Crew Notes: L - M
This page is about the crew members I do not yet have enough information to create their own page.
Derek Fred William Lane MX 93417
Derek Lane was an Engineroom Artificer Second Class on HMS Gambia. He died on August 19, 1953 and is buried at Kalkara Naval Cemetery on Malta.
W. N. Lattimer
"The Taranakian", the year book of the New Plymouth Boys' High School, New Zealand, of December 1944, reports that "Signalman W. N. Lattimer is on HMS Gambia. His brother, Dick, is a Lieutenant in the Indian Army."
James B. G. (Bert) Lawford
The November 1997 issue of Navy News said that James passed away on September 5, 1997, aged 77. James served in the navy from 1938 to 1952 reaching the rank of Petty Officer (SM). James served on the ships Furious, Gambia, Jamaica, Raleigh, Howe, Orion, Vanguard, HDLs 1072 and 1076, ML 367, and LST 76.
John Alexander Le Sueur
John was a member of the South African Training Ship General Botha Old Boys Association where this information comes from:
September 29, 1939 he joined Royal Navy as Midshipman. Served on HMAMC Carnovan Castle, Eperance Bay, HMS Liverpool, HMS Valient, HMS Duneden, HMS Cloudburst, HMS Gambia. In 9143 he was serving on HMS Gambia as a Sub Lieutenant. In 1945 he transferred to South African Naval Forces but seconded to Royal Navy. Promoted to Lieutenant.
Shore establishments: Greenwich College, Chatham, English Ports Trincomalee, Alexandra. Theatres in Med E.A. Fleet. Convoy duties W. Africa. Home Fleet Scapa Flow. North Atlantic convoys. Indian Ocean. Released from service 1946.
Joined S.A.P. (South African Police?) in 1958. John passed away on October 10, 2000.
Robert "Gipsy" Lenden NZD 4237
Robert was born in 1926. Gipsy served on HMNZS Achilles and HMNZS Gambia during WWII as Able Seaman. He was the husband of Kathleen and father to Puke, Manu, Kim, Dean, Rangi, Richard and Simon. He passed away on August 4, 2010 aged 86.
Douglas Lewis
Douglas was born on May 16, 1921. He left the steel works in Sheffield in 1940 or41 and joined the Royal Navy. He trained at Portsmouth.as an ERA (Engine room Artificer, and left the Uk in 1941 or 1942 for HMS Trincomalee, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). He was on convoy escort off South Africa, Maurtius, and the Indian Ocean. At some time he was at Gibraltar. He was on HMS Gambia and had RnR in Fremantle Australia for two weeks. He was in fleet salvage in Trincomalee. For a time using mulberry floating docks.
He was on a ship that was torpedoed, but the torpedo did not detonate. He had to Rig a bosun's chair and roll the boat to plug both sides. He was on The Gambia on its final passage back to the UK and was then moved to Costal Command under Sir Peter Scott on Steam Gun Boats Grey Goose etc. as a turbine Engineer and travelled across the South Coast repairing and Servicing the MotorGun Boats after raids to the continent.
My thanks to Douglas' son Keith for supplying the above information.
Ted Lindop
Ted served as Telegraphist on HMS Gambia for the 1952/54 commission. I believe he is being presented with the Malaysian Service Medal or Pingat Jasa Malaysia for recognition in the fight against Malaysian communist forces between August 31, 1957 and December 31, 1966 which started to be issued from March 2004.
Gilroy Linley
In November 2018, I received a nice email from Joan Linley. Her father, Gilroy Linley, served on HMS Gambia during WWII first as Engineroom Artificer and later as Petty Officer at war's end. He had recently died and among his effects Joan found the following engineer's aide memoire. Not only that but she sent the original card to me which I am very grateful for. The card might not be Gilroy's own handwriting but probably given him when he joined the ship.
Engineer's Aide Memoire
Photo: Very kindly donated by Joan Linley, daughter of Gilroy Linley who served on HMS Gambia during WWII
David W. Lister
David served on the 1958/60 commission as Radio Electrical Mechanic 1st Class. He later served as the HMS Gambia Associations's Social Secretary. David passed away in November 2012.
John B. Lloyd
John was a Royal Marine who served between 1954 and 1963. He served on HMS Gambia as gun crew between 1955 and 1956. John also served on HMS Eagle before joining 41 Commando. He was with 40 Commando during the Indonesian insurrection in Borneo in the 1960s.
The Brunei Revolt and Indonesian Confrontation (1962 - 1966) had their origins in Indonesian opposition to the creation of the Federation of Malaysia and their own plans for a Greater Indonesia. The Federation of Malaysia aimed to unite the mainly Malay-populated states of the Malayan Peninsula with the former British colonies of Singapore, Brunei, Sarawak and North Borneo. In order to destabilise the process, Indonesian President Sukarno actively supported The North Kalimantan National Army (TNKU) in their aim of overthrowing the Sultan of Brunei and uniting the whole of Borneo under Indonesian rule.
John was invalided out of the Marines following a road traffic accident in Singapore. He passed away on December 25, 2017, aged 81.
P. F. Lofthouse
P. F. Lofthouse attended the Brigg Grammar School in Lincolnshire. The school magazine, The Briggensian of July 1952 said that:
P. F. Lofthouse (Anchoime 1943-50) is still on National Service as a Coder in the R.N. He is acting-schoolmaster on board H.M.S. Gambia. He has voyaged all over the Mediterranean, to Greece, Crete, Cyprus, Sardinia, Malta, Tunisia and Nice. He served for two months up the Persian Gulf at the time of the Abadan affair and served for thirteen weeks at Port Said during the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan dispute. He has also cruised round the coast of Pakistan (Karachi and India (Bombay, Cochin) to Ceylon (Colombo and Trincomalee) and to Rangoon.
Ian MacDonald
Ian's daughter Marie, wrote on the RNZN Communicators website that her father Ian MacDonald, an Able Seaman (Radar) was aboard HMS Gambia from September 27, 1945 to December 7, 1945. He was at Philomel December 8, 1945 until his discharge on June 12, 1946.
Ronald M. MacKay
Ronald was a Royal Marines Bandsman and served on HMS Gambia for the 1955/56 commission. Ronald passed away in 2003.
Lt. Cdr. D. G. Maitland
In 1947, Maitland was an Acting Lieutenant on HMS Gambia. After HMS Gambia he served on the shore stations HMS Nuthatch, Condor and President. He passed away in 1996.
Arthur Mann
Arthur served on HMS Gambia as Stoker Mechanic from 30th March 1950 to 31st July 1952. He then moved to submarines.
Kenyon G. Mansfield
Kenyon P/JX 292315 served on the 1958 - 1960 commission as Chief Radio Supervisor. He served in the Royal Navy from 1942 – 1975 on a diversity of ships: HMS St George – HMS Onslaught – HMS Scylla – HMS Fowey – HMS Pepys – HMS Amethyst -HMS Venerable – HMS Implacable – HMS Fierce – HMS Vanguard – HMS Newfoundland – HMS Ceylon – HMS Kenya – HMS Gambia – HMS Birmingham – HMS Bermuda – HMS Mercury – Staff CRS to Nottingham RNR. He was a member of the Norwich Branch of the Royal Naval Association, where this information was obtained. Kenyon passed away on August 9, 2017 aged 92.
Bruce A. Martin NZ4978
Bruce served on HMNZS Gambia during WWII as an Able Seaman.
L. V. M. Martin
L. V. M. Martin served on HMS Gambia under Captain Sir Peter William Gretton, which would have been 1952 - 1954. I do not know his rank. He wrote the article "A Backward Glance to Late Boyhood" about the training of boys in the Royal Navy, in the October 1987 issue of The Naval Review.
Bevan John Maxwell
Bevan served on HMNZS Gambia during WWII and I am grateful to his son-in-law, Paul Darrall for the following information:
Bevan was born on July 22, 1925, at Haitaitai, Wellington to Alexander Maxwell and Minnie (nee Bevan) and spent most of his life living in Hamilton, New Zealand. He married in September 1951, and the couple had five children in Hamilton.
Bevan worked as a painter in his early post-war days but was self-employed as a 'master painter' for most of his latter life. He divorced his wife and went to Australia where he once again befriended a young girl who showed him around Sydney when Gambia called there in March 1945, finally marrying her in November 1992.
Paul married Bevan's daughter in November 1981 in Hamilton, but he had known the family from about 1965. The couple still live in Hamilton.
The couple lived in a retirement village in Forster, some 400 miles north of Sydney until Bevan died on the December 7, 2010, followed by his wife in 2019.
George C. McAvoy
Royal Marine Colour Sergeant George C. McAvoy, served on HMS Gambia's 1954/56 commission. He is a relative of Commander Harry Riley who died at sea on January 14, 1943 while serving on HMS Gambia. He was born in 1919 so was aged 39 or 40 when he died. He was Fleet Commissioner, China Fleet and was the son of George Bruce and Margaret Ann Riley, of Colne.
George served onJohn Walter McCallion RNZN 10056
John was born in 1925. He married Mary Agnes Campbell in 1948, at age 22 and had one child. John passed away on March 6, 2011, aged 85, at Whakatane, New Zealand. He is buried at Opotiki Public Cemetery, New Zealand.
Ron McCallum
Ron was a Royal Marine on the 1955/56 commission. He was a bandsman and played the trombone. Ron passed away on May 14, 2011 in Vancouver, Canada. He and Bill Hartland were together at the Royal Marines School of Music in 1952
Gilbert McCulloch
Gilbert McCulloch, C/JX130902, was a Chief Petty Officer Telegraphist on HMS Gambia in 1943. The Admiralty Fleet Orders for June 10, 1943 lists him as being Mentioned in Despatches.
Thomas Hansen "Mac" McFlinn NZ3098
Mac was born in 1921 and became a Commander who served with the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. He was posted to HMS Glasgow which took part in the Russian Convoys and later served in HMNZS Gambia. He was made Temporary Sub Lieutenant on November 26, 1943 and was Temporary Paymaster Sub Lieutenant on HMNZS Gambia by January 31, 1945. For his service he was awarded the 1939-45 Star, Atlantic Star, Burma Star with Pacific Clasp, Defence Medal, War Medal 1939-45, NZ War Service Medal, Royal Naval Volunteer Decoration, 1957 and the Russian Jubilee medal. His wife, Mabel Joyce "Jay" McFlinn, passed away on June 5, 1985, aged 60. and Mac passed away on August 22, 2002, aged 81. They are buried in Papakura Cemetery, Auckland, New Zealand.
John "Jock" H. McGinn
Jock served as Mechanician 1st Class (E) on HMS Gambia's 1958/60 commission. Jock passed away in December 2012.
Donald Bruce McIntosh 1660
Donald served during both WWII and the Korean War on HMNZS Achilles, HMNZS Gambia, HMNZS Black Prince, the cruiser HMNZS Royalist, and the frigate HMNZS Rotoiti. He passed away on February 11, 1995 and was cremated at North Shore Memorial Park and Crematorium, New Zealand.
Neil "Mac" McLeod NZD2268
Neil was born on January 27, 1920 at Temuka, South Canterbury, New Zealand. He joined the navy on January 18, 1941 aged 20. He served on HMS Monowai and later HMNZS Gambia as Stoker Class 1. For his service Neil was awarded the 1939-1945 Star, Defence Medal, War Medal 1939-1945, and the New Zealand War Service Medal. He was married to Lillian. Neil passed away on August 15, 2011, aged 91, at Papakura, Auckland. He is buried at Pokeno Cemetery, New Zealand.
Robert James McNeil
After the Navy in 1950 Robert trained as a Schoolteacher. He gained advanced research degrees; MA London, BPhil Liverpool, and MBA City.
Allan Crawford McNeill RNZN 6730
Allan was born on January 17, 1921 at Riverton, Southland, New Zealand. He served in minesweepers before being drafted to HMNZS Gambia. He had been married to his wife, Jill, for 63 years before passing away on April 14, 2018, aged 97.
Charlie Mearns
Charlie served twice on HMS Gambia. The first time was as a Boy/Ordinary Telegraphist for the 1950 to 1952 commission and later as a Petty Officer Telegraphist on the 1957 to 1958 commission. He passed away on August 29, 2004.
Alfred Albert "Tony" Millo
Tony was the son of Henry George Millo (1875-1955) and Elizabeth Ann Wilson (1881-1974). He was born on September 4, 1910 in Shoreditch, London. He married Catherine Mary de Filippis on March 14, 1936 at the Registry Office in Kensington, London and they had two daughters and a son.
Tony was made a T/S.Lt. (Sp.Br.) (meteorological) on September 30, 1941 and T/Lt. on December 30 the same year. He served on:
HMS Queen of Bermuda (armed merchant cruiser) - January 20, 1942 to February 1942
HMS Gambia (Crown Colony class cruiser) - February 2, 1942 to June 1943
HMS Daedalus (RN Air Station, Lee-on-Solent) - July 24, 1943 to April 1945 and again from August 1, 1945 to October 1945.
After the war he became a school teacher and died on August 23, 1991 at Kingston Hospital, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey and is buried at Mortlake Cemetery, Hammersmith.
George Parker Milnes
George was the son of William Henry Milnes (1871-1953) and Ruth Alice Crowther (1874-1961) and was born on January 24, 1901 in Leeds. He amrried Emily Elizabeth Lockwood (born January 18, 1898) on September 10, 1932 at the Congregational Chapel, Leeds.
Acting Paymaster S. Lt. on March 10, 1944
HMS Lanka (RN base, Colombo, Ceylon) from March 27, 1944 to May 1944
On May 6, 1944 he joined HMNZS Gambia and was promoted to S. Lt. on September 10, 1944. He left HMNZS Gambia in January 1945.
HMS Lanka (RN base, Colombo, Ceylon) in March 1945
HMS Braganza III (landing craft signal and navigation training establishment, Bombay, India) from March 20, 1945 to October 1945.In October 1945 he was also promoted to Acting Lt.
HMS Ceres (Ceres class cruiser) from November 15, 1945 to April 1946.
On leaving the navy George became a commercial traveller selling starch, metal polish etc. He lived mostly around Eaton, Norwich but died on August 23, 1976 in Bath.
William James Morton
William served on the Gambia as a cook towards the end of the Pacific war. His daughter, Vorren, says that he was apparently locked in one of the gun turrets during the final battle which lead to years of nightmares & deafness. William lived to the ripe age of 89 despite being treated for bowel cancer believed to have been caused by being in Japan at the end of WWII.
Thomas Mulligan
Thomas served as Mechanician 1st Class (E) on HMS Gambia for the 1958/60 commission. He passed away in late October 2011. His funeral was on November 1, 2011. John Andrews wrote in the original HMS Gambia website guestbook on November 5, 2011:
I wish to thank those of our members who managed the journey to Hattersley on Tuesday last to attend Tommy Mulligan's funeral. Tony Hockenhull paraded the Standard with his usual dignity and bearing. Geoff and Viv Stevens, Rene Casbolt and Michael Flanagan, Kath Hockenhull and myself were joined by John Armitage's son Peter which was a good turn out. After the funeral Tony presented Tommy's wife Margaret with the ship's pennant and Phil, (Tommy's carer) provided a tot of Pusser's for us each to toast Tommy. When we left the family and friends thanked us for attending and gave us a big round of applause.
Anthony Murray
Anthony served as Electrical Mechanician on HMS Gambia from 1949 to 1952. Anthony passed away in January 2013.