• Barricade (1942)

Date of death:

March 2002

Nationality:

British

Frederick Bourne served with distinction in Britain’s Coastal Forces during the Second World War, commanding multiple motor launches, torpedo boats, and gunboats in high-risk operations from 1941 to 1945. His career began aboard ML 101 of the 50th Motor Launch Flotilla, conducting minelaying and patrol duties in the English Channel (Dec 1941–Jan 1942). He then transferred to HMS Fernie, part of the 1st Destroyer Flotilla, where he escorted convoys and engaged German E-boats, notably during the defense against the auxiliary cruiser Michel on 15 March 1942.

In August 1942, Bourne took command of MTB 344, a Motor Torpedo Boat attached to the Small Scale Raiding Force (SSRF) under Combined Operations. His vessel supported covert commando raids on German-occupied Channel Islands and the French coast. These included:

- Casquets Lighthouse Raid (2–3 Sept 1942): Captured German POWs off Alderney.
- Sainte-Honorine-des-Pertes Raid (12–13 Sept 1942): A tragic operation where SSRF founder Major Gus March-Phillipps was killed.
- Sark Raid (3 Oct 1942): Resulted in controversy when German POWs were found dead with hands bound.
- St Peter Port Raid (8 Jan 1943): His final SSRF-linked operation.
- Operation Fahrenheit (11–12 Nov 1942): Featured commandos using bows and arrows to silently eliminate guard dogs.

Bourne worked closely with SSRF leaders Majors March-Phillipps and Geoffrey Appleyard, and Belgian navigator Lt. Hendrik van Riel, often waiting offshore to extract returning raiders under fire. Despite criticism from Admiral John Hughes-Hallett regarding SSRF’s impact, Bourne remained committed to these high-risk missions until the unit’s disbandment in April 1943.

From May 1943, Bourne commanded MTB 348 of the 11th Motor Torpedo Boat Flotilla, operating out of HMS Beehive, Felixstowe. His duties included:

- “Cucumber” sweeps off the Dutch coast.
- Interception of German convoys (notably on 1 Oct 1944).
- Countering trawler-escorted supply lines and tracking V-weapon launch sites.

In June 1945, he transitioned to Motor Gun Boats (MGBs), commanding MGB 2003 and MGB 2009 in British coastal waters. His service reflected the evolving tactics of Coastal Forces, from stealth raids to aggressive interdiction and convoy disruption.

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• - Bourne, Frederick William Parnell (Oral history)