- Contributed by听
- Helen Davies
- People in story:听
- Vincent Thomas Towers
- Location of story:听
- The English Channel, off Sword Beach
- Background to story:听
- Royal Navy
- Article ID:听
- A3402802
- Contributed on:听
- 13 December 2004
This is a little anecdote my maternal grandfather told me about D-Day.
He was coxswaining a Landing Craft and, having been released from the ship he was travelling on, his and several other Landing Craft were following what he called a 'pocket destroyer' in towards the shore. The captain of the destroyer was under the impression they were out of shell range as they sailed towards the shore.
It was therefore a bit of a surprise when a German shell burst about 3 feet ahead of the destroyer!
Grandad said he didn't think ships had brakes, but he's never seen a ship stop so fast in his life! The destroyer captain must have just slammed the engines into reverse.
Then the destroyer captain said via a loudhailer to the gaggle of landing craft "I think we'll wait right here!"
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