"An Account by One Who Was There"
[From the collection of William Eccles]
Introduction:
As mentioned earlier, the invasion of Normandy included the participation of Canadians in Combined Operations (members of RCNVR in many cases) aboard 30 LCI(L)s and other assault craft.
Preparations for D-Day Normandy, known as Operation OVERLORD included final training exercises near the Isle of Wight and east of Portsmouth (southern coast of England). Operation Fabius was the final rehearsal, held about two weeks before D-Day, June 6.
Some mention is made of LCI(L) 295 of the 264th Flotilla, the craft William Eccles served upon, in St. Nazaire to Singapore (a collection of memoirs and stories of Canadians in Combined Operations). In it we read the following:
Operation Neptune, the naval phase of Overlord, had the primary task of landing the armies of liberation on French soil, and secondly the maintenance of waterborne lines of communication and supply. The direct Canadian contribution of 110 ships and 10,000 seaman was 4% of the total Naval strength involved.
HMCS Prince Henry and Prince David, now converted from armed merchant cruisers to landing ships, had arrived in the Clyde in February to complete their fitting out. After completion they and other Landing Ships Infantry (Medium) (i.e., LSI (M)s) assembled at Cowes on the Isle of Wight for final workups.... Prince Henry was to carry the eight assault craft of the 528th Canadian Flotilla. Prince David would carry the six craft of the 529th Canadian Flotilla and six Royal Marine boats.
In addition, there arrived within the next few days three Canadian Flotillas of the Landing Craft Infantry (Large) (i.e., LCI(L)s) which would make the cross-Channel voyage under their own power. They consisted in all of 30 craft, divided into the 260th, 262nd and 264th Flotillas, and their arrival at the south coast had been preceded, as in the case of the assault craft, by an intensive training period.
Exercises, in which the Canadian ships and craft combined with many more of the Royal Navy and the United States Navy, now began on a very large scale. During Fabius, the largest of the exercises, a huge assault force sailed out from the Solent in broad daylight and continued on for twenty-five miles south of the isle of Wight under a bright moon. It was a dress rehearsal, very probably observed by the enemy; and had been chosen to add realism as there was a risk the convoy might be attacked.
No hostile movement was observed, either from the air, from the seas about, or from the coast of france. The great force, nearly in mid-Channel, turned back before dawn and poured troops ashore under the thunder of supporting guns on the beaches of Bracklesham Bay, some ten miles east of Portsmouth....(pages 232-233).
Exercises like Operation Fabius prepared the landing forces and ships' crews for the invasion of France. Readers are enlightened about the actual invasion and its aftermath by these rare journal entries, written by Canadian William Eccles aboard LCI(L) 295:
Please link to Memoirs: William Eccles, at D-Day Normandy Pt. 2
Unattributed Photos GH
Normandy: Operation Neptune
Operation Neptune, the naval phase of Overlord, had the primary task of landing the armies of liberation on French soil, and secondly the maintenance of waterborne lines of communication and supply. The direct Canadian contribution of 110 ships and 10,000 seaman was 4% of the total Naval strength involved.
HMCS Prince Henry and Prince David, now converted from armed merchant cruisers to landing ships, had arrived in the Clyde in February to complete their fitting out. After completion they and other Landing Ships Infantry (Medium) (i.e., LSI (M)s) assembled at Cowes on the Isle of Wight for final workups.... Prince Henry was to carry the eight assault craft of the 528th Canadian Flotilla. Prince David would carry the six craft of the 529th Canadian Flotilla and six Royal Marine boats.
In addition, there arrived within the next few days three Canadian Flotillas of the Landing Craft Infantry (Large) (i.e., LCI(L)s) which would make the cross-Channel voyage under their own power. They consisted in all of 30 craft, divided into the 260th, 262nd and 264th Flotillas, and their arrival at the south coast had been preceded, as in the case of the assault craft, by an intensive training period.
Exercises, in which the Canadian ships and craft combined with many more of the Royal Navy and the United States Navy, now began on a very large scale. During Fabius, the largest of the exercises, a huge assault force sailed out from the Solent in broad daylight and continued on for twenty-five miles south of the isle of Wight under a bright moon. It was a dress rehearsal, very probably observed by the enemy; and had been chosen to add realism as there was a risk the convoy might be attacked.
No hostile movement was observed, either from the air, from the seas about, or from the coast of france. The great force, nearly in mid-Channel, turned back before dawn and poured troops ashore under the thunder of supporting guns on the beaches of Bracklesham Bay, some ten miles east of Portsmouth....(pages 232-233).
LCI(L) on the beach in Normandy, June 1944, east of Arromanches.
Photo taken from LCI(L) 295.From the collection of William Eccles.
Eccles, as a Leading Stoker, would have been very concerned about the proper running of engines and screws, and getting his craft on and off beaches smoothly, under good power. He and other members of the crew would have many tasks to perform daily to keep the craft fully operational.
More to follow.
Please link to Memoirs: William Eccles, at D-Day Normandy Pt. 2
Unattributed Photos GH
No comments:
Post a Comment