Operation TORCH, Invasion of N. Africa, Nov. 1942.
Caption: A12674. A commandeered train manned by American troops.
Photo Credit - Royal Navy Photographer F.A. Hudson
and Imperial War Museum (IWM)
Introduction:
About 200 Canadians were sprinkled among landing craft crews during the invasion of North Africa in 1942. Doug Harrison of Norwich, Ontario delivered American troops ashore and recalls the following in memoirs:
Our Coxswain was L/S Jack Dean of Toronto and our officer was Lt. McDonald RNR. After the 92 hours my officer said, “Well done. An excellent job, Harrison. Go to Reina Del Pacifico and rest.”
About 200 Canadians were sprinkled among landing craft crews during the invasion of North Africa in 1942. Doug Harrison of Norwich, Ontario delivered American troops ashore and recalls the following in memoirs:
Our Coxswain was L/S Jack Dean of Toronto and our officer was Lt. McDonald RNR. After the 92 hours my officer said, “Well done. An excellent job, Harrison. Go to Reina Del Pacifico and rest.”
But first the Americans brought in a half track (they found out snipers were in a train station) and shelled the building to the ground level. No more snipers.
American troops in the top photo may be saying, "This train is now ours!"
Many excellent photographs related to the Allied cause during WW2 are part of a vast collection belonging to the Imperial War Museum, U.K.
American troops in the top photo may be saying, "This train is now ours!"
Many excellent photographs related to the Allied cause during WW2 are part of a vast collection belonging to the Imperial War Museum, U.K.
RN photographers and those from other countries, for example, worked aboard troop ships, landing craft, on the beaches and in foxholes, etc., and a few worked upon the shores of North Africa when troops came ashore aboard LCAs, LCMs and other crafts.
I encourage readers to browse IWM collections at their leisure. By adjusting the number of the top photograph, e.g., change A12661 to A12662, one will see the next photo in the collection. Copies of rare photographs can be purchased, if desired.
Please link to Search Our Collections.
Displayed below are a few pictures taken by Royal Navy photographers during World War 2. They are now archived at IWM and may assist those searching for more information about the role of Canadians in Combined Operations during Operation TORCH.
The accompanying captions are found with the photos as well:
A12676. A boxing match in progress. (On the way to North Africa)
Photo Credit - Royal Navy Photographer Lt. J.E. Russell and IWM
A12680. A church service for the troops. Credit - Lt. J.E. Russell, IWM.
My group went through much more training at H.M.S. Quebec and then we entrained for Liverpool. Prominent pub was The Crown in Wallasey.
We left Greenock in October, 1942 with our LCMs aboard a ship called Derwentdale, sister ship to Ennerdale. She was an oil tanker and the food was short and the mess decks where we ate were full of eighteen inch oil pipes. The 80th and 81st flotillas, as we are now called, were split between the Derwentdale and Ennerdale in convoy, and little did we know we were bound for North Africa.
I became an A/B Seaman (Able-bodied) on this trip and passed my exams classed "very good." The food aboard was porridge and kippers for breakfast, portioned out with a scale. We would plead for just one more kipper from the English Chief Petty Officer, and when he gave it to us we chucked it all over the side because the kippers were unfit to eat.
We had American soldiers aboard and an Italian in our mess who had been a cook before the war. He drew our daily rations and prepared the meal (dinner) and had it cooked in the ship’s galley. He had the ability to make a little food go a long way and saved us from starvation. Supper I can’t remember, but I know the bread was moldy and if the ship’s crew hadn’t handed us out bread we would have been worse off.
I became an A/B Seaman (Able-bodied) on this trip and passed my exams classed "very good." The food aboard was porridge and kippers for breakfast, portioned out with a scale. We would plead for just one more kipper from the English Chief Petty Officer, and when he gave it to us we chucked it all over the side because the kippers were unfit to eat.
We had American soldiers aboard and an Italian in our mess who had been a cook before the war. He drew our daily rations and prepared the meal (dinner) and had it cooked in the ship’s galley. He had the ability to make a little food go a long way and saved us from starvation. Supper I can’t remember, but I know the bread was moldy and if the ship’s crew hadn’t handed us out bread we would have been worse off.
We used to semaphore with flags to the Ennerdale to see how they were eating; they were eating steak. One of the crew cheered us up and said, “Never mind, boys. There will be more food going back. There won’t be as many of us left after the invasion.” Cheerful fellow. However, we returned aboard another ship to England, the Reina Del Pacifico, a passenger liner, and we nicknamed the Derwentdale the H.M.S. Starvation.
A12681. American troops preparing to hoist out stores at Oran.
Lt. J.E. Russell, IWM.
A12682. American troops preparing to unload materials for shore.
Lt. J.E. Russell, IWM.
A12684. An American armoured car being unloaded.
Lt. J.E. Russell, IWM.
A12685. An anti tank gun unloaded into a landing craft, destined for the shore. A half
track has already been lowered into the landing craft. Lt. J.E. Russell, IWM.
A12686. Stores being unloaded into landing craft, for the shore.
Lt. J.E. Russell, IWM.
A12688. American troops on the decks before landing.
Lt. J.E. Russell, IWM.
A12689. US Troops putting off for shore in landing craft.
Lt. J.E. Russell, IWM.
A12690. US Troops disembarking with the aid of nets.
Lt. J.E. Russell, IWM.
A12704. LCP's leaving the troop ship for shore.
Lt. L. Pelman, IWM.
Please link to Photographs: Imperial War Museum - N. Africa, 1942 (2)
GH
No comments:
Post a Comment