大象传媒

This story was submitted to the Peoples War Site by volunteer John C Haywood 大象传媒 Radio Lincolnshire Action Desk on behalf of Mr Ronald George Lamming and has been added to the site with his permission. Mr Lamming fully understands the site terms and conditions.

Thursday 8th June
12.00Hrs
Sweeping Channel again.

16.30Hrs
After sweeping and patrolling all afternoon we are now on our way to the beach head again.

18.30Hrs
Air-raid - at anchor a few miles from beach head - heavy explosions can be heard, big ships are nearer the shore putting up a bombardment, colums of smoke are rising all along the coast. I suppose the Luftwaffe will be over again tonight. Just heard E boats attempted to attack convoy in Channel unsuccessfully, also seventy aircraft shot down over beach-head on Wednesday night.

20.30Hrs
Explosions coming from coast, otherwise everything is quite, for how long I wonder. Plenty of gear floating past, soldiers haversacks, petrol tanks etc. Convoys, landing craft and hospital ships still going in.

22.00Hrs
Action stations, aircraft overhead, enemy or friendly. Plenty of flak going up inland, enemy aircraft comes down in flames, sound of heavy bombs coming down on coast. Secure.

23.30Hrs
Try once more to get some sleep.

Friday 9th June.
Just settled down when alarm bells go, what a life, this time another aircraft shot down.

00.30Hrs
We can now see a ship on fire out at sea, lighting up for miles around it. Later found out it was a petrol carrying ship.

03.00Hrs
Big E boat battle out at sea, tracers seen and gun fire heard, bombardment by the fleet has not yet ceased.

08.00Hrs
Not much sleep again, half the time boys are sleeping on their feet, heavy bombardment by big ships still proceeding.

09.00Hrs
We have just learned we are stand-by M/S Flotilla today giving us a chance to have a good scrub-out throughout the ship. No action stations this forenoon, but no sleep owing to the scrub-out, trust the navy, they would scrub-out if the ship was sinking.

12.00Hrs
Weigh anchor and proceed further inshore. A corvette can be seen sunk, her stern is sticking out of the water (K.514)wonder what our losses in ships are up to date.

15.00Hrs
Action stations again, bombs dropping astern of Richeliou, French battle ship, and also on the shore.

18.30Hrs
Action stations, they won't even let us get our supper.

18.45Hrs
Secure, but the supper is cold.

19.00Hrs
Very heavy explosions coming from shore, plenty of wreckage passing the ship, including a barrage balloon which we hauled aboard. All the boys are cutting pieces of the water tight material what for I don't know, one chap says it will be a good cot sheet, we all have our own ideas.

21.45Hrs
Action stations again.

22.00Hrs
We get under way taking up our E boat defence positions.

22.02Hrs
Four ME 109's are making their way toward us but pass over head, and I may add that we did not open up, there must be some reason, but we can't see it, what a target.

23.30Hrs
Explosions still coming from shore. Some of the boys have their heads down trying to get a bit of much neaded sleep.

23.35Hrs
Air raid, bombs dropped on beach head. Enemy aircraft are now using the allied markings of black and white stripes, terrific sheet of ack ack meet them. Aircraft passing over head going towards beach head, plane comes down in flames. Some of the ships company sleep on the deck while the heavy barrage continues, this does not include me.

Saturday 10th June.
00.30Hrs
Air raid still on R/Es can be seen dropping on the shore, two or three fires are started.

04.00Hrs
Air raid still on, bombs drop around our flotilla, nothing hit.

07.00Hrs
One German destroyers sunk, one run aground at thirty knots, two damaged. HMS Tarter is damaged in the action.

08.00Hrs
Weigh anchor, out sweeps again. Buzz around the ship, we are going back to Portsmouth tomorrow for oil and stores. Wonder if we shall get any shore leave, if we go back.

12.00Hrs
Been sweeping all the forenoon, more ships in company they still pass in a steady stream towards the French coast.

16.00Hrs
Four armed trawlers sunk, and one this morning by our torpedo boats.

17.00Hrs
This is the quietest day we have had so far.

18.30Hrs
Supper time, still quite, lots of ships passing.

19.00Hrs
Heading towards beach head, plenty of wreckage and oil float past, life belts, stores etc, body of a sailor on a raft drifts past the ship, no-one stops to see who he is. Sea still quite choppy.

20.00Hrs
We have been LL sweeping all day long but have not cleared any mines, think this is more of a precaution sweep than anything else.
R.G.Lamming H.M.S. Orestes 1944

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