Story: The Craft of Landing

The Craft of Landing - LCI(L) 255

By Jack MacBeth, Lt. Cdr., RCNVR, (Rtd.)

Crew members of LCI(L) 255, aka "Da Bum", 264th Canadian Flotilla

Photo - Harry Trenholme, St. Nazaire to Singapore, Vol. 2, Pg. 216

The following short passage, found on pages 215 - 216 of St. Nazaire to Singapore: The Canadian Amphibious War 1941 - 1945, Volume 2, is likely introduced by David Lewis. He writes that the passage was reprinted from Jack Macbeth's book entitled Ready Aye Ready by permission of the publisher Key Porter Books Ltd., Toronto, Ontario, 1989. It is claimed that Lt. Harry Trenholme, CO of LCI(L) 255, allowed Lt. 'Happy' Kidder to write the stories in the book.

David Lewis continues in the introduction by saying, "RCNVR Lieutenants Harry Trenholme and Kendall "Happy" Kidder had both served in the Mediterranean aboard RN 'minor' landing craft, the thimble-sized flit-abouts that could carry a jeep or two and maybe a platoon of soldiers into a hostile beach. With that experience, presumably, they were ideally suited to take command of one of the LCI(L)s (Landing Craft Infantry - Large) for the impending assault on fortress Europe. For short runs, these ungainly twin-ramped barges could carry up to 500 troops at speeds of about fourteen knots.

Lewis informs us that Trenholme and Kidder reported for duty aboard LCI(L) 255 in the spring of 1944 "at South Shields on the Tyne." They were to take the craft and crew of twenty to Southampton (southern coast of England) and join the three Canadian flotillas there (already involved in landing exercises).

Caption: Exercise Schuyt 1, before D-Day (Normandy): In this exercise,
the first of two involving LCI(L) 264 Flotilla, the orders called for soldiers
to re-embark as well as land. The weather having roughed up, a number of
soldiers were lost by drowning. Fortunately not so in our Flotilla. This is the
reason that the careful reader will have observed that the soldiers are walking
out to sea rather than into land. Following this tragic lesson (loss of men by
drowning) a crew member took a line ashore from each of our ramps to steady
the heavily laden troops in the water. A perilous task on defended beaches.
Photo - David J. Lewis, St. Nazaire to Singapore, Pg. 214

A Foretaste of the Future: A mad scramble after Exercise Fabius 2 to make
(reach) the anti-submarine gates into the teeth of a Force 9 Wind. Four days
of bad weather was to wreck one of the two Mulberries (artificial harbours
built by the Brits) and imperil the whole of the Normandy Beachhead. 

Photo - David J. Lewis St. Nazaire to Singapore, Pg. 215

Kidder recalls the trip to Southampton:

"Neither Trenholme or I had ever driven one of these big things before, but we seemed to be doing okay until we made our approach to the tidal dock at Grimsby at a pretty fair clip. At the appropriate time, Harry gave the usual order, full astern, to stop her. Nothing happened."

The LCI(L) came equipped with variable-pitch propellors but, without proper instruction, Trenholme and Kidder were both in the dark about how to slow or stop the craft.

"How in hell were we to know?" Kidder says. "So all we could do was grab hold of something and watch open-mouthed as we plowed straight into the dock gate."

The gate was quickly smashed wide open and the LCI's bow buckled. Because it was the time of ebb tide, water poured out of the dock in torrents and freighters were left "sitting there high and dry." Fortunately for our stalwart Canadian officers, though local navy brass didn't enjoy the crash-up, no issue was made of it.

"Happy" Kidder writes:

"Once the damage to our bow was repaired, we were allowed to continue southward (to Southampton)." And one night, while on route, Kidder noticed light escaping from around a poorly fitting door and ordered it repaired "real quick" in order to escape the attention of German guns at Calais.

"Next thing I knew, there was an unholy white flash that could have been seen all the way to Paris!"

Out of the fry pan and into the fire? One can read Kidder's account and its conclusion at the following link: The Craft of Landing

Lewis added this note as well to Kidder's account, "It is sad to report that the ever popular "Happy" Kidder has passed on, as has Jack MacBeth, author of several naval books."

Please link to Story: Hands to Beaching Stations (with Sketch)