham 24 June 1944. Those saved mourn those lost"

He wrote to the Editor enclosing a letter to be passed on to the originator of the notice and within a few days received a 'phone call from none other than the CO of HMS Swift, now a retired Captain living in Suffolk UK -John Gower. After a long chat, Graham sent him some reports that he had received after the posting of some of the events on the internet of the initial landing on Sword Beach and susequent 'happenings'. Captain Gower had remembered that his Doctor - an Australian - who with badly scalded hands had supervised Graham in the giving of Morphine to the injured and also the correct 'labelling' of such patients. Captain Gower remains in touch with the Australian Doctor. Graham Rouse had mentioned in his earlier article that HMS Swift's No1 had mentioned that there was a substantial amount of money on board - this evidently was an error - as Captain Gower stated that, together with the Yeoman, the No1 had been blown off the Bridge to the St'bd side while ML197 was along the Port side of the sinking vessel. Having had his clothing completly stripped off by the blast, the No1 had managed, completely nude, to climb aboard a Carley Float and be saved. Captain Gower said the last man to leave the sinking ship with him was a Midshipman - now  a retired Captain and living just outside Southampton UK - Captain Leathes RN (Rt'd) - Graham hopes to meet up with Captain Leathes quite soon. Captain Gower had given Graham a graphic story of the sinking of HMS Swift - with 'ready use' ammunition flying around the Deck - the Aft Torpedo Tubes going over the side and he reminded Graham that after putting the wounded onto a Hospital Ship 'they' took the rest on a 'cruise' (his words) - HMS Belfast would not take them and after 'cruising around' they eventually ended up being transferred on to the P&O Liner 'Touraine' There was another rescue - survivors of an LC(G) (Landing Craft (Gun)) - found to be sinking after what was first thought to have been a Torpedo hit. Thinking about these events down the years, Graham Rouse also wondered about these survivors, he had forgotten the number of the craft - but it was Graham's son - living in Dorking UK - who had spotted in his local paper an article covering the reunion of 2 ex-Royal Marines, their first meeting since that sinking, and through them Graham was able to contact a surviving crew member - an RN Telegraphist aboard the LC(G). He remembered the incident well and how quickly ML 197 arrived on the scene to rescue those still on board and those in the water. He gave his account of what happened- He was in the W/T Office when he felt a 'bump' against the Hull - it turned out to be an enemy Exposive Motor Boat that had not detonated. When trying to recover the EMB weapon - it exploded - there were just 16 out of a crew of 45 that survived. Again the injured were put on a Hospital Ship and the rest transferred to a Depot Ship of sorts. The number of the craft was remembered as being LC(G) 764.

Lt Rouse became Commanding Officer of HMML 197 after Lt Alistair Ward was posted to command another vessel.

G46 HMS Swift sinking June 1944.

The above account is based upon an article that appeared in the CFVA Newsletter of Spring 2006. Permission to use the material was given by Lt Graham Rouse RNVR and Charles Milner DSM CFVA Treasurer and Editor.

HMML 197 in fact has a claim to some historical significance, having acted as one of the two navigational leaders for Force S - the invasion fleet for Sword Beach on D Day. My father's role on was as navigation officer on D-Day, also during the rescues recounted here. Shortly afterwards he took over command of HMML 197 when his CO left to replace the CO of another ML who had been killed. These events are described in detail by my father on: http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/53/a3504953.shtml - http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/53/a3504953.shtml