Orders, Decorations and Medals

The important St. Nazaire C.G.M. group awarded to Petty Officer L. S. Lamb, Coxwain of Motor Launch 160

CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY MEDAL (Royal Navy), G.VI.R. (Jx.141 113. L. S. Lamb, A/P.O., R.N.); 1939-45 STAR; ATLANTIC STAR; WAR MEDAL, good very fine (4)

C.G.M., London Gazette, 2l May, 1942, Acting Petty Officer Leonard Sidney Lamb 'For great bravery in rescuing many men from a blazing Motor Launch under intense fire at very short range, and for selfless devotion in tending the wounded on the way back from the raid.'

0100 Hrs on 28 March 1942 found L. S. Lamb cruising between the closing banks of the Loire Estuary at the helm of Torpedo Motor Launch 160, ready to play his part in delivering a punishing blow to the vaunted master-race inside Fortress Europe. Off the port bow, Motor Gun Boat 314, carrying the Operation's two commanders, Lt. Col. Newman and Cdr. Ryder, both of whom were to win the Victoria Cross, could be seen leading the other sixteen vessels that comprised Force Chariot. In the wake of MGB 314 followed the former American destroyer, H.M.S. Campbeltown, now fitted with a four and a half ton explosives package, designed to blow apart the southern lock-gates to the only dry dock on the Nazi-occupied Atlantic seaboard capable of berthing the mighty battleship, Tirpitz. During the final run in to St. Nazaire, where the glare of searchlights would turn night into day and the din of battle would reign supreme, ML 160's skipper, Lieut. Tom 'Lizard' Boyd, casualty commented to his coxswain, 'This is a queer do,' to which Lamb swiftly retorted 'It'll soon be a bloody sight queerer, sir.'

As the force steamed passed the Les Morees Tower, with the troop carrying M.L's formed into port and starboard columns, a German shore signal station flashed an identification demand. Employing a pre-planned ruse, the MGB signalled back in German that she was 'proceeding up harbour in accordance with previous orders.' For several valuable minutes Force Chariot steamed on unchecked while the German defences sought verification. However, one alert and imaginative German officer, a Capt. Meke of the Naval Flak Brigade, whose suspicions had been aroused by the unusual behaviour of RAF Bombers overhead had concluded that night's air raid had surely been intended as a diversion. And thus, at 0120 hrs he put out the general order, 'Beware Landing.' Meanwhile on the river a searchlight beam fell upon the M.G.B. followed by a burst of automatic fire. But instead of stopping as any German force would have done, Force Chariot, now illuminated in a blaze of light, increased speed drawing a hail of multi-coloured tracer from the shore. Through the blinding glare, M.L. 160 came suddenly upon an anchored Sperrbrecher, acting as guardship, into which she nearly collided. Boyd later recalled he 'had to alter course violently to avoid hitting it and gave it a very good burst as we went by.'

At 0134 hrs, Campbeltown smashed into the dock gates winning Lt. Cdr. Beattie the Victoria Cross and tearing back thirty-six feet of her bows. Under intense fire the starboard and port columns of M.L's attempted to land their Commandos, but all that could be seen from the stern of 160 was boat after boat being hit and bursting into flames. As one of the four Torpedo NIL's, 160 held a roving commission to sink any opposing vessels and if necessary to draw fire away from the Troop carrying M.L's. Thus Boyd went off up stream in search of lucrative targets but finding none returned to the vicinity of the lock gates with the intention of going alongside Campbeltown to offer whatever assistance he could. However before reaching the gates, Boyd spotted two Bofors guns on top of a power-house shooting the hell out of everybody.' In response, Lamb brought M.L. 160 safely under the guns maximum depression, while Boyd directed thirty rounds of high explosive, and his gunner, Mclver, repeatedly yelled, 'Och! that's hit the bastards again.' Although the Bofors were quickly silenced, 160 now came under such intense fire from all sides that Lamb found himself having to constantly leave the helm and crawl from the wheelhouse to see if his skipper was still alive. An opportunity then arose to loose off a 'tin fish,' which, after a run of about 350 yds, sent up a column of white water on the anchored target amidships. Next, M.L. 160 found herself held by searchlights focussing shot and shell into her. To those aboard it must have seemed as though the end was near, as the M.L. shuddered with each strike. Then, with a blinding crash and amidst clouds of smoke, all the lights went out and both engines cut. But once more M.L. 160's luck held, and seconds later the engines cur in again allowing Boyd to take his vessel off in the direction of the Old Mole where Lieut. T. D. L. Platt's M.L. 447 was ablaze and in severe difficulties.

To alleviate Platt's situation, Boyd brought 160 between the Old Mole and 447 drawing fire onto his own vessel. During this manoeuvre, 160's stern crashed into 447's starboard side briefly locking both launches together. In spite of the intense gunfire, Boyd's crew and Platt's standing survivors transferred the wounded to M.L. 160. Through the general courageousness of the rescuers, Petty Officer Lamb's gallantry shone out, as he repeatedly went aboard the blazing boat and carried off many wounded whom he then tended untiringly. Having backed out into the river and seen the remains of 447 blow up, Boyd delayed his withdrawal to pull three more Commandos from the water. Several shells then hit the boat causing a fire aft and cutting the port engine. Oerlikon shells raked the deck either killing or wounding again some of the injured. After some forty minutes in the port, Boyd set off downstream weaving his way between the waterspouts thrown up by the shore batteries. At about 0330 hrs, the port engine was repaired and 160 made her way out to the proposed rendezvous. In the event the only rendezvous that Boyd made was with the M.L's of Lieuts. Wallis and Horlock, with whom he set course for England. However, their adventures were not yet over. During forenoon the little convoy was attacked by a Heinkel 111 which was swiftly knocked into the sea by the combined firepower of their Oerlikon guns, giving rise to the issue of a celebratory double rum ration aboard M.L 160. Finally, the following day, after three days and three nights away, the M.L's of Lieuts. Boyd, Wallis and Horlock, being the only surviving vessels from Force Chariot, pushed into Falmouth with barely an hour's fuel to spare.