Allan
Firstname
Arthur
Middle Name
Gotelee
Surname
Date of Birth
School Years:
Date of Death:
1916 - 22
Family
Father Harry Scotchmer Gotelee. Born 28/01/1881 in Odiham Hampshire. Died 23/11/1961.
Mother Alice Glasse. Born 1882 Islington. Died Dec 1957.
School Record
Branch of Service:
RNVR
Service Number:
Rank:
Decorations:
Service Record
Lt Commander
DSC and Bar and Campaign Medals with MBE (Military) awarded in 1959.
Post War Career
Allan Gotelee was appointed Temporary Lieutenant in the Royal Navy on 21/11/39. He was entrusted, as an experienced officer, with command of the prototype MGB "Dog Boat" on 9/03/1942 numbered 601. The class was a variant of the conventional Motor Gun Boats used mainly for coastal patrol purposes. 601 was ordered to conduct a night patrol in the Channel on the night of 21/07/1942 together with MGB 322 and MGB 328 with the aim of intercepting coastal traffic south of Boulogne. They were informed by Dover that a group of ships had been detected by shore radar off Cap Gris Nez. This appeared to be a coastal convoy and, after 45 minutes, a merchant ship escorted by a number of armed trawlers, was located. An attack was decided upon and this was led by Lieutenant Cobb in 328. The enemy was taken by surprise and the attack initially went well. They closed on the Merchant Ship and engaged her in close range gunfire. They came under increasing gunfire from the escorts and all three craft were hit. 328 disappeared in an enormous flash and flames. The other two finally extricated themselves after further damage whilst still engaging the enemy which eventually turned back into Boulogne.
601 returned to base with one man killed and three wounded including Gotelee. An examination of the vessel found 26 holes in the hull but the engines were unaffected. Whilst being repaired, there was a large internal explosion, probably due ignition of petrol vapour, and 601 was wrecked.
Allan Gotelee was awarded a DSC "for bravery in action against the enemy while serving in H.M.Gun Boats".
He served in a destroyer HMS Scimitar from October 1944 until January 1945 and then commanded a captain class frigate named HMS Retalick from January 1945 until July 1945. This vessel was originally a US Navy Buckley Class destoyer escort transferred to the RN under the US Lend/Lease scheme. Allan was again wounded and was awarded a bar to his DFC "for bravery, determination and devotion to duty whilst serving in HMS Retalick and Light Coastal Forces in operation against E Boats, enemy submarines and explosive motor boats.
Burial Information
Additional Information
MGB 601 was a Fairmile D vessel built by Tough Bros Ltd of Teddington. It was ordered on 15/03/1941, commissioned on 09/03/1942 and lost on 24/07/1942. She was a prototype armed with 2pdr in the Bow, twin 20mm Derlikon in the stern, a Holman Projector amidships 2 twin.5 MGs in tubs and 2 .303s in MGs on each side of the Bridge. She also carried 2 depth charges amidships.
HMS Retalick was built in Massachusetts and launched on 09/10/1943. She was commissioned on 08/12/1943 and numbered K555. She was returned to the US Navy on 25/10/1945 and scrapped.
Gazette supplement issue 35706 of 15/09/42 contains the citation for Allan Gotelee's DSC at page 4021
Gazette supplement dated 19/06/1945 at page 3190 contains the citation for Allan Gotelee's bar to the DSC
Allan Gotelee is mentioned in a book on MTB's entitled "Dog Boats at War" by Leonard C. Reynolds OBE, DSC published in 1998 by The History Press.
Other Pictures
