Photographs: Training on Landing Crafts (6)

Combined Operations Camps, Landing Crafts and Crews.

Sites of Combined Training Centres (C.T.C.s) in United Kingdom.

Details re each camp found at Combined Operations Command.

From Combined Operations by Clayton Marks, London ONT.]

Introduction:

As World War II continued Combined Operation Centres or camps began to dot the shoreline of the United Kingdom. Thousands of men would eventually pass through the doors of some of the more extensive camps, as at HMS Quebec in Scotland and HMS Saunders, at Kabrit, on Bitter Lakes, Egypt.

Canadians in Combined Operations became acquainted with new Landing Craft Infantry (Large), aka LCI(L)s during training exercises in the English Channel near the Isle of Wight prior to D-Day Normandy.

As said in an earlier entry, the number of training centres, the types and sizes of landing craft, and the numbers of men trained to man landing crafts gradually grew as WW2 progressed toward its ultimate conclusion.

In this and subsequent entries, several photographs related to landing crafts will be displayed from the Imperial War Museum (IWM) as found within its extensive and valuable archives. Sites visited by the Canadians in Combined Ops will be featured on occasion.

[Please link to IWM at Search Our Collections and browse at your leisure through photographs, films and audios, etc.]

A23092. Under a bright sun landing craft tanks on the way to the beaches during

pre-invasion fleet exercises in the English Channel in the Portsmouth and Isle 

of Wight area. Photograph taken from on board the landing ship infantry

EMPIRE MACE. Lt. E.E. Allen, RN Official Photographer, IWM.

A23093 Under a cover of barrage balloons, landing craft tanks (including LCT 1095,

LCT 1098, LCT 1037 and LCT 1033) passing the EMPIRE LANCE  on the way to the

beaches during pre-invasion fleet exercises in the English Channel in the Portsmouth

and Isle of Wight area. A landing craft support (LCS 79) is by the bow of EMPIRE

LANCE. Photo Credit - Lt. E.E. Allen, Imperial War Museum (IWM).

A23094. LST craft on their way to the beaches during exercises in the English

Channel, Portsmouth and Isle of Wight area to prepare for the Normandy

landings. Lt. E.E. Allen, IWM.

A23095. Landing Craft passing Landing Ship Infantry, EMPIRE LANCE.

Photo - Lt. E.E. Allen, IWM.

A23096. Landing craft on their way to the beaches during pre-invasion fleet exercises.

Photograph taken from EMPIRE MACE. Lt. E.E. Allen, IWM.

A23097. Troops landing on the beach from an assault craft, Isle of Wight area.

A Duplex Drive Valentine tank is driving up the beach. Lt. E.E. Allen, IWM.

A23098. General view of troops and Valentine tanks storming the beach. 

Lt. E.E. Allen, Imperial War Museum.

Practice makes perfect. English troops (above) man the ropes (anti-broaching lines) in order to keep the landing craft from drifting into a poor position (i.e., breaching). A breached craft could flip over on it side, and many did in rough waters.

Below are three photos taken during the invasion of North Africa about one and a half years earlier. One can see the use of anti-broaching ropes to keep landing crafts steady.

A12671. IWM. D. Harrison, Canadian in Combined Ops (centre, in water),

assists US troops, Operation TORCH, November 8, 1942.

D. Harrison wrote the following about his duties while manning landing crafts while in N. Africa, as above:

The job of the seaman on an ALC or LCM is to let the bow door down and wind it up by means of a winch situated in the stern of the barge. This winch is divided so you can drop a kedge (anchor) possibly about 100 or so feet from shore depending on the tide. If it is going out you can unload and then put motors full astern, wind in the kedge and pull yourself off of breach.

The tide is very important and constantly watched. If it is going out (on the ebb) and you are slow, you can be left high and dry, and if so, you stay with the barge. If the tide is on the make (flowing in) you use the kedge to keep you from swinging sideways on breach. In this case your kedge would be out only a short ways. After much practice, however, the kedge can be forgotten and everything done by engines and helm. Each barge has two engines. (Page 26, "DAD, WELL DONE")

Unloading takes place easily on calm waters. Anti-broaching lines in use. 

Photo Credit - IWM.

Anti-broaching line in use as an ALC is unloaded. Photo - IWM

A23099. Tanks on the beach with troops disembarking from an Assault craft.

Lt. E.E. Allen, IWM.

Heading that accompanies many photos - Pre invasion fleet exercises in the English Channel 3 and 4 May 1944, on board LSI Empire Mace, in the Portsmouth and Isle of Wight area.

A23101. Landing craft (Assault) and Landing craft (tanks) on the way to the beaches.

Lt. E.E. Allen, Imperial War Museum (IWM).

A23102. Troops embarking on Landing Craft, Assault from a Landing Craft, Tank.

Lt. E.E. Allen, IWM.

More to follow.

Please link to Photographs: Training on Landing Crafts (5).

Unattributed Photos GH

Photographs: Training on Landing Crafts (5).

Combined Operations Camps, Landing Crafts and Crews.

[Photo: From Combined Operations by Clayton Marks, London ONT.]

Introduction:

As World War II continued Combined Operation Centres or camps began to dot the shoreline of the United Kingdom. Thousands of men would eventually pass through the doors of some of the more extensive camps, as at HMS Saunders, at Kabrit, on Bitter Lakes, Egypt.

Canadians in Combined Operations travelled around Africa in troops ships before arriving in Port Said, Alexandria and Cairo (as in top photo), and stayed at Saunders in preparation for Operation HUSKY, the invasion of Sicily in July 1943.

Some of these men later trained on new Landing Craft, Infantry (Large), also known as LCI(L)s, e.g., near the Isle of Wight prior to D-Day Normandy. For example, Ted Zealley (3rd from left in top photo) appears in photos taken in 1944 while aboard an LCI(L).

Ted Zealley (first left) looks like he is holding aces!

Photo - From the collection of Bill Eccles

Some of the Canadians arrived in Egypt with time to spare for exploration and adventures. Lloyd Evans of Markham wrote the following about that time in memoirs:

This historic place was closer to the city and easier to reach than we had imagined - a streetcar ride followed by a short walk past a beautiful open-air beer garden and we were there. Our escort for the day was a public relations officer who, in peacetime, was a reporter for the Toronto Star. The three of us had our photographs taken on a camel’s back in front of the Sphinx and took a tour through a Pyramid after paying for a candle and a tour guide. Even in wartime the place was a tourist trap. After the war I established that the photos taken that day were not at Naval headquarters although there were others of our gang taken at the camp in the desert before I joined them. I learned that this officer was killed on a MTB, possibly in the Straits of Messina, before he had time to send the pictures back to Ottawa.

When it was time to return to camp I had another bad case of dysentery and the other two boys headed back without me. Later in the day I felt a good deal better and headed back on my own with only a foggy idea of where the camp was. I managed to get a couple of rides on some army trucks but as darkness fell so did my spirits. Rumour had it that some Arabs would cut your throat for the ten shillings bounty the Germans offered for your pay-book! I was therefore relieved to see the lights of an American Airforce base which I knew was close to our camp. We often went swimming in the lake where, from behind its raised banks, we watched ships go by as though they were sailing through the sand.

Lloyd Evans, Ottawa, circa 1941

Photo used with permission.

Later in the week we took off in a convoy of trucks stopping for something to eat in Ishmalia (the Garden of the East). Our destination was Port Said where we spent almost a week in the Marina Savoy Hotel. Not for the fist time we had nothing to do but wait around and enjoy the sights. One evening we visited a nightclub dive and watched the girls dance on a high stage with a roll of barbed wire around the front of it to protect them from the patrons. In between their dancing the girls would sit at the tables, scrounge drinks and, with a hand under the table, work away to talk us into a little extra! Even with the barbed wire some soldiers tried to climb on to the stage such was the power of drink and the lure of young women.

We then boarded the American Liberty ship MV Pio Pico along with our landing craft and set sail for Alexandria where we were allowed to spend the evening ashore. We spent a very pleasant evening at a large peacetime R.N. base which had a beautiful navy hostel and restaurant with an orchestra. It was difficult sleeping that night as the duty Destroyer fired depth charges every hour to prevent frog-men from trying to plant limped mines on the sides of the Warships. The Battleship HMS Queen Elizabeth had been damaged this way earlier in the war so such precautions were necessary. (Pages 27-28, My Naval Chronicle*)

* My Navy Chronicle is a rare hard cover book self-published by Mr. Evans and family. It contains the contents of Lloyd's memories sent by email to Mr. Geoff Slee of Scotland. Mr. Slee did a lot of hard work in organizing the email contents into orderly form, and I tip my hat toward Scotland at this time. Mr. Evan's memoirs (14,000 words total) appear at Mr. Slee's comprehensive website entitled COMBINED OPERATIONS. Please visit it today. I'm certain you will return to it often.

As said in an earlier entry, the number of training centres, the types and sizes of landing craft, and the numbers of men trained to man landing crafts gradually grew over succeeding months and years.

In this and subsequent entries, several photographs related to landing crafts will be displayed from the Imperial War Museum (IWM) as found within its extensive and valuable archives. Sites visited by the Canadians in Combined Ops will be featured on occasion.

[Please link to IWM at Search Our Collections and browse at your leisure through photographs, films and audios, etc.]

A heading accompanies the related photos that follow:

Spearhead of invasion; Naval Beach Parties and Commandos. 8 to 12 June 1943 HMS Saunders at Kabrit, Bitter Lakes, near the Mediterranean, during training.

A17738. A section of the Beach Party searching for underwater obstacles,

barbed wire, etc. In the background can be seen a rubber dinghy from which

soundings are being taken. Photo Credit - Lt. L.C. Priest,

and Imperial War Museum (IWM).

A17756. One of the throws in unarmed combat.

Lt. L.C. Priest, IWM.

A17757. A grim figure, holding a knife in his hand, a commando leaps down from

a sandbagged wall. Part of the vigourous training of Naval Commandos as naval beach

parties and commandos train at HMS SAUNDERS. Lt. L.C. Priest, IWM.

A17759. Vigorous action of Naval Commandos during their training course.

Photo - Lt. L.C. Priest, and Imperial War Museum, IWM.

A17765. Street fighting in progress. Part of the training for Naval Commandos.

Photo - Lt. L.C. Priest, IWM.

A17768. Lieutenant P R G Smith, RN, of the Shetlands, disembarking from a canoe,

the small and fragile craft used for night raids, as naval beach parties and commandos

train at HMS SAUNDERS. Lt. L.C. Priest, IWM.

IWM Heading that accompanies the following photographs:

Pre-Invasion fleet exercises in English Channel. 1 to 5 May 1944, on board LST 304.

A23086. Tank landing ships in line ahead approach the exercise area. 

Photo Credit - Lt. C.H. Parnall, IWM.

A23087. Tank landing craft going to land their cargoes. Note the Red Cross

ambulance in foreground. Credit - Lt. C.H. Parnall, IWM.

A23089. DUKWs or "Ducks" after leaving the parent ship landing ship tank

and making their way to the beach during pre-invasion fleet exercises in the English

Channel. Note the covering barrage balloons and smoke-screen on the beach

in the distance. Photograph taken from LST 304. Lt. C.H. Parnall, IWM.

A23090. A "Rhino" ferry, loaded with army lorries, leaving an LS(T)

for the beach. Note the open doors of the LS(T) on the left.

Lt. C.H. Parnall, RN official photographer, IWM.

More to follow.

Please link to Photographs: Training on Landing Crafts (4).

Unattributed Photos GH

Photographs: Training on Landing Crafts (4).

Combined Operations Camps, Landing Crafts and Crews

Photo: Canadians at their first training Camp: HMS Northney on Hayling

Island,  not far from Portsmouth, Southern England. circa February 1942. 

L-R: A. Adlington, London; J. Spencer, Toronto; C. Rose, Chippawa; D. Harrison,

Norwich; A. Bradfield, Simcoe; D. Linder, Kitchener; J. Watson, Simcoe; J. Jacobs.

Photo Credit - From the Collection of Joe Spencer (2nd left)

Introduction:

As World War II continued Combined Operation Centres or camps began to dot the shoreline of the United Kingdom. Tens of thousands of men would eventually pass through the doors of some of the more extensive camps, as at HMS Quebec south of Inveraray on Loch Fyne.

Canada's contribution to Combined Operations began their training on Hayling Island in February 1942 ("the toilets froze and cracked"), likely on early ALCs and LCMs. Later recruits trained on new Landing Craft, Infantry (Large), also known as LCI(L)s, e.g., near the Isle of Wight prior to D-Day Normandy.

Some of the earliest recruits became familiar with the training facilities in Egypt at Kabrit on the Great Bitter Lake as well. They stopped and stayed at HMS Saunders after their trip around Africa on their way to Operation HUSKY, the invasion of Sicily in the summer of 1943.

Canadians in Combined Ops in Ismalia, Egypt, 1943.

L-R: P. Martel, E. Chambers, S. Ingram, N. Mitchinson. 

From the Collection of Joe Spencer

Norm Mitchinson also appears in the photo below, back row, fourth from the right.

Canadians in Combined Ops at HMS Saunders, Kabrit on the

Great Bitter Lake before the invasion of Sicily, July 1943.

My father Doug Harrison wrote the following about what he saw at HMS Saunders after arriving in Egypt later than other crews (due to a number of stops for repairs on the Silver Walnut):

We finally passed through the Indian Ocean, past Madagascar to Aden and Port Said, properly pronounced Port Sigh-eed.

The other boys who arrived in the desert long before us, because of our slow ship, were the unfortunate ones, and were found sleeping in tents - hot in the day and cold at night - and most had severe dysentery, some were just shells.

The boys with dysentery so bad just sat in latrines all night and let it run from their poor behinds. I spent one night only in the desert so I was lucky. Thanks, old slow ship. (Page 29, "DAD, WELL DONE")

To help readers shake that last image from their minds I will add these recollections of the same time by another member of RCNVR and Combined Ops:

We proceeded through the Red Sea to the entrance of the Suez Canal where we lowered our landing craft over the side of our mother ship and continued our journey through the canal. 

We stopped at a camp in the desert close to the Bitter Lakes where we joined up with the rest of our flotilla who had arrived earlier. We were told that the day before there had been large quantities of Quebec Black Horse beer in the canteen... but unfortunately for us they'd finished it! Oh Yeah!

By June 1943 the heat, flies and dysentery made living conditions unpleasant. We spent most of the time lying in our tents, sweating, covered with flies and running to the toilet. The toilets were trenches dug in the sand surrounded by empty jute bags. It was amusing to see everybody lined up on the parade square and the bodies running like hell for the toilet. I think the record was 24 times in one night but my best performance was 24 times in one day.

One weekend three of us decided to hitchhike to Cairo even though we only knew the general direction. Road signs, as we know them today, did not exist then in Egypt - at least I can't remember seeing any. We hitched a lift on an army truck and on arrival in Cairo we found a well appointed hostel that catered mostly for Canadian Aircrew in transit to India. We enjoyed the luxury of sleeping on mattresses on a balcony overlooking the city. As soon as we arrived we met a RCNVR Special Branch Lt. who informed us that Cairo was out of bounds. We pleaded ignorance and to our surprise and delight he asked us to be his guests on a visit to the Pyramids and Sphinx the next day. (Pages 19, and 27, My Naval Chronicle by Lloyd Evans)

As said in an earlier entry, the number of training centres, the types and sizes of landing craft, and the numbers of men trained to man landing crafts gradually grew over succeeding months and years.

In this and subsequent entries, several photographs related to landing crafts will be displayed from the Imperial War Museum (IWM) as found within its extensive and valuable archives. Sites visited by the Canadians in Combined Ops will be featured on occasion.

[Please link to IWM at Search Our Collections and browse at your leisure through photographs, films and audios, etc.]

A17724. Army assault troops landing from invasion craft as naval beach parties and

commandos train at HMS SAUNDERS, Kabrit, Bitter Lakes near the Mediterranean.

Photo Credit - Lt. L.C. Priest, RN Photographer, Imperial War Museum (IWM)

A17725. Army assault troops landing from a landing craft assault (LCA 57)

as naval beach parties and commandos train at HMS SAUNDERS.

Lt. L.C. Priest, RN Official Photographer, IWM.

A17726. Army assault troops landing from invasion craft. 

Lt. L.C. Priest, IWM.

A17727. A landing craft mechanised (LCM 1005) approaching shore with its bow

being lowered as naval beach parties and commandos train at HMS SAUNDERS.

Lt. L.C. Priest, IWM.

A17729. Two men erecting a sign to mark the extremity of the beach whilst

a third man keeps guard as naval beach parties and commandos train. 

Lt. L.C. Priest, IWM.

A17730. The main Naval Beach Party coming ashore with all the essential

equipment for marking beaches and maintaining communications (note the

soldier at the front with the radio on his back). Lt. L.C. Priest, IWM.

A17731. The main Naval Beach Party at work. A loud hailer has already been

erected as naval beach parties and commandos train at HMS SAUNDERS.

Lt. L.C. Priest, RN Official Photographer, IWM.

A17732. Operating the loud hailer for direction of beach traffic.

Lt. L.C. Priest, IWM.

A17734. Beach party communications at work, with a radio being used.

Lt. L.C. Priest, IWM.

A17735. Directing incoming landing craft by means of semaphore flags.

The landing craft mechanised (LCM 1005) that brought the troops to the beach

can be seen behind the two men. HMS SAUNDERS. Lt. L.C. Priest, IWM.

More to follow.

Please link to Photographs: Training on Landing Crafts (3).

Unattributed Photos GH.

Photographs: Training on Landing Crafts (3).

Gradual Growth of Combined Ops Crafts and Crews

[Photo: Art LD3102: Night scene showing searchlights

from two boats circling just off a beach. Creator - Henry Carr. 

Photo Credit - The Imperial War Museum (IWM)] 

Introduction:

In October 1941 Lord Louis Mountbatten became the new Commander of Combined Operations and was charged not only with the re-invasion of France but the development of men and materials required for such a tremendous task. The construction of training centres and 1000s of landing craft, and the assembling and training of 1000s of crews for a gigantic amphibious operation did occur, gradually at first, then in ever-increasing numbers.

It is my understanding that Canada's contribution to Combined Operations began with about 100 ratings by December 1941 and grew to 1,000 by D-Day Normandy, which represents about one per cent of those who signed up for the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve during World War II.

In October 1941, concerning training centres and landing craft, the Combined Ops' cupboard was not entirely bare. There were some training facilities on the Clyde, at Inveraray and in the Middle East at Kabrit on the Great Bitter Lake.

Canadians in Combined Ops at HMS Saunders, Kabrit on the

Great Bitter Lake before the invasion of Sicily, July 1943.

As said in an earlier entry, the number of training centres, the types and sizes of landing craft, and the numbers of men trained to man landing crafts gradually grew over succeeding months and years.

In this and subsequent entries, several photographs related to landing crafts will be displayed from the Imperial War Museum (IWM) as found within its extensive and valuable archives. Sites visited by the Canadians in Combined Ops will be featured on occasion.

[Please link to IWM at Search Our Collections and browse at your leisure through photographs, films and audios, etc.]

Heading with the following photograph: The Alligator Amphibious Tank. 4 February 1943. Combined Operations School, Dundonald Camp (Found between Irvine and Troon, Scotland).

A14346. The Alligator Amphibious Tank seen in action on the beaches, these tanks

are used in landing machinery and guns, etc. Photo - Lt. S.J. Beadell, and IWM

Heading with the following photograph: Britain's shock troops practice Assault tactics. 4 February 1943. Combined Operations School, Dundonald Camp. British Commando troops in training. 

A14348. Commando troops taking a 15-foot jump during training. 

Lt. S.J. Beadell, and IWM.

A14350. Commandos, Britain's shock troops, practising assault tactics at the

Combined Operations School at Dundonald Camp. Here they are landing from

a dummy landing craft into a shallow pit filled with water so as to simulate a

true amphibious landing. Lt. S.J. Beadell, RN Photographer, and IWM

A14352. Commandos practising assault tactics at the Combined Operations

School at Dundonald Camp. Here a man is crawling through a pipe buried in

the sand during manoeuvres. Lt. S.J. Beadell Photographer, and IWM.

A14355. Two commandos of the Royal Engineers with their Yukon packs

containing the gear with which they land on the beaches practising assault

tactics at the Combined Operations School at Dundonald Camp.

Lt. S.J. Beadell, RN Official Photographer, and IWM.

Heading with the following photograph: Rear Admirals watch Combined Operations training. 8 February 1943, Dundonald Camp.

A14582. Rear Admiral T.H. Toubridge and Rear Admiral C.S. Daniel visited a

Combined Operations training centre: A tank landing craft during the exercise at a

Combined Operations Training centre. Lt. S.J. Beadell, RN Photographer, IWM

A14585. An amphibian tank exercise on a golf course near a Combined

Operations Training Centre. Lt. S.J. Beadell, RN Photographer, IWM.

My father wrote the following story that took place while training aboard landing crafts between Irvine and Troon:

Sometimes at Irvine I acted as seaman along with Gash Bailey under a Coxswain named Owen, who wasn’t very bright. One night we had an exer-cise landing, complete with soldiers against shore defences. Also, we had a stoker, Lank, who was below decks. My, it was rough and cold. The stoker took a pail to vomit in and Gash and I lashed ourselves down on ALC cowling.

We had an officer named Jake Koyl who was later to become our commander after Lieut. McRae was captured at Dieppe. During the exercise the soldiers became sick, oh so terribly sick. And what happens a long, long way from shore? We run aground.

Koyl says, “Okay, over you go Harrison and Bailey, and together we’ll rock her loose.” We were wearing big heavy duffle coats and sea boots but over we went. After we got her loose, however, Owen left us out there and headed for shore. We fought for high ground against the waves and, weighing nearly a ton, we took off our duffle coats, dropped into holes and had a wonderful time until Owen somehow found us toward morning.

Editor: Perhaps Owen used an Aldis lamp or searchlight.

My father concluded the story this way:

The good people at the pub near the place our ALCs docked took us in, gave us blankets, porridge, whiskey, and dried our clothes. (Page 17-18, "DAD, WELL DONE")

Editor: I took the following still photograph while in Irvine, looking south toward the beaches of Dundonald Camp and Camp Auchengate (Navy) seen in the above IWM photos. 

The following looks west offshore from Irvine, toward an island known for its very hard rock - used for curling stones. Did Comb. Ops. training take place there too? Not likely, but it looks like a nice spot to visit (next time) at any rate.

Please link to a short video I filmed in the same area that reveals the beaches between Irvine and Troon: Landing Craft Beaches.

Please link to a second short video - a 360 degree view - filmed in the same area: Beach from Irvine to Troon.

Heading with the following three photographs: Spearhead of Invasion; Naval Beach parties and Commandos. 8 to 12 June 1943, HMS Saunders at Kabrit, Bitter Lakes near the Mediterranean.

A17721. Assault landing craft underway. Lt. L.C. Priest, RN Photographer

As found at the Imperial War Museum.

A17722. Communicating with other craft by means of flag signals as naval beach

parties and commandos train at HMS SAUNDERS, Kabrit, Bitter Lakes near the

Mediterranean. Note the Bren gunner in the front of the landing craft assault.

Credit - Lt. L.C. Priest, RN Official Photographer. and IWM. 

A17723. Landing craft assault (LCA 330) going under the cover of smoke screen

as naval beach parties and commandos train at HMS SAUNDERS, Kabrit, Bitter

Lakes near the Mediterranean. Lt. L.C. Priest, RN Photographer, and IWM.

More to follow.

Please link to Photographs: Training on Landing Crafts (2).

Unattributed Photos GH.