Officers: Lieut. Jake Koyl, "You Never Saw Anything Like It"

Officer Praises the Ratings, "All Volunteers for Hazardous Duties"

"Coxswains, stokers and gunners - you never saw anything like it"

Article as found in The Winnipeg Tribune,  August 31, 1942

Introduction:

The officer who highly praised the Canadian Navy men - "those ratings (sailors of different ranks) were tops" - who had volunteered for Combined Operations beginning in December, 1941 (their first operation was the Dieppe Raid) has been mentioned in more than a few places on this archive in the past. (A link will be provided below to other material re Lieut. Jake Koyl). But while doing a bit of research recently, i.e., perusing digital issues (post-Dieppe Raid) of The Winnipeg Tribune from August 26 - 31, 1942, I discovered the fine article briefly shared above. 

The full article appears below and opens the door to a few other items related to Lieut. Koyl and those who served with him:

The above article is a rare look at a Canadian landing craft flotilla officer's observation of Canadian sailors' role during the Dieppe raid. Koyl's praise does not fall short and his own work ethic under fire deserves much consideration as well, and a look at a report from October 1942 gives us a few significant details:

Excerpts are from pages 56 - 57 of a rare text shared online at the University of Alberta. Lieut. Jake Koyl is mentioned as he assumed command of "the Canadian-manned flotilla of LCAs" (landing craft, assault, approx. 36 soldiers in each, manned by members of RCNVR).

The full report can be accessed online at St. Nazaire to Singapore: The Canadian Amphibious War 1941 - 1945, Volume 1, pages 56 - 59. 

The excerpt from the October report ends in an interesting fashion, i.e., that "A B N. Mitchinson (Able-Bodied Seaman Norm Mitchinson: AB is a rank in the RCNVR) shot the wing off a Junkers 88...": It was not the first time Norm fired away and had success bringing down an enemy plane. 

To learn more about AB N. Mitchinson and what else he shot from the skies, turn to Photographs: A Canadian Sailor's Solid Record

Below is the only photo I have seen in which Lieut. Koyl and AB Mitchinson appear together:

Photo from the collection of Lloyd Evans, RCNVR, Combined Ops 1941 - 45

The caption is attached to the same photo (much poorer quality) in a book

of Navy veterans' stories, i.e., St. Nazaire to Singapore: Volume 1

Koyl later recorded an account of his experiences in Combined Operations (C.O.), a British organization with headquarters at Richmond Terrace, Whitehall, under the command of Chief of C.O. Lord Louis Mountbatten during the Dieppe Raid and other, later invasions, e.g., North Africa, Sicily and Italy. 

An excerpt from his lengthy report follows:

Shortly after Dieppe, the Canadian Flotillas, now six in number, were making their preparations for a new operation which subsequently turned out to be "Operation Torch" eg. the North African invasion. For several weeks the British and American troops were trained in amphibious warfare and on completion of this training, the invasion was completed successfully. This operation, as compared to Dieppe, was a complete holiday as the opposition in most quarters was negligible.

By the middle of December, 1942, the Canadian Flotillas were returning to England. The H.M.S. Ettrick was sunk off Cadiz with the loss of 18 Canadians. Survivors were picked up by a Norwegian destroyer and returned to Gibraltar. The S.S. Clan McTaggart was also sunk in approximately the same area with the loss of 1 Canadian. Picked up survivors were returned to England aboard a British corvette.

On their return to England and by early January they were re-organized into 4 Flotillas, the 55th and 61st manning LCAs and the 80th and 81st manning LCMs. Once again preparations were being made for another operation and by the end of May, 1943, the four Flotillas arrived in Egypt. Further exercises were carried out and finally came the invasion of Sicily and the operation in Italy. The Canadian Flotillas at all times performed their duties in a manner which brought the highest of praise from our Commanding Officer, Admiral Troubridge, Admiral of the force.

Passage to Suez -

Most of the personnel of the 80th Flotilla, including Lt. Koyl and about half the 81st sailed from the Clyde late in March of 1943 and proceeded in a fast Landing Ship Infantry (LSI) convoy via the Cape of Good Hope to Suez, arriving there on May 2nd. The Flotillas were disembarked at a Combined Training Centre on the Bitter Lakes. The other half of the 81st, including Lt. W.J. Mullins, R.C.N.V.R, Flotilla Officer, sailed from the Clyde in S.S. "EMPIRE CHARMIAN" on March 26, 1943. With the "EMPIRE CHARMIAN" sailed R.F.A. "ENNERDALE" of the 108th L.C.M. Flotilla (Lt. J. Whittal, R.C.N.V.R Flotilla Officer).

From Freetown, "EMPIRE CHARMIAN" proceeded independently to Walvis Bay where she spent two and a half days and was sailed in a small convoy to Capetown. After two days she caught a convoy to Durban and sailed from there in convoy as far as the south end of the Mozambique channel whence she proceeded independently, calling at Aden and arriving at Suez. There the Flotilla Officer decided to take his part of the Flotilla to join the others at "SAUNDERS", where they spent just over three weeks getting the craft into first class condition and enjoying rest and sunshine. For the benefit of the new hands, three days' exercise was carried out and the Flotilla Officer found himself satisfied that everyone knew his job. Further exercises were not held since it was undesirable to use the craft more than necessary before the operation.

Canadian sailors outside of their tents at HMS Saunders, Egypt

My dad's ship, SS Silver Walnut, has not yet arrived. June 1943

Koyl continues:

Meanwhile the remainder of the 80th Flotilla was arriving with their craft in small groups from S.S. "GLENARTNEY" and S.S. "PARDO" which had proceeded via Freetown and Capetown. At the last minute before the operation was mounted at Port Said, the final batch of the 80th Flotilla arrived in S.S. "SILVER WALNUT". She had been held up with engine trouble at Durban for ten days and when she was sailed independently broke down completely about 300 miles east of Madagascar. The vessel drifted for some time in an area frequented by Jap U-boats but she eventually was repaired and proceeded to Aden arriving about June 24th. The delay in "SILVER WALNUT" arriving at Suez necessitated the transfer of her personnel immediately to Alexandria. There was no time to transfer the craft she carried and therefore five craft of the 80th Flotilla were left behind.

From Combined Operations, by Londoner Clayton Marks (RCNVR/C.O.), pages174 - 175

The full report by Lieut. Koyl can be read here: Memoirs re Combined Operations - Lt. Cdr. J. E. Koyl

A few photos related to Lieut J. Koyl and Combined Operations:

Lieut. J. Koyl (front row, left) with "Our Leaders" as found in

Combined Operations by Clayton Marks

J. E. Koyl (far right) with 'Old Vets', including Clayton Marks (centre)

As found in Combined Operations

Please click on the link provided here to read more about Lieut. Jake Koyl and those he commanded in Combined Operations during WWII. Link - Officers: Lieut. Jake Koyl, Big Shoes to Fill.

Questions and/or comments can be directed to G. Harrison via gordh7700@gmail.com

Unattributed photos GH