- Contributed by听
- Jack Richardson
- People in story:听
- JR28
- Location of story:听
- UK and Normandy 1944 and the Far East
- Background to story:听
- Army
- Article ID:听
- A2323324
- Contributed on:听
- 21 February 2004
My brother Robert (Bob) Richardson volunteered for service in the Royal Navy in early 1942 at the age of 17. He is now 79 years of age and lives in Kettering Northamptonshire.
I write this story on his behalf:-
His first posting was at Malvern where he with many more new recruits did his initial training, following which he was posted to Devonport.
After being trained as a Stoker he was eventually attached to Combined Operations and started to train with landing barges on the beaches of Haling and Langton Islands.
It was obvious that they were part of something big as many vessells were involved.
His barge became part of LBO 36/37 S&R(supply and repair) Flotilla
and on the morning of D Day they set sail for France together with hundreds of other ships large and small and a cargo of 6000 gallons of 100 octain petrol.
The compliment of his craft was 2 Stokers;2 Seamen; one L/H seaman and a Coxswain Petty Officer Willey Gardener a Yorkshireman who haled from Kingstone-upon Hull.
There was no harbour in place when they arrived off the French coast close to J Beach and the French Town of Courseculles-Sur-Mer, and so they tied up to bouys some distance from the shore.
After a while Royal Engineers manning small motor boats came alongside and started to unload the petrol into the small holds of their craft and transported it can by can to the shore.
Great blocks of concrete were being towed in and sunk ready to form "Mullberry Harbour". When this was completed he and his shipmates were put to work unloading ships at the harbour. They slept under canvass near to the village of Coursailles.
After six weeks a corvette came alondside their barge, and the captain told them they were to be towed back to England along with four or five other barges. They were duly secured behind the vessel and in eight hours were back in Haling. Much to the annoyance of the Harbour Master who said he knew nothing of their return, not having been officially notifed by the authorities.
A few months went by and he was posted to HMS Implacable an aircraft carrier and was soon off to the Far East. More to come
R Richardson D/KX178970
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