Photographs: Combined Operations Training, November 1942 (2)

The Black Watch (and a Few Canadian Sailors in Comb. Ops)

Learning the Ropes re Landing Crafts, in Scotland, 1942

IWM (H 25386) Black Watch landing after "touching down.”

6th Ben. Black Watch (at HMS Quebec, Scotland) Nov. 1942

Introduction:

It has been reported that thousands upon thousands of British, Commonwealth, Polish, etc., soldiers underwent training aboard landing crafts at the No. 1 Training Camp for Combined Operations situated about 1 or 2 miles south of Inveraray, Scotland, on the western shores of Loch Fyne. 

Inveraray, located in NW Scotland, is well out of range of most German aircraft so was safe from bombings. And the lochs and terrain in the area were perfect for putting all kinds of craft (and the crews to man them) through their paces. 

The first two drafts of members from the RCNVR who volunteered for Combined Operations in December, 1941 (about 100 sailors, including my father Gordon 'Douglas' Harrison, Norwich, Ontario) passed through Inveraray in the spring - summer of 1942. So, when the photos shared below were originally taken - November 17, 1942 - many of those earliest of Canadian recruits would have been serving upon British (or possibly U.S.) landing crafts (sprinkled among the crews) on the shores of North Africa as part of Operation TORCH which began in early November, 1942.

A12647 American troops manning their landing craft assault from a doorway

in the side of the liner REINA DEL PACIFICO. Two of the landing craft

are numbered LCA 428 and LCA 447. (Hudson, F A (Lt))

(Doug Harrison, second left, about to grab a rope)

A12671 Troops and ammunition for light guns being brought ashore from

a landing craft assault (ramped) (LCA 428) on Arzeu beach, Algeria, N. Africa,

whilst another LCA (LCA 287) approaches the beach. Lt. F.A. Hudson

(Doug Harrison, RCNVR/Comb. Ops, center, welcomes U.S. troops!)

Please click here to read more about Doug's adventures while training in Scotland.

The hired transport Ettrick, at Inveraray: Photo credit - link to combined ops.com]

Please click here for more adventures related to 'early days of training' for Combined Operations.

Badge re HMS Quebec, No.1 Comb. Ops. Training Centre

Art Warrick, RCNVR/Comb.Ops., first draft at HMS Quebec, 1942

More photographs now follow taken by Walter Thomas Lockeyear, War Office Official Photographer, from his very lengthy collection of 3853 photos:

(Editor's note - When I first saw the photo below, a few years ago, I immediately thought that the sailor hanging onto the top of the right side of the LCA (landing craft, assault) was my father. "He's built like my dad, and he wears his hat on the back of his head - like dad." Then I noticed the date on the picture, i.e., Nov. 17, 1942. "Dad participated in TORCH, was in the Med. as of Nov. 8, said he was there 9 - 10 days, almost starved to death except for stealing some grapefruit juice from the Yanks, he said. Can't be him!")

IWM (H 25391) (1/4) Men of 6th Battalion, the Black Watch crouch down

in a landing craft as it approaches the shore, during combined operations

training in Scotland, 17 November 1942.

IWM (H 25391) (3/4) Same caption as above but with poorer quality photograph.

("Unfortunately, the better quality photos are not always available," says GH)

IWM (H 25391) (4/4) Slightly different caption appears on the back of the

photograph. 'Combined Operations Training' (in Scotland), 17 Nov. 1942

IWM (H 25392) 6th Black Watch running ashore on touching down.

IWM (H 25393) (1/2) Original wartime caption: 6th Black Watch negotiating

beach wire defences. Creator War Office official photographers (Photographer)

Lockeyear, Walter Thomas (Undefined) Production date 1942-11-17

IWM (H 25393) (2/2) Original wartime caption: 6th Black Watch

negotiating beach wire defences.

IWM (H 25394) Besides infantry troops, gunners are trained to land guns.

Photograph shows Bofors guns of a Light A.A. Battery landing from a

Tank Landing craft. 91st Light A.A. Battery.

IWM (H 25395) (1/2) A 40mm Bofors gun of 91st Light Anti-Aircraft

Regiment is hauled into a landing craft during combined operations

training in Scotland, 17 November 1942.

IWM (H 25395) (2/2) A modified caption appears on the back of the photograph.

IWM (H 25396) Silhouetted against the first morning light, 25-pounder Field

guns of 77th Field Regiment, R.A. landing from a Tank Landing craft (LCT).

IWM (H 25397) After landing, the 25-pdr. Battery goes into action.

IWM (H 25398) Man-handling 6-pdr. anti-tank guns from a

tank landing craft on to the beach.

Some photos in this series from H25383 - H25398 are filed under the heading “The British Army in the United Kingdom 1939 - 45”

More timely photographs taken by Lt. Walter Thomas Lockeyear will soon follow, taken in December, 1942, a few weeks after the above set were taken. I think after filing the photos from mid-November, 1942, Walter got a shave and a haircut (cost only two bits!) and went right back to work.

Please click here to view Photographs: Combined Operations Training, November 1942 (1)

Unattributed Photos GH