Photographs: North Africa, Nov. 1942 (9 Parts)

Operation Torch: Allies Invade Africa's Northern Shores.

[Photo: RFA Ennerdale off Greenock. LCMs hanging from davits.

From the collection of Joe Spencer, RCNVR, Combined Ops.]

Introduction:

When Allied forces invaded North Africa beginning in early November, 1942 they were spread out over three main landing areas, centred on Casablanca (west), Oran (center) and Algiers (east). Canadians in Combined Operations, as members of the 80th and 81st Flotillas of Landing Craft, and attached to the Center Task Force, transported troops to shore on D-Day (Nov. 8) N. Africa and the materials of war for about 2 weeks or more thereafter.

Map of Operation Torch (initially called Operation Gymnast)

Photo Credit - Wikipedia (link for more information)

Doug Harrison (RCNVR, Combined Ops, 1941 - '45) writes in memoirs:

After Dieppe we regrouped and went back to H.M.S. Quebec for further training, this time on LCMs or Landing Craft Mobile or Mechanized. H.M.S. Quebec was in Scotland on Loch Fyne.

LCM on Loch Fyne near H.M.S. Quebec and Inveraray, Scotland.

Photo - Imperial War Museum.

(After "much training") 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. (Page 23, "Dad, Well Done")

"LCM 81-7 hoisted off E. Charmain in Sicily July 10 43. MacGregor's boat"

Photo from the collection of Joe Spencer. (Action similar to N. Africa)

Dozens of photographs related to the invasion of North Africa have been assembled in separate entries on this website and links to each are provided below:

1. Operation TORCH, Invasion of N. Africa, Nov. 1942.

2. Operation TORCH, Invasion of N. Africa, Nov. 1942.

U.S. troops coming ashore at Arzeu, North Africa. 8th November 1942

Photo - F.A. Hudson (RN photographer), Imperial War Museum

3. Operation TORCH, Invasion of N. Africa, Nov. 1942.

4. Operation TORCH, Invasion of N. Africa, Nov. 1942.

5. Operation TORCH, Invasion of N. Africa, Nov. 1942.

6. Operation TORCH, Invasion of N. Africa, Nov. 1942.

7. Operation TORCH, Invasion of N. Africa, Nov. 1942

8. Operation TORCH, Invasion of N. Africa, Nov. 1942

9. Operation TORCH, Invasion of N. Africa, Nov. 1942

To see a collection of photos related to the next major operation of World War II (Operation Husky) - with some focus on Canadians in Combined Ops - please link to Photographs: Invasion of Sicily. July 1943 (5 Parts).

Unattributed Photos GH