- Contributed byÌý
- Museum of Army Chaplaincy
- People in story:Ìý
- The Reverend Frederick Bussby BA MA
- Location of story:Ìý
- Normandy, France
- Background to story:Ìý
- Army
- Article ID:Ìý
- A8893155
- Contributed on:Ìý
- 27 January 2006
Mobile Churches
In the spring of 1944, before the invasion of Normandy the R.E.M.E Workshop made two mobile churches for OVERLORD. The chassis was a three tonner, and the bodies built on by REME. These were dedicated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Frederick Temple, on the 25th July 1944 in the presence of the Chaplain-General, the DME, Brigadier Caffyn DDME, 21 Army Group and the chaplains of the invasion force.
‘It fell to me to take the first Mobile church, dedicated to St Paul, by Archbishop Temple, ‘somewhere in England’, in a tank loading craft to the beaches of Normandy. After an apocalyptic crossing we crashed ashore in pouring rain and darkness, to see the spire of Bayeux Cathedral early next day.
Immediately, the Commander-in-Chief made his character felt. The mobile church went soon to our ‘Church House’, and before long there was a centre for all ranks for re-creation in the things of the spirit’.
Revd F Bussby
Staff Chaplain GHQ 21 Army Group 1944-5
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