# Alfred Maltby Conrade



## simonpowell (Jun 12, 2014)

Hello all. I'm a new member, Simon Powell. I'm searching for info on my granddad, who was active in the Merchant Marine from 1906, and the Royal Naval Reserves during WWII. I'm having some problems ...

In WW2, he was Acting Lieut-Cmdr (mostly), and was posted to:
SKIRMISHER (1940)
BARCROSS (1942)
IRONCLAD (1943)
ROOKE (1945)
and after the war was active as the Port Minewatching Service Officer for Milford Haven, in the RN Minewatching Service.

So far ... I've discovered BARCROSS was a Boom Defence Vessel, and that ROOKE was the Boom Defence Central Depot at Rosyth.

So I'm guessing he was active in Boom Defence! 

But - and here I need help - I cannot find anything on SKIRMISHER or IRONCLAD. There was a Skirmisher demolished way before WW2, and all references to Ironclad are the type of vessel. But the Navy List definitely has a (large) crew list for IRONCLAD.

Any ideas would be gratefully received, and responded to.

Many thanks


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## Roger Griffiths (Feb 10, 2006)

Hello Simon,
SKIRMISHER Was a shore base at Milford Haven from 12/9/1939 until 31/8/1945
This would seem to fit nicely with what you have.
IRONCLAD was a shore base in Diego Suarez, Madagascar from 24/5/1942 until 12/2/1945 It was also the nominal base for an RAF airfield at Andrakaka.
Hope this is of some help.
regards
Roger


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## simonpowell (Jun 12, 2014)

Than you Roger. I have managed to track these both down now, and are both, I believe, the right answer. I know that my granddad transferred a ship (HMS Barcross) to South Africa around the same time as Op Ironclad, so he must have been transferred to Diego Suarez for, presumably, Boom Defence of the harbor. Now if I can just find out more about the place ...
Thanks for your input.


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