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July 1943 to June 1944
July 1943 to June 1944 continued
The D - Day Landings
D-Day Landings continued
D-Day to VJ Day and beyond
Background information & the last months
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D-Day Landings continued
Location: Hampshire
606 Flotilla LCM
Stan Blacker of 606 Flotilla recalled that the only means of identification that the landing craft crews were allowed to retain was the usual identity disc showing rank, number and religion. All personal belongings, including pay books, money and photos had been left behind at HMS Cricket and in addition they had removed their Royal Marine and Combined Ops. shoulder flashes. They were each issued with iron rations for 48 hours and were armed with a rifle plus sixty rounds of ammunition.
The LCM(3)s were equipped with single eye-piece binoculars and carried one machine gun tripod mounted on the after deck. The boats, which had been built to an American design, were of welded 1/4 inch steel plate and afforded little protection for the crews - even a rifle bullet could go through one side and out the other. The plating was so inadequate that one of the vessels split down a seam and had to be abandoned and the men taken off before they had passed the Portsmouth forts. 606, with Tyne and Tees soldiers aboard, sailed directly across the Channel, escorted by an armed trawler. These LCMs formed part of Force E Build-up Squadron and the surviving boats landed at Gold Beach, between Port en Bessin and La Riviere.
Five Royal Marines were taken prisoner in unfortunate circumstances. The engine of their landing craft failed during the crossing and in the dark the LCM drifted into Le Havre, where the Germans were waiting. The Luftwaffe had made little impact on the landings during the whole of D-Day but on the following day isolated attacks were experienced over the beachheads. Tragically the commanding officer of the flotilla, Captain Gooding, RM., was killed at 4 p.m. on D-Day + 1 by a lone enemy fighter, carrying just one bomb. Several marines were seriously wounded at the same time and never rejoined their unit.
The role of HMS Tormentor (Warsash)
Closely connected with Cricket and using its repair facilities, was HMS Tormentor, which occupied the old Coast Guard House and RAF station at Warsash. This aptly named unit was originally set up by the Navy for the purpose of training small boat raiding parties to do more than 'torment' the enemy in the years before a major landing could be considered. In this they were very successful. However, by the time D-Day approached Tormentor had become the base for three flotillas of LCIs, a vessel which could be likened to the cavalry of the small landing craft forces. They had no bow doors and were very seaworthy boats, about 108 ft. in length and with a top speed of 14 1/2 knots. (One of these LCIs was, in fact, constructed at the Solent Shipyard in Sarisbury Green and survived to the end of hostilities.)
48 Marine Commando had been specially created to form part of No. 4 Special Service Brigade. At the end of April, 1944 they moved from Gravesend to set up camp at the C3 marshalling area, south-west of Botley and during this period they participated in various training exercises along the South Coast. Immediately prior to D-Day they were encamped on Southampton Common ready for transportation to Warsash, where they embarked on the LSIs of 202 Flotilla at the jetty alongside Tormentor. These landing craft proceeded independently to France and off-loaded their assault forces at St.Aubin on Juno Beach.
Whilst still in the boats the commandos sustained heavy casualties because the vessels were of wooden construction and suffered severely from the effects of enemy fire. In addition, several broached-to at the water's edge and the laden troops were badly exposed as they attempted to get down the embarkation ramps. Lt. J. L. Moulton, their commanding officer, was wounded by mortar fragments but managed to get his men to the assembly area, where he discovered that only 50% of his force were still operational. Casualties might have been even heavier had not Moodys Yard, at Bursledon, installed steel plate decking on a number of the LCIs which were used in this attack.
The House of Commons witnesses a defining moment in history.
Just before midday on June 6th. the Commons met for the first time after the Whitsun recess. When the MPs had taken their seats they were told that question time would be shortened to allow for a special interval before normal business commenced. Mr. Churchill then entered from behind the Speaker's chair to a warm ovation and addressed a packed and excited House. He first reported that Rome had been liberated and asked the Members to recognise the success of the 8th. Army in Italy. After a dramatic pause the Prime Minister then announced that "... during the night and the early hours of this morning the first of a series of landings in force upon the European continent has taken place. In this case the liberating assault fell upon the coast of France. An immense armada of upwards of 4000 ships, together with several thousand smaller craft crossed the Channel. Massed airborne landings have been successfully effected behind enemy lines and landings on the beaches are proceeding at various points at the present time. The fire of the shore batteries has been largely quelled. The obstacles that were constructed in the sea have not proved so difficult as was apprehended. ......So far the commanders report that everything is going according to plan." At 6.15 in the evening he was able to report, to loud cheers, that "... this operation is proceeding in a thoroughly satisfactory manner."
HMS Cricket and its sister base, Tormentor, had played and were still to play, a most effective part in this great undertaking. In due course the surviving vessels and personnel would make their way home - but the war was far from over and the work of the landing craft units was far from done.
D-Day to VJ Day and beyond >>
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