After D-Day Normandy, Aboard LCI(L)-310
By Lt. Luke Williams (retired)
A British naval command post on 'Gold' Beach. Landing craft are
disembarking British equipment. Photo - Times of Malta
Introduction - "With more men and material landing each day, the growing power of American and British forces began the steady drive inland. The plan was for British Forces to capture Caen, just 15 kilometers from Gold Beach, within the first few days after invasion." (From D-Day Revisited)
After D-DAY - June 16, 1944
On the afternoon of June 16, 1944, LCI(L)-310 was ordered alongside the Royal Pier in Southampton to embark U.S. Army troops, and then to proceed to a designated anchorage to await orders to form a convoy bound for Gold Beach in Normandy.
At 1830 the convoy weighed anchor and proceeded in two lines through the Gate ship off Portsmouth and into the English Channel. I took the first watch from 1800 to 2400 with the Cox'n Jim Searle at the helm. At midnight I was relieved by the No. 1, Del Foote, and with either A.B. Corcoran or A.B. "Shadow" Walsh at the wheel. Orders were to sail within the mine swept Channel and to follow the blue cluster light in the ships ahead.
At approximately 0200 on June 17th there was action astern of the convoy, with starshells and gunfire and the Commodore of the convoy ordered all ships to proceed independently. I was called to the bridge at this time and and was surprised on taking over at 0400, that there were no other ships in sight and that the log did not indicate our position when the 'proceed independently' order was received.
We were lost now in the swept Channel and had to estimate where we were and what course to steer. We assumed a setting and speed that we thought would put us off the Normandy coast at approximately 0900.
With the Cox'n back on the wheel, A.B. Rowland Baxter as bridge lookout and the signalman, John Britton on the bridge, we set out on our course. At 0543 Baxter and Britton spotted a signal being sent to us from what appeared to us to be a great distance. The signal was requesting we reply with the proper recognition for the day, which John Britton was able to do. The other ship was a Royal Navy destroyer. She came alongside and asked us our destination. When we told them that we were heading for Gold Beach, we received, in my opinion, a classic response - "If you continue on the same course you will take Le Havre singlehanded, so follow me". With that we made a 30 degree alteration to starboard and arrived off Gold Beach at 0815.
LCI(L)-310 made seven trips to France during the invasion and thankfully lost none of the crew or the troops we carried. We were on the beach on D-Day for over twelve hours and lost our kedge and one of the ramps. On another trip we hit a teller mine that put a sizeable hole in the bow. On both occasions our Chief Motor Mechanic, Harry Osborne, made the minor repairs that enabled us to return to the U.K. for complete repair in drydock.
Th short account above, written by Luke Williams, can be found in the book Combined Operations by Clayton Marks of London, Ontario. The book, printed in the early 1990s - now very rare, almost impossible to find - is in the process of being reprinted and an announcement will be made on this site when ready for sale and distribution.
We were lost now in the swept Channel and had to estimate where we were and what course to steer. We assumed a setting and speed that we thought would put us off the Normandy coast at approximately 0900.
With the Cox'n back on the wheel, A.B. Rowland Baxter as bridge lookout and the signalman, John Britton on the bridge, we set out on our course. At 0543 Baxter and Britton spotted a signal being sent to us from what appeared to us to be a great distance. The signal was requesting we reply with the proper recognition for the day, which John Britton was able to do. The other ship was a Royal Navy destroyer. She came alongside and asked us our destination. When we told them that we were heading for Gold Beach, we received, in my opinion, a classic response - "If you continue on the same course you will take Le Havre singlehanded, so follow me". With that we made a 30 degree alteration to starboard and arrived off Gold Beach at 0815.
LCI(L)-310 made seven trips to France during the invasion and thankfully lost none of the crew or the troops we carried. We were on the beach on D-Day for over twelve hours and lost our kedge and one of the ramps. On another trip we hit a teller mine that put a sizeable hole in the bow. On both occasions our Chief Motor Mechanic, Harry Osborne, made the minor repairs that enabled us to return to the U.K. for complete repair in drydock.
Editor's Note -
Th short account above, written by Luke Williams, can be found in the book Combined Operations by Clayton Marks of London, Ontario. The book, printed in the early 1990s - now very rare, almost impossible to find - is in the process of being reprinted and an announcement will be made on this site when ready for sale and distribution.
Please link to Story: 'The Day' - June 6, 1944, Normandy
No comments:
Post a Comment