Anti-Motor Torpedo Boat Battery, R.M.

United Kingdom: March – April 1940

1st Coast Artillery Brigade, R.M.

The Anti-Motor Torpedo Boat Battery (A.M.T.B.), Royal Marines was formed within the 1st Coast Artillery Brigade, R.M. at Eastney between 28th and 30th March 1940.  The Battery was at first equipped with four 2-pounder Pom Pom guns, organised into two groups, No.s 1 and 2.  The Commanding Officer was Captain A.D. Layzell, R.M.[1]

[A note regarding title:  In all war diaries seen, the battery is referred to without a numeric designation.  However, when M.N.B.D.O. II was formed a second A.M.T.B. Battery was also formed and was designated as No.2 A.M.T.B. Battery, R.M.  This gives rise to this battery sometimes being referred to as 1. A.M.T.B. Battery, R.M.  In the war diary for Force 'Shortcut', the Battery is referred to as 'A.M.T.B. ('P')' Battery or just 'P' Battery.  This is the only document seen which includes the 'P' designation, presumably a reference to 'Portsmouth' and an explanation for the re-designation of the Battery in August 1943 upon joining the 1st Coast Regiment, R.M.]

Iceland: May – August 1940

Force ‘Sturges’ – Force ‘Alabaster’

On 6th May 1940, ‘Y’ and A.M.T.B. Batteries left Eastney, in company with a 3.7-inch howitzer battery from the shore establishment H.M.S. Excellent, with a detachment known as Force ‘Sturges’ (after the commander, Lt. Colonel R.G. Sturges) or Force ‘Fork’ for Iceland.  The train carrying the detachment arrived at Greenock on the morning of 7th May 1940 and the detachment boarded the heavy cruiser, H.M.S. Berwick.  The cruiser sailed on 8th May and the landings to begin the occupation of Iceland began on 10th May 1940.[2]   The A.M.T.B. Battery provided an infantry platoon tasked with arresting Germans in and around Reykjavik.  Upon landing, other elements of the Battery established a two-gun group of anti-aircraft guns.  The second group of guns was established by 13th May.  The main body of troops for the occupation, the 147th Infantry Brigade, known as Force ‘Alabaster’, arrived on 17th May and the Battery covered the disembarkation.  During its time in Iceland, the Battery was sometimes referred to as the Royal Marines A.A. Battery.  On 16th August, the Battery boarded the S.S. ‘Konigen Emma’ and sailed from Reykjavik the following day.[3]  Having disembarked at Gourock on 23rd August, the A.M.T.B. Battery arrived at Eastney the next day.[4]

United Kingdom: September 1940 – February 1941

1st Coast Artillery Brigade, R.M.

On 19th September 1940, the A.M.T.B. Battery went to Plymouth on special duty.  It remained there until 3rd February 1941 when it entrained for Glasgow to board ship for overseas service.  The train arrived the next day and troopship H.M.T. H.12, Almanzora, was boarded together with ‘Z’ Battery, 1st Coast Artillery Brigade, R.M.  The ship sailed as part of convoy WS 6A, leaving Oversay on 9th February.  At Durban, on 27th March 1941, the Battery transferred to the troopship ‘Dilwara’ for onward travel to Egypt.  There, on 22nd April, the unit disembarked and moved to El Tahag Camp.[5]

Egypt: April – September 1941

1st Coast Artillery Brigade, R.M.

The Battery left El Tahag on 1st May 1941 for Port Said where the ship, S.S. Canterbury was boarded in preparation for transfer to Crete.  However, the orders were changed and the Battery disembarked on 3rd May and returned to El Tahag.  The remainder of the month was taken up with infantry training and guard duty. 

No.3 Company – Composite Company

R.M. Striking Force

On the evening of 27th May, the Battery together with men of the H.Q., 1st Coast Artillery Brigade, R.M., were organised into No.3 Company, Royal Marines Striking Force.  The Force was formed to provide ground protection to Abu Sueir airfield from attack by airborne troops.  On 28th May, the Battery moved to Abu Sueir but the following day it was sent to defend the ferry point across the Suez Canal at Ismailia.  Here it became known as the Composite Company.  The H.Q. Coast Artillery Brigade Platoon was withdrawn to Abu Sueir on 20th June, leaving the A.M.T.B. Battery at Ferry Point. [6]

A.M.T.B. Battery, R.M.

1st Coast Regiment, R.M.

On 1st August, the 1st Coast Artillery Brigade, R.M. was re-designated as the 1st Coast Regiment, Royal Marines.  The A.M.T.B. Battery returned to Abu Sueir on 3rd August.  The Battery moved with the 1st Coast Regiment to Moascar on 3rd September, having collected four Pom Pom mountings from store the previous day.  Preparations were made for a move overseas and on 19th September, the Battery moved to a transit camp at Attaka, Suez. 

Addu Atoll: October – November 1941

Force ‘Shortcut’

The Battery now formed part of Force ‘Shortcut’, formed around the Headquarters, Landing and Maintenance Group.  This detachment was earmarked for the construction of a defended base code named Port ‘W’, with Force ‘Piledriver’ being allocated to the preparation of Port ‘T’.  At Port Tewfik, the 1st Coast Regiment completed embarkation for Addu Atoll on 20th September.[7]

[The war diary does not cover the period October 1941 - December 1942 when the A.M.T.B. Battery served with Force ‘Shortcut’ at Addu Atoll and Diego Garcia, followed by the Battery’s absorption as part of ‘Devon’ Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, R.M.]

On board the H.M.T. Clan Forbes, ‘Z’ Battery arrived with Forces ‘Piledriver’ and ‘Shortcut’ at Port ‘T’ on the morning of 30th September 1941.  Upon arrival, the personnel of Force ‘Shortcut’ were placed under the command of Force ‘Piledriver’ for operational tasks.  Together with the other Marine gunner components of Force ‘Shortcut’, the A.M.T.B. Battery, the ‘Z’ Battery set to work on 1st October, building a Transit Camp on the main island of Gan.  Work progressed and the men of both batteries disembarked the Clan Forbes, which up until now had provided accommodation for the men, and moved into the Transit Camp on 11th October.  [Note: the war diary of Force ‘Shortcut’ refers to the A.M.T.B. Battery as ““P” Battery” and as “the A.M.T.B. (“P”) Battery” on 10th and 11th October 1941 only.  ‘P’ Battery is assumed to be an abbreviation for ‘Portsmouth’ Battery – one of only two references found to date which refer to the A.M.T.B. Battery by this designation.]  Heavy rain damaged the newly constructed road on Gan and ‘Z’ and A.M.T.B. Batteries restored it using coral sand.  The personnel of Force ‘Shortcut’ continued to assist with construction and the unloading of supply ships throughout October and into November.  Preparations then began for the move of Force ‘Shortcut’ to Port ‘W’.  Stores were prepared and reorganised and loaded on board the Clan Forbes when it returned to Gan from Colombo on 14th November.  Leaving a number of sick behind on the hospital ship Vita, the A.M.T.B. Battery and the rest of Force ‘Shortcut’ boarded the Clan Forbes on 23rd and 24th November and the ship sailed two days later.[8]

Diego Garcia: December 1941

Force ‘Shortcut’

However, the original intended objective for Force ‘Shortcut’, to build a defended base in the Nancowry Island chain, was by now in the process of being discarded by the military chiefs, given the speed with which the Japanese were advancing in the Far East.  Instead of proceeding to Port ‘W’, Force ‘Shortcut’ now went to the anchorage at Diego Garcia where the Royal Marines were to build facilities and install a two-gun 6-inch coastal battery.  The ship arrived on 28th November 1941 and work began immediately.  After initial progress, a detachment was left to continue with the works programme while the majority of Force ‘Shortcut’ were sent to enjoy a deserved break at Ceylon.  The Clan Forbes sailed on 4th December, made a brief stop at Addu Atoll on 6th December and arrived at Colombo on 8th December. 

Ceylon: December 1941

Force ‘Shortcut’

The day after arrival, all ranks went to the Royal Navy Camp, Diyatalawa where they enjoyed a lengthy rest until on 2nd January 1942, the main body of Force ‘Shortcut’ returned to Colombo and boarded the Clan Forbes once again. 

Diego Garcia: January– March 1942

Force ‘Shortcut’

Leaving Colombo on 5th January, the next day the ship called briefly at Male, the capital of the Maldives, before arriving back at Diego Garcia.  The ship then went to Addu Atoll, on 7th January before returning once again to Male on 11th January.  Doubling back on itself, the ship then returned to Addu Atoll to drop off equipment collected at Male, arriving on 12th January.  The ship left the next day and finally arrived at Diego Garcia on 15th January.  The guns were unloaded and installed before being test fired on 22nd January.  Unloading of ships and construction work continued into February.  The major part of Force ‘Shortcut’ left Diego Garcia on board the Clan Forbes, having handed over to a relief force, on 19th February and sailed to Addu Atoll, arriving on 21st February.  Having loaded fresh stores, the ship returned one more time to Diego Garcia, leaving Addu Atoll on 24th February and arriving at the destination two days later.  After a final period of unloading and construction, Force ‘Shortcut’ left Diego Garcia – Port ‘W’ – on 13th March.  Stopping at Addu Atoll for only a few hours on 15th March, the ship arrived at Colombo on 18th March.  The men of Force ‘Shortcut’ disembarked the next day and ‘Z’ Battery and the A.M.T.B. Battery rejoined the 1st Coast Regiment, R.M., by now established at Boosa Camp.  Force ‘Shortcut was formally disbanded the next day.[9]

Ceylon: March 1942 and November 1942 – July 1943

1st Coast Regiment, R.M.

On 19th March 1942, ‘Z’ and A.M.T.B. Batteries rejoined the Regiment from detached duty with Force “Shortcut” – the Royal Marine detachment which served on Addu Atoll.  At the end of the month, on 30th March, ‘Devon’ Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, R.M. was formed from ‘Devon’, ‘Z’ and A.M.T.B. Batteries.  The ‘Devon’ L.A.A. Battery was disbanded on 27th November 1942 and the personnel reorganised to reform ‘Devon’, ‘Z’ and A.M.T.B. Batteries.  The A.M.T.B. Battery remained at Diyatalawa under the command of Lieutenant J.H. Measor, R.M.  On 1st December, the Battery was attached to ‘Kent’ Battery and both batteries were commanded by the ‘Kent’ Battery commander, Major J.F. Maxfield.  After a short period of training, both batteries left Diyatalawa by train for Rifle Green Camp, Colombo on 17th December, arriving the next day.[10] 

In Egypt, at Geneifa, a detachment sized sub-unit of the A.M.T.B. Battery was formed from a nucleus of personnel remaining in Egypt.  It is thought that this detachment later travelled to Ceylon when the R.M. Group, M.N.B.D.O. I moved there in June 1943.[11]

By 1st January 1943, the A.M.T.B. Battery was at Rifle Green Camp, Colombo, training in small arms.  The Battery moved to Echelon Barracks on 11th January.  With ‘Kent’ Battery, the A.M.T.B. Battery provided a duty platoon for beach defences.  Later that month, on 21st January, the Battery was detached from ‘Kent’ Battery under the command of Lieutenant Measor and continued to provide the duty platoon for the beach defences at Colombo through to April 1943.  Between 6th and 10th April, the Battery took part in Exercise ‘Box’.  Owing to reduced strength due to sickness, the Battery joined with ‘Kent’ Battery to operate as ‘A’ Company for the duration of the exercise.  Small arms training and guard duty continued until 13th May when four Bofors guns were supplied to the Battery and training with these began on 25th May.  However, training was suspended on 29th May owing to the forthcoming move of the 1st Coast Regiment, R.M.  The Regiment began the move to the Royal Navy Air Station at Katukurunda on 1st June, with the A.M.T.B. Battery arriving on 4th June.  Bofors training re-commenced, involving both anti-aircraft practice firing at Galle and anti-tank practice firing on the Kalutara Range.  On 27th June, Major Matters, R.M. and sixty-eight Other Ranks arrived from the Middle East and Major Matters took command of the Battery.[12]

Practice firing was held again in July 1943, by which time the Battery was organised in to ‘A’ and ‘B’ Troops.  Three additional Bofors guns were received on 18th July.  In addition to training with the Bofors guns, the Battery was also involved in ‘Commando Training’.[13] 

On 1st August 1943, at Katukurunda, the 1st Coast Regiment, R.M. was divided to form two new regiments – the 1st and 3rd Coast Regiments, R.M.  The ‘Kent’ and ‘X’ Batteries went to the 3rd Coast Regiment.  Two new A.M.T.B. batteries were formed, each with six 40mm Bofors guns.  The original intention had been to title the new batteries as numbers 1 and 3, however by the date of formation on 1st August, they were named as ‘Chatham’ and ‘Portsmouth’ Batteries.  The ‘Chatham’ Battery was assigned to the new 1st Coast Regiment and the ‘Portsmouth’ Battery to the 3rd Coast Regiment.[14] 

 9 November 2023