The story of Coastal Forces is an inspiring and exciting tale. Their operations were as diverse as attacking enemy convoys and their E-Boat escorts, to running agents to the enemy coast and playing a major role in the raids at Dieppe and St Nazaire and the D-Day landings in Normandy.
The story can best be told through the boats and the men who fought in them. There remain only a few of the 2,000 Coastal Forces craft, Motor Torpedo Boats (MTBs), Motor Gun Boats (MGBs) and Motor Launches (MLs), whose exploits in WW2 so stirred the public imagination. Affectionately known as the Navy's 'Little Ships' they served with distinction throughout the Second World War. From Dunkirk to VJ day, they fought over 990 actions, sinking 800 enemy vessels, including 48 E-boats. Of 81 enemy midget submarines destroyed, 32 were claimed by Coastal Forces. Having fired 1169 torpedoes, their percentage of hits and probable hits bettered that of the submarine service. In addition, 32 enemy aircraft were shot down and twice as many mine laying operations were carried out than were credited to other mine laying forces.
By 1944, Coastal Forces, numbering some 3,000 officers and 22,000 ratings were operating from the Narrow Seas of the Channel and the North Sea, from Norway the Far East, including the Mediterranean.
Over 3,000 decorations, including two Victoria Crosses to Lt. Agar and AB Savage were won by the men of these 'Little Ships', often faced by the larger vessels of their protagonists in over 990 battles.
By the close of hostilities 170 of the 'Little Ships' had been sunk or destroyed
The Trust has located many of the charismatic WW2 Coastal Forces leaders and crews and has recorded their memories to form a DVD archive for future researchers.