Any surviving US PT boats in UK?
Printed From: BMPT Forum
Category: Boats (In alphabetical order)
Forum Name: Motor Torpedo Boats
Forum Description: Discussion on Motor Torpedo Boats
URL: http://www.bmpt.co.uk/forum_posts.asp?TID=90
Printed Date: 26 March 2026 at 5:16pm
Topic: Any surviving US PT boats in UK?
Posted By: jngilmar
Subject: Any surviving US PT boats in UK?
Date Posted: 01 January 2006 at 10:33am
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Hello, my name is Jerry, and I am on the restoration crew of a 78 foot Higgins PT Boat from WW2, the USS PT658. It is located in Portland Oregon. At one of our recent meetings we were discussing the possibility of any surviving US made Motor Torpedo Boats or Motor Gun Boats in the Royal Navy that were "lend-leased" to Great Britain during the war. Is there anybody out there that knows of any surviving Higgins 78 foot or Elco 77 foot and/or Elco 80 foot boats? As time marches on there are fewer and fewer of these boats still around. We would like to get any sort of photos or contact information about them. By the way we have a web site http://www.savetheptboatinc.com - www.savetheptboatinc.com . Thanks in advance for your help! Jerry ------------- Jerry Gilmartin USS PT658 Portland Oregon www.savetheptboatinc.com |
Replies:
Posted By: Christian
Date Posted: 03 January 2006 at 4:36pm
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I know of one lend/lease Higgins ex RASC Gallipoli,ex RN MGB69 ex RN MASB69.She was built New Orleans 1940 and was at Penton Hook marina under restoration in 2002 |
Hi JerryPosted By: jngilmar
Date Posted: 04 January 2006 at 8:15am
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Hi Christian, Thanks for the reply, can you tell me a little bit more? Where is Penton Hook Marina? Do you know a name or contact number of the people who are working on the boat? Thanks, Jerry ------------- Jerry Gilmartin USS PT658 Portland Oregon www.savetheptboatinc.com |
Posted By: Christian
Date Posted: 04 January 2006 at 10:42am
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Hi Jerry I got the info and pic from Ships Monthly March 2002,perhaps they have more recent info.She was rescued from a gravel pit (what is wrong with some people)by Peter Coe.I'm local to Gibraltar and have no idea where Penton Hook marina is but I'm sure other forum users can help you out(or Google) |
Posted By: Pioneer
Date Posted: 04 January 2006 at 11:21am
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Hello Jerry, Penton Hook Marina is situated on Staines Road, Chertsey. UK As Christian states 'Google' will give you their web site for possible direct contact Regards Ted ------------- Pioneer - Forum Moderator |
Posted By: jngilmar
Date Posted: 04 January 2006 at 12:14pm
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Does anybody know who is the "Peter Coe" associated with this boat? I would be greatly interested in contacting him also. Thanks to both Pioneer and Christian for your helpful response. Jerry PS Here is a photo of PT658 underway in the ------------- Jerry Gilmartin USS PT658 Portland Oregon www.savetheptboatinc.com |
River Posted By: Christian
Date Posted: 04 January 2006 at 4:32pm
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Pic of sistership to Penton Hook boat in Service with the RN.These are the 69ft Higgins boats(I think built for Finland originally) |
Posted By: Christian
Date Posted: 16 January 2006 at 2:55pm
| Just heard from Philip Simons who confirms Gallipoli was broken up a couple of years ago.Oh well...seems the restoration never went ahead. |
Posted By: jngilmar
Date Posted: 16 January 2006 at 3:12pm
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Dear Mr. Gilmartin,
Unfortunately, Gallipoli was broken up by its owner just over two years ago. She was at Penton Hook Marina, which is on the upper reaches of the River Thames for many years. The vessel had previously been abandoned and Mr. Coe tried his very best to rescue her. As with all these projects funds was an issue and ended in her disposal.
If I can help with any further information please do no hesitate to contact me.
Kind regards,
Colin Jefferies
Manager
Penton Hook Marina
01932 568681 ------------- Jerry Gilmartin USS PT658 Portland Oregon www.savetheptboatinc.com |
Posted By: Mikeg8
Date Posted: 03 March 2006 at 12:47pm
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Hi Jerry
I had a look at the web site: you've done a ton of work in bringing her up to scratch. Good luck with the 'last few bits and pieces'! I came across a PT boat modelling site, pt-boat.com run by a guy in Australia called John Drain. He has masses of information/photos about the real thing and his model is also pretty damned good too. Mike |
Posted By: jngilmar
Date Posted: 05 April 2006 at 1:21pm
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Hi Mike, Sorry I didn't reply sooner, I did not see your post until 05 April. Anyway, we are now getting 3 new Mark 13 torpedoes for fully fitting out the PT658. We also are creating a wooden and metallic replica of the Oldsmobile M4 37mm cannon for the bow. Soon the PT658 will be fully armed and restored. One problem we are having is with the engine carburators, we cant seem to get them running smoothly at power settings over 20 knots. We are also installing new water cooled exhaust pipes to allow the old Packards to run full bore. We are also working on getting a boathouse built for her to keep the wooden boat out of the weather. We have John Drains website listed on our links page, and he has been in touch with one of our WW2 veterans, Ken Nissen, for expertise on the Packard V12 4M-2500 engines. You are right he has several excellent model PT boats. I still am looking for more old PT Boats around the world. Since my last post we have located a total of 9 known ex PT boat Hulls. There are the 2 in Battleship Cove (an Elco and a Higgins), The 2 in Texas (305 and 309 Both Higgins). One in Key West, (728 a Vosper), two Higgins here in Portland Oregon (658 and 659). Newly located are the 77 ft Elco PT48, near Orlando FL, the ex-PT657 (Higgins) "Malahini" used as charter fishing boat in San Diego, another Higgins possibly is PT459 in Kingston NY, and an 80ft Elco ex-PT486 known as Big Blue Sightseeing Tours in Wildwood NJ. Recently lost were the PT721 (Elco) and PT308 (Higgins) which were destroyed by impatient developers wanting to "Get that old wreck off my property" Add to that the Higgins boat Gallipoli in England which was broken up last year. So it is becoming more and more urgent to save these boats if they are still around. Jerry ------------- Jerry Gilmartin USS PT658 Portland Oregon www.savetheptboatinc.com |
Posted By: Christian
Date Posted: 05 April 2006 at 2:48pm
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Hi Jerry An oversight I'm sure but you didn't mention the wonderful original (unlike the odd PT 728 Elco-ised Vosper) Vosper PT Joe ex PT 695, http://www.warboats.org/ptjoe.htm - http://www.warboats.org/ptjoe.htm Best regards Christian |
Posted By: jngilmar
Date Posted: 05 April 2006 at 3:07pm
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Hi Christian, I went down to see the ex-PT Joe, and it is destroyed. Here is a picture, It was at the former sea scout base near Stockton CA. It was sad to see they cut it all up. Jerry
------------- Jerry Gilmartin USS PT658 Portland Oregon www.savetheptboatinc.com |
Posted By: Christian
Date Posted: 05 April 2006 at 4:28pm
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Hi Jerry Thanks for the update,a real pity.Your pic didn't come up,please check it hasn't got an apostrophe in the title.What about PT 761? http://www.defendersofamerica.org/DOANM_PT761Restoration.cfm - http://www.defendersofamerica.org/DOANM_PT761Restoration.cfm Regards Christian |
Posted By: jngilmar
Date Posted: 09 April 2006 at 6:23am
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Let me try this again posting the picture. Christian I meant to say PT761 vice 721. It was in Jax Beach Self Storage waiting on restoration to begin, and was destroyed. Jim Melanson did a wonderful job trying to raise money and help, but he was unable and the storage facility evidently destroyed the boat. I read about it through the PT Boats Inc website message board last November. I will try and repost the photo of PT Joe here.
------------- Jerry Gilmartin USS PT658 Portland Oregon www.savetheptboatinc.com |
Posted By: Pioneer
Date Posted: 09 April 2006 at 10:58pm
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Hello Jerry I managed to get put images in. I do hope that they have not lost too much resolution - they were way over the 50KB limit. Regards ------------- Pioneer - Forum Moderator |
Posted By: jngilmar
Date Posted: 10 April 2006 at 8:18am
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Thanks, I emailed you the photos just now. Jerry ------------- Jerry Gilmartin USS PT658 Portland Oregon www.savetheptboatinc.com |
Posted By: Peter
Date Posted: 22 April 2006 at 8:53am
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Jerry,
There is some recent stuff on MGBs on the forum notably 84 and 85. I recently found that 84 and 86 were destroyed not that long ago unfortunately. Not PTs but they were Elco 70's Peter |