Surnames containing 'Gillan' |
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| Gillan, James | ||||||
| Leading Seaman | ||||||
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
I have often looked for an opportunity of paying tribute to our submariners.
There is no branch of His Majesty's Forces which in this war has suffered the same proportion of total loss as our submarine service.
It is the most dangerous of all services.
That is perhaps the reason why the First Lord tells me that the entry into it is keenly sought by Officers and Men.
I feel sure the House would wish to testify its gratitude and admiration to our Submariners for their Skill - Courage and Devotion which has proved of inestimable value to the sustenance of our country.
Winston Churchill
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We Will Remember Them |
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Fort Blockhouse had its beginnings as a military base in 1431 when Henry VI authorised a tower to be built on the Gosport side of Portsmouth Harbour. The Navy moved into Fort Blockhouse in 1905 for the purpose of establishing a Submarine Boat Station.
Between 1942 and 1944 HMS Seraph was engaged in unusual but vital wartime assignments, including carrying Eisenhower's deputy, General Mark Clark, through the Mediterranean to a hazardous rendezvous with the Free French as a prelude to the North African invasion, as well as the dramatic rescue of General Giraud from Vichy France in rough sea right under the nose of the enemy. Her most famous mission however was Operation Mincemeat where she aided the allies in deceiving their enemy about the invasion of Sicily.
Yet what made these missions even more extraordinary was the fact that this 'Secret Mission Submarine' had the unusual distinction of having two captains, Royal Navy Lieutenant Bill Jewell who was in operational control and Captain Jerauld Wright of the United States Navy who commanded for political purposes.
Terence Robertson uncovers the history of this extraordinary submarine and how these two captains collaborated to pull off some of the most remarkable operations in the Second World War.
22 pages added or updated in the last 3 month
Please help to maintain this site by reporting any Errors, Broken Links, Information or Site Issues on this page using this button
If you find this site useful, please consider supporting my work with a small Donation.
Please Note: Donations made using this option go directly to the site owner and not to the Submariners Association.
Thankyou for your support.
Fort Blockhouse had its beginnings as a military base in 1431 when Henry VI authorised a tower to be built on the Gosport side of Portsmouth Harbour. The Navy moved into Fort Blockhouse in 1905 for the purpose of establishing a Submarine Boat Station.
Between 1942 and 1944 HMS Seraph was engaged in unusual but vital wartime assignments, including carrying Eisenhower's deputy, General Mark Clark, through the Mediterranean to a hazardous rendezvous with the Free French as a prelude to the North African invasion, as well as the dramatic rescue of General Giraud from Vichy France in rough sea right under the nose of the enemy. Her most famous mission however was Operation Mincemeat where she aided the allies in deceiving their enemy about the invasion of Sicily.
Yet what made these missions even more extraordinary was the fact that this 'Secret Mission Submarine' had the unusual distinction of having two captains, Royal Navy Lieutenant Bill Jewell who was in operational control and Captain Jerauld Wright of the United States Navy who commanded for political purposes.
Terence Robertson uncovers the history of this extraordinary submarine and how these two captains collaborated to pull off some of the most remarkable operations in the Second World War.
22 pages added or updated in the last 3 month
Please help to maintain this site by reporting any Errors, Broken Links, Information or Site Issues on this page using this button
If you find this site useful, please consider supporting my work with a small Donation.
Please Note: Donations made using this option go directly to the site owner and not to the Submariners Association.
Thankyou for your support.