大象传媒

My name is Bill Critten and a crew member of 120 LCA Flotilla attached to HMS Glengyle. We had already done the landings at Sicily and Salerno so we knew what to expect at Anzio
About 8 ratings from 120 flotillas were put ashore on the beach head in the early morning of 21st January 1944 this was after the initial assault
Our jobs where to be relief crews for any ratings killed or wounded
It blew up to be a stormy night so we started digging in fox holes we were
Already very wet from the landing what with the thundering and lightning
And gun fire from warships in the bay it was just hell
When daylight broke we sorted ourselves out .Then we found out the Glengyle had had left us
So the beach head was to be our station for several weeks before she returned for us
We reported ourselves to the Beach Commander who happened to be Dennis Healy a future cabinet minister in a Labour Government whom I was to meet later on in my life
He gave us duties to do unloading ammunition clearing beach obstacles you name we did it during this time it was our introduction to the radio controlled glider bomb,
It was given the name Chase me Charlie the Germans had used the bomb before but on this landing caused utter destruction among our ships.
We later found out this is why Glengyle had left us.
On the 23rd of January the destroyer HMS Janus was sunk by a glider bomb off Anzio few survivours.
On 24January 44 Hospital ship SS St David fully illuminated red crosses,
Was bombed and sunk off Anzio.
On 29th January 44 HMS Ingleford destroyer was sunk by glider bomb. Off Anzio
On 29th January HMS Spartan cruiser sunk by glider bomb at Anzio
Set on fire and sunk soon after,
Suvivours picked up by destroyers HMS Lafory and Lloyd,.
On 18th February HMS Penelope cruiser was torpedoed by U-boat on way to Anzio there were few survivors.
Later on in my life at the Royal British Legion club in Norwich I met.
Harry Barrett who was a survivor from HMS Spartan who gave me more information and pictures of the glider bomb.
Harry served in the Royal Marines and was in a gun torrent which was hit and set on fire he was badly hurt on both hands and spent several years in hospital.
HMS Spartan was built in 1942 so was a fairly new cruiser and along with the other ships sunk a great loss to the navy at that time. Harry still suffers from his wounded hands My own experience with the glider bomb
Was while working on the beach some one yelled glider bomb later to be called Charlie it was flying overhead it was similar to a doodle bug and seemed to hang up in the sky it went on to its target out in the bay I heard the explosion but don鈥檛 know what it hit, there where more to follow in the time to come.
We survived from day to day. The bomb was released from the parent aircraft a Dornier bomber during its flight to the target in this way the aircraft stayed out of the range of AA fire
The bomb was controlled by radio waves and later on found they
Could be jammed
My ship HMS Glengyle returned after some weeks and were surprised we were still all safe as they had reported us missing in action, a mater that was soon put right.
In conclusion on May 20th 2003 Both Harry and myself were the recipients of a CERTIFICATE OF HONOUR from the President of Anzio worded as follows
To those who fought so valiantly without fairing for their own lives on the Beachhead during the battle of Anzio
Lest we forget Also a picture of Tank landings on the beachhead
And worded from the Anzio Beachhead Museum
And signed THE PRESIDENT Patrizio Colantuono
All these statements are to the best of my knowledge Bill Critten
In a personal letter acomping the Certificate it states thanking us for liberating Anzio from the Germans which seemed a funny thing to say bearing in mind they were former allies

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.