大象传媒

D Day Landings
Gold Beach
D Field C/JX319894
H.M.S. Eglinton

My memory of the D-Day invasion begins three weeks before June 6th 1944. I had joined my ship H.M.S. Eglinton a Hunt Class Destroyer in 1942 and spent my war service on her until demobilisation in 1946.
Eglinton was one of many Hunt Class Destroyers in the 16th Destroyer flotilla.
Early in May 1944 we joined a convoy of merchant ships escorting them through the English Channel and left the escort and entered Portland Bill where we remained anchored for the next few weeks. During the period we witnessed a huge build up of merchant ships, army invasion craft etc. We were aware of a forthcoming attack, but during these few weeks of waiting we were not allowed any contact or given any information. This resulted in a feeling of boredom, but at the same time exciting anticipation! On the late evening of June 5th the whole ship's company were 'stood to' and a printed document issued to all of us bearing Dwight Eisenhower's proclamation of invasion.
We left harbour at dusk and took position as escort to hundreds of ships and craft as far as the eye could see! Columns and columns of ships! As the night drew on we could hear and see huge waves or aircraft passing overhead and the adrenaline started running as we knew this was it!
As we approached the Normandy coast we left the escort and took up our allotted attack positions. H.M.S. Eglinton was a destroyer with a very small draught as were all the Hunts and we were able to get close inshore. We were the first ship to open fire (according to a report in 'Navy News' at a later date). As we opened fire all the naval ships fired at their allotted targets and we could hear the shells of the heavy guns from the cruisers and battleships roaring over the thunder of our own guns.
Whilst this continued, the landing craft, tank landing craft, rocket barges etc. made their landings. The crescendo of noise and the vigorous movements of all involved are indescribable.
As the morning progressed we were firing our guns on prescribed positions from the spotters ashore. Rocket barges were pounding the beaches - serried rows of 60Lb shells fired en masse onto the beaches. From our observation we could literally see the trajectory of shells as they arched over before striking their targets. At one such strike a gaggle of five spitfires were flying across the area, when another rocket barge fired its shells and the end plane of the spitfire formation exploded in a puff of smoke, hit by one of the shells.
At approximately 11am we started protective escorts to the outer flanks of the invasion area. Whilst patrolling we were subjected to a torpedo attack and took evasive action, but unfortunately another Hunt Destroyer was hit and sunk a few miles from us.
Late on June 6th we took on board several badly wounded and shell-shocked troops to transfer them to hospital ships. We then returned for replenishments and for many weeks after we were employed in constant patrols and skirmished including the escorting of the formations of 'weird vessels' to form the 'Mulberry Harbour' and the Pluto (pipeline under the ocean). which is another story after D Day.

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