- Contributed by听
- 大象传媒 Cumbria Volunteer Story Gatherers
- People in story:听
- George Smith, Frank Schon, Fred Marzillier.
- Location of story:听
- Whitehaven (Cumbria), Lowestoft (Suffolk), Normandy (France).
- Background to story:听
- Royal Navy
- Article ID:听
- A4483523
- Contributed on:听
- 18 July 2005
George Smith from Whitehaven, Cumbria. During World War Two George was in the RNPS and helped clear mines allowing the Normandy Landings to take place. On 26 June 2005 George took part in the official county of Cumbria 鈥榁ictory Parade鈥 commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the end of World War Two. [Photograph by Joseph Ritson]
This article has been written by Joseph Ritson, a volunteer for the 大象传媒 Radio Cumbria CSV Action Desk at the Maritime Festival held at Whitehaven on 25 鈥 26 June 2005. The Festival also incorporated the official county of Cumbria 60th Anniversary 鈥榁ictory Parade鈥 commemorating the end of World War Two. It has been submitted with the permission of George Smith who kindly shared a few of his wartime memories. The author understands the terms of the 鈥淧eople鈥檚 War鈥 website.
George is from Whitehaven, in West Cumbria on the southern side of the Solway Firth. George and his wife attended the official Cumbria County 鈥榁ictory Parade鈥 at Whitehaven on Sunday 26 June 2005. He took part in the march with his fellow comrades.
During World War Two, George served with the Royal Navy Patrol Service (RNPS) between 1942 and 1946. The HQ of the RNPS was at Lowestoft, Suffolk. George and his wife often return to Lowestoft for reunions.
The RNPS looked after minesweepers. George was in two different kinds of minesweeper during his service: a motor minesweeper and a coastal minesweeper. One main difference between them was that the coastal minesweeper could go in closer towards the coast.
In 2005 George had been a member of the Normandy Veterans Association for about two years. He was involved in the Normandy Landings right from the first hours of D-Day on 5 / 6 June 1944. At that time George was serving on board BYMS 2205. Their role was to clear a way through the German mines so that the Landing Craft had a safe passage to the Landing Beaches. On the whole, they were successful in achieving this, as history has recorded. Inevitably, some mines were missed, which caused some problems to the Landing Craft.
George was with that particular vessel for one year and four months and four other vessels while in the RNPS. The last one was a MMS 1009. After the war, George spent most of his working life at the Marchon Chemical Works at Seacliffe, Whitehaven, founded during the war by Fred Marzillier and Frank Schon. As a member of the Normandy Veterans Association, George has taken part in a number of commemorative services and a number of the social events organised by the Association.
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