Early Days in Combined Operations
Havant, Hayling Island: Photo - Hayling Is. Weather Map
Lloyd Evans, RCNVR and Combined Ops, writes: About ten days later we sailed up the River Clyde to Gourock in Scotland. The final stage of our journey was by bus to the Canadian Base HMCS Niobe a few miles away in Greenock. [Full story of the Atlantic voyage here.]
Doug Harrison, RCNVR and Combined Ops, adds: We spent little time at Niobe but entrained for Havant in southern England, to HMS Northney 1, a barracks (formerly a summer resort) with a large building for eating and then cabins with four bedrooms. This was January, 1942 and there was no heat in all the brick cabins. The toilets all froze and split. But we made out. Our eating quarters were heated.
I had the misfortune to break the toe next to my big toe on my left foot. I went to sick bay and someone applied mercurochrome, told me to carry out my usual duties and sent me away. Running, guard duty, anything, I toughed it out and was told many months later by a Scottish doctor it had healed perfectly - and so it had.
D. Harrison on guard duty with “a rifle with no ammunition”
There was no training here (at Northney), so, as the navy goes, we went back to Niobe on March 21, 1942. I recall just now we were welcomed to Niobe by Lord Hee Haw (a turncoat) from Germany via the wireless radio.
In another article D. Harrison shares a little more information about those early days at Niobe and Northney:
Upon arriving at HMCS Niobe, the Canadian barracks at Greenock, we were filled in on our Special Duty, and it was revealed to us that we were to serve on landing craft. We weren’t allowed to lay around Niobe for long. The strange new world of landing craft, tides, currents, cold wind, rain and darkness beckoned those of us who were raw recruits, still getting used to the grub, currency and customs of a new land. This early training was at HMS Northney, Havant, near Portsmouth in the south of England.
At this time there seems to be little information recorded by Canadians about their experience at Northney 1. Below, however, one will find some interesting information regarding aforementioned training sites for Canadians in Combined Ops during 'early days' in their training. Links are provided for more, related information about the sites and other parties associated with Combined Operations.
1. D-Day on Your Doorstep
HMS Northney, Hayling Island
* * * * * *
At this time there seems to be little information recorded by Canadians about their experience at Northney 1. Below, however, one will find some interesting information regarding aforementioned training sites for Canadians in Combined Ops during 'early days' in their training. Links are provided for more, related information about the sites and other parties associated with Combined Operations.
1. D-Day on Your Doorstep
HMS Northney, Hayling Island
Location Type - Naval Base
Details:
Several Royal Navy bases on the eastern shore of Hayling Island bore this name (actually named HMS Northney I to IV). They were used for training of the crews of landing craft, enabling them to get familiar with the different types of smaller landing craft and the techniques for landing troops ashore - techniques that would be so important on and after D-Day. Normally seamen try to avoid running aground, so special training was required!
Link to D-Day Museum
Several Royal Navy bases on the eastern shore of Hayling Island bore this name (actually named HMS Northney I to IV). They were used for training of the crews of landing craft, enabling them to get familiar with the different types of smaller landing craft and the techniques for landing troops ashore - techniques that would be so important on and after D-Day. Normally seamen try to avoid running aground, so special training was required!
Link to D-Day Museum
2. Hayling Island in WW2
About Landing Craft
Hayling Island played a major role in many aspects of the Allied war effort during WWll. Its location on Chichester Harbour made it ideal as one of only two landing craft training and repair bases in the whole UK, and many thousands of Navy and Royal Marines personnel came to the Island to train along our eastern shore. The range of craft was wide, from the 50ft LCM [Mk3] to 117ft LCT [Mk1]craft designed to carry tanks, and the 158ft LCLs capable of transporting 200 troops and equipment.
As well as their purpose-made accommodation pre-war holiday camps had excellent halls, which provided recreation facilities for the troops. Coronation camp [Lakeside] was requisitioned for the armed forces and renamed HMS Northney 3, and held frequent dances for the service personnel and the locals. Island landgirl Phyl Rowe, met her future husband Gordon, who was a crewman on LCL8, at a dance in late 1943. They fell in love, but completely lost touch for many months when his landing craft sailed for the D-Day beaches without any warning in June 1944. He returned eventually and they were married at St Mary’s Church at the war’s end.
Northney
Function - training establishment for landing craft and Combined Ops camp.
Address and commissioning history - Hayling Island. The base was commissioned on 15/6/40 (without being named) under Victory III. It was known as HMS Northney from 26/1/41, was commissioned on 3/2/41 and paid off in Jan '46.
More information re training sites can be found at Combined Operations Command by Geoff Slee
4. Combined Operations Assault Pilotage parties - COPPs
Opening paragraph -
Their members, referred to as COPPists, risked their lives to gather information about proposed landing beaches and in-shore waters usually under the noses of enemy coastal defences including land and sea patrols. It was hazardous work of great importance. Visit their website at www.coppheroes.org for more information.
Background
Both by instinct and training sailors have a great respect for uncharted and unfamiliar coastal waters and given the option would choose to give them a wide berth. The natural hazards of submerged shoals, rocks and unknown tides and currents present a formidable challenge. Add to this submerged enemy coastal defences and patrols and the dangers and difficulties multiply several times. This was the scenario which confronted Lt. Commander Nigel Clogstoun-Willmott RN as he pondered a planned raid on Rhodes in the summer of 1941. He was the navigating officer for the raid.
More information re COPPs can be found at Combined Operations Command by Geoff Slee
5. COPP Heroes
The top secret COPP Depot was set up in 1943 on Hayling Island under the instruction of Lord Mountbatten. Small teams of sailors and soldiers trained as frogmen and canoeists for covert beach reconnaissance and other essential clandestine operations prior to the Allied landings on enemy occupied territory throughout the world.There are now very few members of the unit still with us.
Link to COPP Heroes
6. Peter Wild's Journal (at COPP Heroes)
I had volunteered for Special Services early in the Spring of 1942. In March 1943 I was taken at my word and summoned to Combined Operations head Quarters, leaving HMS Prince Charles at 24 hours notice. I was very sorry to leave her after 12 months.... When I reported to COHQ my interview was short and sweet and very much to the point. In short I was to join a party known as Combined Operations Pilotage parties (COPP) which was to leave for the Middle East - most likely Malta - within the month.... training was to be carried out.... to be done at the former yacht club, Sandy point, at Hayling island. On arrival there I was inundated with work and strenuous exercise....
April 28th
We went aboard Adventure, an old type Cruiser Minelayer. We spent a week aboard her going first to Gibraltar and then on to Algiers. That week was an invaluable experience because it was another type of ship visited....
To link to Peter Wild's full journal, go to Coppists, then to COPP 1, then to Wild, Peter Grenville, Lieutenant, RNVR; click on 'Read his log for April to September 1943'
7. D-Day at Your Doorstep: Hayling Island Sailing Club
Headquarters for Combined Operations Pilotage Parties
In August 1942, the disastrous Dieppe Raid proved to Allied commanders that a feasible invasion of France was still a long way off. Blaming inferior planning in response to the disaster, Lord Louis Mountbatten, Chief of Combined Operations ordered the formal establishment of the Combined Operations Pilotage Parties (COPPs). Its purpose was to employ clandestine tactics in order to survey potential landing sites for Allied troop deployment during the eventual invasion of France.
Hayling Island Sailing Club was chosen as the secret base for COPPs and the area was a suitable training ground for the eventual landing sites....
For more information link to D-Day Museum
More about Combined Ops Training: Please link to Training for Combined Operations - Sites and Stories, WW2
The military significance of Hayling was recognised at the outbreak of WWll. It had been in the forefront of the pre-war holiday camp boom creating perfect accommodation for the many thousands of service personnel drafted in to train on the Island. The pre-war population of around 3,000 inhabitants increased to over three times that number, all being shipped in on the former Hayling Billy line.
The vast majority of servicemen were involved in landing craft training or construction and repair duties along the Chichester Harbour shore.
In June 1940 the Royal Navy requisitioned the Northney, Sunshine and Coronation Holiday Camps, renaming them HMS Northney 1, 2 and 3 respectively. Ready-made accommodation, canteen and recreational facilities for many hundreds made these ideal bases for sailors. Mill Rythe Holiday Camp was taken over by the Royal Marines, while Mill Rythe itself was the location of the HMS Northney dockyard facility for landing craft repair and maintenance.
On the Island’s far western tip lies a construction site for the Mulberry Harbour project, while a little further east, lies the Sinah gun site, established in 1939.
Hayling played a very important part in the aerial defence of Portsmouth and the Dockyard, with three AA units who were billeted mainly in the Sinah area, particularly at the present Sinah Warren Hotel.
Hayling Island Sailing Club made a major contribution to the war effort, hosting a top secret reconnaissance unit code named COPP, or Combined Operations Pilotage Parties.
Hayling Island played a major role in many aspects of the Allied war effort during WWll. Its location on Chichester Harbour made it ideal as one of only two landing craft training and repair bases in the whole UK, and many thousands of Navy and Royal Marines personnel came to the Island to train along our eastern shore. The range of craft was wide, from the 50ft LCM [Mk3] to 117ft LCT [Mk1]craft designed to carry tanks, and the 158ft LCLs capable of transporting 200 troops and equipment.
As well as their purpose-made accommodation pre-war holiday camps had excellent halls, which provided recreation facilities for the troops. Coronation camp [Lakeside] was requisitioned for the armed forces and renamed HMS Northney 3, and held frequent dances for the service personnel and the locals. Island landgirl Phyl Rowe, met her future husband Gordon, who was a crewman on LCL8, at a dance in late 1943. They fell in love, but completely lost touch for many months when his landing craft sailed for the D-Day beaches without any warning in June 1944. He returned eventually and they were married at St Mary’s Church at the war’s end.
Link to Hayling At War
3. From Combined Operations Command
Northney
Function - training establishment for landing craft and Combined Ops camp.
Address and commissioning history - Hayling Island. The base was commissioned on 15/6/40 (without being named) under Victory III. It was known as HMS Northney from 26/1/41, was commissioned on 3/2/41 and paid off in Jan '46.
More information re training sites can be found at Combined Operations Command by Geoff Slee
4. Combined Operations Assault Pilotage parties - COPPs
Opening paragraph -
Their members, referred to as COPPists, risked their lives to gather information about proposed landing beaches and in-shore waters usually under the noses of enemy coastal defences including land and sea patrols. It was hazardous work of great importance. Visit their website at www.coppheroes.org for more information.
Background
Both by instinct and training sailors have a great respect for uncharted and unfamiliar coastal waters and given the option would choose to give them a wide berth. The natural hazards of submerged shoals, rocks and unknown tides and currents present a formidable challenge. Add to this submerged enemy coastal defences and patrols and the dangers and difficulties multiply several times. This was the scenario which confronted Lt. Commander Nigel Clogstoun-Willmott RN as he pondered a planned raid on Rhodes in the summer of 1941. He was the navigating officer for the raid.
More information re COPPs can be found at Combined Operations Command by Geoff Slee
5. COPP Heroes
The top secret COPP Depot was set up in 1943 on Hayling Island under the instruction of Lord Mountbatten. Small teams of sailors and soldiers trained as frogmen and canoeists for covert beach reconnaissance and other essential clandestine operations prior to the Allied landings on enemy occupied territory throughout the world.There are now very few members of the unit still with us.
Link to COPP Heroes
6. Peter Wild's Journal (at COPP Heroes)
Log from the time of leaving the United Kingdom, April 28th, 1943
I had volunteered for Special Services early in the Spring of 1942. In March 1943 I was taken at my word and summoned to Combined Operations head Quarters, leaving HMS Prince Charles at 24 hours notice. I was very sorry to leave her after 12 months.... When I reported to COHQ my interview was short and sweet and very much to the point. In short I was to join a party known as Combined Operations Pilotage parties (COPP) which was to leave for the Middle East - most likely Malta - within the month.... training was to be carried out.... to be done at the former yacht club, Sandy point, at Hayling island. On arrival there I was inundated with work and strenuous exercise....
April 28th
We went aboard Adventure, an old type Cruiser Minelayer. We spent a week aboard her going first to Gibraltar and then on to Algiers. That week was an invaluable experience because it was another type of ship visited....
To link to Peter Wild's full journal, go to Coppists, then to COPP 1, then to Wild, Peter Grenville, Lieutenant, RNVR; click on 'Read his log for April to September 1943'
Headquarters for Combined Operations Pilotage Parties
In August 1942, the disastrous Dieppe Raid proved to Allied commanders that a feasible invasion of France was still a long way off. Blaming inferior planning in response to the disaster, Lord Louis Mountbatten, Chief of Combined Operations ordered the formal establishment of the Combined Operations Pilotage Parties (COPPs). Its purpose was to employ clandestine tactics in order to survey potential landing sites for Allied troop deployment during the eventual invasion of France.
Hayling Island Sailing Club was chosen as the secret base for COPPs and the area was a suitable training ground for the eventual landing sites....
For more information link to D-Day Museum
More about Combined Ops Training: Please link to Training for Combined Operations - Sites and Stories, WW2
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