大象传媒

We arrived at first light on the morning of June 6th on board the Brigade Headquarters ship named 鈥漈he Royal Ulsterman鈥�. After a short service conducted by the Brigade Padre on the main deck, we climbed over the side of the ship, down rope ladders and got into an Assault Landing Craft and in a flotilla with 5 other similar craft, headed for the shore. As we went in, All Hell was let loose around us; the Navy shelled the beaches ahead of us. They threw in shells, rockets and mortars, and Spitfires and Hurricanes also fired rockets at the defences. This terrific bombardment shattered the German troops and they were only able to hit back at us without any co-ordinated resistance.
All our six landing craft beached safely and as soon as the ramps went down we dashed across the open beach to the shelter of the dunes at the back.
As we were running two German aircraft bombed us, but we safely took shelter, behind a dried out disabled landing craft. This was the point where Bill Dale and I left our Canadian friends 鈥� they went forward to engage the enemy and we remained on the beach. We worked there supervising the unloading of landing craft and ships for some six weeks until the Port of Le Havre became operational.
After which we were sent to the forward areas to carry out other dangerous missions, but that is another story. The noise of the bombardment harmed Bills hearing and he has been stone deaf ever since.

鈥楾his story was submitted to the Peoples war site by Rod Aldwinckle of the CSV Action Desk on behalf of Major John Walford R.E. (retired) and has been added to the site with his permission.. The author fully understands the sites terms and conditions鈥�.

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