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Garth
One of the last of the WWII fast patrol boats still afloat, Garth, is to appear at the Beale Park Thames Boat Show.
In the months leading up to the D-Day invasion of France, a key concern was that the landings planned to take place along the Normandy Coast would be tremendously difficult for the Allies. Field Marshal Rommel was in charge of the defences and there was every reason to believe that the landings would be hard going, and that there would be many casualties.
In order to help defend the troops in landing craft and amphibious DUKWs, the Britishy Army was given 80 fast patrol boats armed with anti-aircraft and assault weapons, one of which was Garth, pictured above.
In fact, these Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) boats were never used for this purpose – the date of the landings was brought forward and they were not ready to be brought into service at the time of the invasion, and instead they were sent to various hot spots around the world including Egypt, India, Hong Kong and the Middle East.
Garth is maintained by workshop staff serving with the British Army and is kept by the Coastal Motorboat Heritage Trust. The CMHT exhibits a number of craft from this era on behalf of their owners, including MGB 81, the gunboat that led the American attack on Omaha Beach on D-Day.
hi i am writing with regard the picture of the rasc class, my father owns and lives aboard the sister ship of the ' garth ' we believe her to be the ' breen ' or possibly the ' beem ' although we are not sure of the actual name she has held the name of 'friends folly' for the last 20 years ' she is believed to have traveled to south yorkshire with another boat named the avon . any history you may have on the rasc class and possibly the ' brenn ' or ' beem ' would be very gratefully recieved
yours
andy
Garth – currently moored at Teddington lock.
05-07-10
This week I have reached the age of seventy seven years, too old to carry on, and have sold Garth to Tom Lash, the Quay Sandwich in Kent where she is alongside for all to see. Tom will keep her
there and carry on.
John Cook, Secretary, Coastal Motorboat Heritage Trust. http://www.coastalmotorboat.org.uk ,
(I will carry on with the Trust, my number is 079078 95281)
johngarthcook@aol.co.uk