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[Teppi3638]

Ahoy oh sages of the senior service!

My Dad AB/WK (P/JX 350182)FR Shea served in Iceland 1944 assigned to Baldur. From his pay and victuals records he was on Halsnes designated as a CMB(S). Several questions i hope someone may be able to help with.
Firstly, from the photo can anyone tell me if there is any significance to the white scarf he is wearing as others in the same picture are without one.
2, Investigating via Navy search branch, they have no record of (HMS) Halsnes apart from his victuals record but wonder if it might have been a local vessel seconded at the time.
3 During his time there (Aug 44) he was given a New Testament from US Navy Dept. for services rendered with US North Heavy Cruiser Squadron and wondered what association there might have been at that time.
and finally
His service record shows him as being invalided out in Nov 1945. Where would i be able to find any further details for the reason do you think? Hearsay says that he was on Subs and was depth charged but according to service record does not compute.

Any help would be appreciated

[PhiloNauticus]

This is a bit odd,  - I don't recognise "CMB" as a RN term, but it is used in the US Navy, by the 'Seabees' - where it means Construction & Maintenance Battalion.   This would make sense of his being given a gift by the Americans. 
  I think Halsnes is sited in Hvalfjordur fjord, which was built up as the main US and British naval base in WW2 and was constructed by the USN Seabees.
The inscription, I think, does not say North Heavy Cruiser Squadron - there was no such formation.   It looks like Ninth Heavy ?? squadron - possibly a US Seabee unit - I believe the 9th Construction Battalion of the Seabees were in Iceland

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seabees_in_World_War_II

[Teppi3638]

Thanks for that, hadn't considered Ninth so will follow up on that. CMB according to RN search was Coastal Motor Boat but all their  ships were numbers only which is why i thought of a local trawler seconded for service. I know some were together with their crews.