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MORTIMER-BOOTH Geoffrey Richard1 Coleridge a 1929-37 Ca

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MORTIMER-BOOTH Geoffrey Richard1 Coleridge a 1929-37 Ca MORTIMER-BOOTH Coleridge A ca 22 Midshipman Geoffrey Richard1 1929-37 years RNR 23 May 1941 HMS Kelly Chatham Naval Memorial 49, 3 Killed in action Destroyer HMS Kelly at speed, the epitome of the dashing, aggressive destroyer Geoffrey Mortimer-Booth was the son of Tancred Kelsey Mortimer-Booth and his wife Daisy. His father was a master of long-standing at C.H. so that Geoffrey spent almost his entire childhood and youth in a Housie environment. On leaving C.H., Geoffrey Mortimer-Booth went straight to the Cadet Training Ship, HMS Conway, where he became Chief Cadet Captain in his final term and King’s Gold Medallist. After graduation he entered the RN as a Midshipman, RNR in August 1939. He had a moment of fame before the war when he was selected to speak during an Empire Day Radio Programme [see http://www.historic-uk.com/History-UK/EnglandHistory/EmpireDay.htm] His first seagoing appointment was to HMS Vega, one of the famous “V- and W- class” destroyers built at the end of World War One. During his time aboard she served first in the North Sea and then in the English Channel, and was involved in the British evacuation from Dieppe and St Nazaire. The ship returned to the North Sea just before Geoffrey left her in November 1940 and he was transferred to HMS Kelly, which was just completing a refit. The ship was based in Plymouth operating in the Channel until April when she was sent, 1 This officer is referred to as Geoffrey Richard Mortimer BOOTH in some records and Geoffrey Richard MORTIMER-BOOTH in others. first, to Gibraltar, and then to Malta. Her commanding officer was the charismatic leader, Commander Lord Louis Mountbatten, RN. When the Germans launched their sea- and airborne assault on the island of Crete in May 1941, British warships were rushed to the area to help defend it. On 21 May 1941, nine destroyers found the German sea transports – mostly hastily requisitioned Greek caïques – and attacked them, causing heavy casualties. But the British ships were then, in their turn, attacked by Junkers Ju-87 Stuka dive-bombers, which were then at the peak of their success, and Italian high-level bombers. The first to be lost was a J-class destroyer, HMS Juno, which was sunk on 21 May 1941 by an Italian CANT three engine-bomber; ninety-six men were saved, 116 lost. That night Kelly and sister-ship Kashmir were sent to conduct a shore bombardment against Maleme airfield which had just been wrested out of British hands by German paratroops, but on their way the two British destroyers chanced upon some more local vessels carrying German troops and these were quickly despatched. Unfortunately, ammunition expenditure had been high and by now stocks were running low, so the two ships were ordered to return to the naval base at Alexandria in Egypt to replenish. But they were found and pounded by Stukas and Heinkels He-111 bombers of the Luftwaffe. Without any air cover and low on ammunition, the ships did not stand a chance. Kashmir went first, leaving the attackers free to concentrate on Kelly. Mountbatten manouevred his ship with great skill to avoid the bombs but was in the middle of a high-speed turn when she was hit by bombs, and, still going at some 30 knots, rolled over and immediately sank. Many of the very gallant ship’s company went down with their ship, but the attackers then machingunned the survivors in the water until HMS Kipling arrived and held off the Germans whilst managing to rescue 150 of Kelly’s survivors, as well as others from Kipling. Nine officers and 121 men of Kelly’s crew were lost, including Midshipman Mortimer-Booth. Noel Coward’s patriotic film “In Which We Serve” depicts Kelly’s two midshipman secumbing to their wounds in the life-raft scene,an incident taken from fact. Both young men lie together with comrades and the remains of a fine ship at the bottom of the Mediteranean. His name is recorded on the war memorial at Chatham. 2A particularly poignant report came from Sub-Lieutant G.R. Monger (Peele A 1926-33) who described how he had been a rating aboard Kelly, where Mortimer-Booth had recognised him as an Old Blue and they then “...spent many hours talking of Housie days and Housie people....He was a very great friend in need and certainly an excellent officer.” (Blue Nov-Dec 1941, p 27). -o-o-o-o-o- 2 Geoffrey’s brother, Charles, also died in the war in the RAF. .
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