Story: 1944 - A Year of Climax, Reshuffle, Achievement

1944 - A Year of Climax, Reshuffle and Achievement

Assembling the Allied Armada for D-Day

Editted by David and Kit Lewis and Len Birkenes

Troops approach Normandy coast. Photo credit - Imperial war Museum

The following short story is found in St. Nazaire to Singapore: The Canadian Amphibious War 1941 - 1945, Volume 2 (pages 207 - 208). The two-volume set of stories, by Canadian veterans of Combined Operations, was inspired by the book Combined Operations by Londoner Clayton Marks and produced in the mid-1990s. The collection is rare indeed but available for viewing at some large libraries (e.g., Toronto Public) and museums (e.g., Canada's War Museum, Ottawa). As well, it is available for viewing online at Our Roots, University of Alberta in Calgary as a PDF file.

The first paragraph follows:

"The Year 1944 continued and greatly amplified the amazing experiences we have covered to date. It was the fulfilment of what those years had led up to. We did have some weeks and months of leave which passed quickly enough. We found ourselves appointed to different ships and different waters. The Prince Boats were on the West Coast of Canada and getting to them brought us our first east west transcontinental trips, chugging along the CPR track, day after day for five days." (Page 207)

Five Canadians (Combined Ops) take a smoke break at Hornepayne, Ont.

during their 'transcontinental trip' to Comox, Vancouver Island.*

Photo credit - Doug Harrison, RCNVR, Combined Ops

David, Kit (Catherine) and Len then tell readers that some Canadian officers and sailors saw that the Prince Henry and Prince David "were being adapted to being Landing Ships Infantry - Medium", i.e., LSI(M)s, smaller but more heavily armed than LSI(L)s. After a commissioning ceremony the ships, with Canadian crews aboard, sailed via the Panama Canal to New York (on Prince David) and Bermuda (Prince Henry). Shortly thereafter they were "back in the Clyde Estuary at Gourock and Niobe" where they joined up with three Canadian Flotillas of LCI(L), the 260th, 262nd and 264th.

Aboard the LCI(L)s

We read "LCI(L)s were 160 feet long, heavily powered and swifter than any of the other landing craft but presented peculiarities that made them challenging craft. Their crew was 22 with two officers (three officers for invasions). They had four 20mm cannons. Their ability to carry men was 200 for longer distances and 500 as a short trip on a calm sea. As noted before, they could manage the Atlantic successfully, being sent over up to 20 at a time."

David, Kit and Len go on to say that some of the LCI(L)s were plagued with poor equipment that caused inconsistent handling. "Electrical breakdowns occurred.... steering errors were the most dramatic", and bumps and grinds along many a jetty took place "even after the skipper had learned to give engine room orders well ahead of time."

Canada planned to take part in the invasion of Normandy with 30 LCI(L)s for the Canadian troops and later included three LCI(L) Mark IIIs from the US. We are told the LCI(L)s "were good to live in and generally created a closer family atmosphere than had been the case in smaller Landing Craft and larger vessels."

The Canadians aboard the LCI(L)s participated in individual running-in exercises as well as flotilla exercises and witnessed the assembly of the "tremendous force" that was developed to invade France. "Thousands of ships, hundreds of thousands of men, skies full of planes" are recalled, as is the invasion and follow-up duties (albeit briefly).

The full story can be found at the following link:

St. Nazaire to Singapore, pages 207 - 208

*The six sailors, including D. Harrison (and several others), trained raw recruits and participated in other Combined Operations activities on 'The Spit', aka Givenchy III, Comox, from Jan. 1944 to late summer, 1945.

As well, please link to Story: Overlord - Operation Neptune, D-Day, Parts 1 - 6