The LST and Landing Craft Association home page

LST & Landing Craft Association

Second and Final President: Mike Cresswell

First President: RJ (Jim) Brend MBE RN (Rtd)

The Association
1987-2011

"From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered"
Shakespeare (King Henry V)

The LST and Landing Craft Association was founded in 1987 by Shipmate WJ (Bill) Chalk who was Vice-President from 1989 to 2003. Without Bill's vision and courage this Association would not have existed and flourished today in it's present form.

The main aim of The Association was to promote and maintain fellowship between members of a similar service background. It also served to give moral support to members in case of need and to provide financial assistance to less fortunate members, as funds allowed, at the discretion of the Management Committee.

The Annual Reunions were very well attended (usually over 400 in total) and normally ran from Monday to Friday. The Association’s Annual General Meeting was held during the course of the Reunion which also included a Church Parade and Memorial Service. Local visits and other events were arranged which, together with convivial evenings on the dance floor, at the bar or just 'swinging the lamp', all contributed to a truly enjoyable and nostalgic break from the outside world.

The first Reunion was held in 1988 at Portsmouth when 129 former LST and Landing Craft crew members, together with 68 wives, were in attendance. Since then Annual Reunions have been held at Portsmouth (1989), Blackpool (1990, 1998, 2000, 2004, 2006 & 2009), Skegness (1991), Bognor Regis (1992), Ayr (1993), Pwllheli (1994), Brighton (1995), Scarborough (1996), Weston-Super-Mare (1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005 & 2009), Hayling Island (2002 & 2007) and Coventry (2008). The final reunion was held at Hayling Island in September, 2011 when the Association's Standard was laid up in St Mary's Church in South Hayling, where it remains.

To cover the more local and frequent interests of members, Britain was divided into Regions - about 20 at present - each with a Regional Representative who co-ordinated local activities and meetings within the Regional Groups. Some of the Regions still exist and circulate their own Newsletters.

In order to keep members in regular touch, a quarterly Newsletter "The Kedge Hook" was circulated. This was in the form of an A5-size journal of around 40 pages covering all manner of items of interest to members. These included reports by the principal officers of the Association, reports on activities from the Regions, book reviews, members’ letters and anecdotes, historical notes relevant to Landing Ships, Craft and Barges and much more.

There are a number of memorials to the men of the landing ships and craft, some of which are the Association's own.

The Association badge was based on the World War Two Combined Operations emblem. It was worn on blazers, berets, ties, ladies’ headscarves and sweaters. There were also lapel badges, brooches, car windscreen stickers and wall plaques. All of these gave members an appearance and feeling of identity, unity and pride.

The Association had its own national Standard and some of the Regional Groups have their own Standards based on the national one. The Association's Standard was laid up in St Mary's Church in South Hayling, where it remains.

All offices of the Association were honorary posts and were: -

The President
Vice-President
Chairman
Vice-Chairman
Secretary
Treasurer
Membership Secretary
Supply Officer
Newsletter Editor
Archivist

These officers, together with a number of full members elected for a period of three years, formed the Association's Management Committee.

MEMBERSHIP

The membership at the closure of the Association stood at 1,013 (739 Full members and 274 Associate and Honorary members). Throughout the years, the Association had 3,239 members (2,602 Full members and 637 Associate and Honorary members).

Full members were those former and present members of the RN, RM, RFA, WRNS and other armed services who served or were serving in Landing Ships, Craft or Barges and Beach Parties and Base Staff.

Associate members were wives and husbands of full members, widows and widowers of former members and of Service personnel who would have been eligible as full members as well as certain others considered able to make a positive contribution to the Association.

The Association had an appreciable number of overseas members. Apart from the 3,049 United Kingdom, Channel Islands, and Isle of Man there were, over the years, members in: -
Australia (44), Barbados (1), Bermuda (1), Canada (24), Cyprus (1), France (5), Germany (1), Holland (1), Italy (1), New Zealand (29), Portugal (1), Republic of Ireland (1), Republic of South Africa (2), Spain (1), Switzerland (1), USA (74), Zambia (1) and Zimbabwe (1)

Most members did not spend all of their service during the Second World War in Combined Operations (a generic term for most of those serving in or connected with landing ships, craft or barges). Many saw service also in other RN ships:

battleships e.g. "Warspite"
aircraft carriers e.g. "Colossus"
cruisers e.g. "Ajax"
destroyers e.g. "Jervis"
frigates e.g. "Fal"
etc.

More recently the Association was glad to welcome serving members and those who have not long left the Service of: -

amphibious ships e.g. "Fearless" & Intrepid".

Sometimes former Shipmates meet again after a gap of possibly 50 or 60 years or more. Often new friendships were forged as a result of becoming members of this Association.

Many of the members who served during World War Two took part in some of the larger-scale raids and landings such as: -

Anzio
Burma
Dieppe
Lofoten Islands
Madagascar
Narvik
Normandy
North-West Africa
Salerno
Sicily
South-East Asia
Walcheren

Book List

A list of books concerning landing craft and ships of WWII, including some written by members of the Association, can be downloaded here.