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Mon 5th June: We set sail from P with convoy
Tues 6th June: We arrive on the French coast weather very rough visibility nil
6.45 first line of TLCs [tank landing craft] line up with LCGs [landing craft, guns] on flanks destroyers and cruisers behind and more landing craft until the whole skyline is full and just one mass of ships down to the smallest tug
6.55 TLCs and LCGs move in with beach commanders in LCPs [landing craft, personnel]
7.10 LCGs open fire along with big ships
7.15 bombers arrive blasting the coastal defences until the very ship shakes with explosions, numbs one’s senses, we still move in range 1400 yds, still blasting, rocket ships let fly, the coastline is obscured with pall of smoke stretching for miles. RAF still coming over.
7.30 First ships land and enemy opens up hitting landing craft and setting two on fire. Tanks and troops on shore. TLCs let fly with all they have got, raking houses with cannon fire. We tear along firing salvoes. After salvoes empty shell cases pile up around the guns and paint blisters on the barrels. 8 o’clock landings going on in good shape with enemy still firing. We travel along the coast blasting at pillboxes — very near misses on us from pillboxes. I’ve never seen as many fighter aircraft in the air at once (all ours) Spits, Lightnings, Thunderbolts — all the modern fighters we have are constantly thundering overhead. At last the guns of our ships are silent making the quietness hit you like a wall. More and more landing craft take their loads on the beach, which is dead level for at least 60 miles. Further up the coast J Force have their landing well in hand but are still getting it hot. We see our tanks move in but nothing much is happening as regards enemy action now.
12 o’clock Landing troops and material still at its height. The destroyers and cruisers let go with occasional salvoes. We weigh anchor and move up the coast looking for trouble (finding none). We go round again and a concealed pillbox opens up on us with near misses (light stuff). We engage it moving in all the time. We score hits but cannot tell if it is silenced. She fires no more after an hour. Nothing much to report in the afternoon.
9 pm Here is one night I shall never forget. The sky is black with giant gliders carrying troops towed by all kinds of twin-engined aircraft as well as four-engined. What a sight, wave after wave pass over, they still keep coming in from the horizon, releasing the gliders to carry on themselves then the returning planes turn back sweeping over the sea at zero level so as to miss the oncoming aircraft. High above, the fighters scream around. Feel it’s like a fiction novel coming to life. The gliders sweep around looking for landings like bees over a jam pot (Oh for a camera).
12 o’clock Once again, all in dark, fires are burning on the shore.
1 am Enemy aircraft bomb us but no ships hit — all bombs landing on beach. God knows how the poor blokes are going on over there.
2 am Our bombers come in to blast his supply lines and convoys had a lot of flak going up. I never thought I’d be so near an RAF air raid, bombs seem to come down as if coming down a chute (the ship shakes).
8 am There seems to be more ships than ever now.
9 am We have 7 hit and run raiders coming in — JU88s — flak opens up and, oh boy, what a sight. First plane to die has its tail cut in half as if by a bread knife. He never pulls out hitting the beach with a tremendous explosion. Just imagine those poor guys inside. Never had a chance to bale out, it’s just one big bonfire, bombs burst inside it throwing debris all over the place... fighters, fighters, fighters everywhere coming from nowhere. They get another JU88 but cannot complete their destruction because of our flak.
11 till 12am More bombardments by our ships. We are at anchor.
5 pm One of the lads sees something floating in the sea. It comes nearer and its an American paratroop with his full gear on. It kind of turns one sick to see a man floating upside down.
Nothing much happened the next two days. Still firing and unloading stores and supplies for the boys at the front. Big air raids at night but most of us are seasoned to this having been in plenty of raids at Sicily.
Friday 9th June: We get orders to watch for 11 inch gun battery. We anchored near it all night but most of the shells drop in the sea because we are too far away and dare not go in, only closer.
12 o’clock Everything seems to be okay. A few star shells go up now and again.
2 am The RAF are bombing again, a little place inland. We can just see the flak, it appears to be shooting out of the hills like jets of water.
Saturday 10th June: We try to get fresh stores but cannot. We are told by HQ we have to go on Compo Rations. These aren’t too bad including a bar of chocolate and five fags a day.
9am We go along to our anchorage of the 11 inch battery. At twelve noon we get orders to escort minesweepers. We weigh anchor without seeing sweepers. Destroyers ask us to have a crack at a battery.
2pm We slide in, nothing happens. We can see the towns very clear now. Hold it. Enemy opens up, shells crash all around us. We go tearing out with guns blazing. LCG 9 & 10 have a go. They come out as well; too hot for them. Hello! Number Ten has been hit astern. We pull out as fast as we can go. Number Nine has gone alongside 10 to tow her. At safe distance from everything we observe Ten’s damage. There is a hell of a hole in her stern and it has damaged her steerage (No casualties). Cruisers open up on battery. We go along to Depot ship with Ten. They say they can most likely repair her in lifting her stern by crane, which depot ship is equipped with
4pm Enemy long range open up on our shipping but no hits. It must be a long range for we cannot see gun flashes. We go alongside to draw fresh water. Then we go alongside Ammo wagon for shells and cordite. We have a chat with the crew and they say they have only been out since Friday and they will be glad when they can go back.
9 pm We cast off and cruise around to the HQ ship for orders. Holy smoke, we get orders to go to our old friend the 11 inch again in the morning.
11pm We anchor
4 am All is dark and nothing unusual is happening. 4.45 we up anchor along with Number 9 and move in. We have orders to shell a road with HE for half an hour and, if the 11inch battery opens up, to engage it (Some hopes) and leave 9 to shell the road.
5 am Action stations alarm bell rings... gun crews dash up on deck awakened out of their slumbers once again.
5.05 we move along coast, firing all the time until we reach 11inch battery. We turn about (Good for you Skipper) and come back still firing. 66th Paratroops are also firing. We stop having fired 68 rounds of HE and go back along the coast to see if there are any moving targets. On the return journey a shell just misses Number 9 by inches. We pull out as fast as we can go. Nothing happens the next few days. Some of our ships ran down to see how the old eleven inch is doing and two of them get hit. Number 10 gets word to go back to UK. Are we chokker. The enemy start shelling the Harbour from Le Havre and all the shipping moves out of range. Smoke screens are made all day long. Bombers and warships attack Le Harve. Fires burning all night and sheets of flak going up. Searchlights by the hundred. Today is Friday. We have three separate bombardments. Hoping we have wiped old Jerry up. Most of the time all this was on I was down in the wireless cabin sending and receiving messages in hundreds. It’s now just after ten and I am on watch at half past, so I shall have to stop now till tomorrow.

This story was donated by Andrew McCloy and Norman Wilson, and was submitted to the site by Alison Tebbutt, Derby CSV Action Desk. The author has given his permission and fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

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