Hi Everyone , does anyone have any information on LCT 533 ? I have recently received my grandfather naval records and he was aboard between April-July 44 then aug 44- Jan 45 . He is also listed on duty on 698 flotilla sept 43 - march 44 . Any information would be greatly appreciated
Joeb, Welcome aboard. It will help members if you can post the records here; we have several naval experts and a few focus on landing craft. Add your grandfathers full name, DoB and Service Number as he may already be here. Plus, it gives an alternative research route. Some hits via PM in a moment. Which LCT 533 do you mean? I ask as Google shows two such ships, one RN and the other USN. One RN hit, even if only one line: Somewhere in this is LCT 533 on Gold beach: The D-Day Story Collection
Hi , thanks for your help . I have tried to conduct some research on the vessel but I too am unsure about which LCT 533 the document refers to. I understand there was a Mk 4 LCT 533 and a USS LCT 533 at Utah beach which possibly had RN crew ?
Joel, A good puzzle there. Service Records are not my field, others can help - hence posting them here.
my grandfathers details are as follows . Gordon Harry Traveller . Birthdate 16th Jan 1915 . MX 715009 .
Hello Joeb, On 5 June 1944 HM LCT 533 was part of 24 LCT Flotilla, "L" LCT Flotilla, Assault Group "G" 2, Naval Force "G". Regrettably I do not have any more details nor photos for LCT 533. Of the twelve craft in 24 Flotilla, eleven were alloted Landing Table Index Numbers aka Serials 2543-5, 2557-9, 2561-4 and 2303. My take on which were which follows: LCT Serial 502 2558? 503 2303 511 2563 520 2562? 521 2561 533 643 644 683 684 2544, 2545 or 2559 883 2557? 884 2543 LCT 533 might be one of the unidentified Serials, or the one not in the eleven. Michel
Joeb, There is a current thread n RN records, which may help explain your grandfather's record. See: Help with Navy documents WW1 / WW2 Some, if not all of the names shown are likely to be "stone frigates" or shore bases. As the cited thread explains the MOD should have a different form which shows which ships he was posted to. You can see there are today three threads titled LCT, so it may be worth perusing those for general information. A far wider search, not using the forum's facility, for LCT I would expect returns too much and also for the number.
No, US LCT(6) 533 did not have an RN crew. Therefore your grandfather must have been in HM LCT(4) 533.
Serials 2543-5 & 2557-9 were planned to land on KING GREEN Beach, GOLD Area Serials 2561-4 were planned to land on KING RED Beach, GOLD Area Actual landing locations might have differed, plus we are not sure whether LCT 533 was one of the above Serials. All we may say is that she was part of Force "G" and therefore was planned to land in Area GOLD.
As an aside my late father landed on Gold King Red on LCT 2562 with part of 35 FDS to form a Beach Dressing Station. The vessel hit a mine on landing buckling the bow doors preventing it from opening. The men were ordered to jump off into the sea by the Beach Master!
Two views of LCT(4) Serial 2562 broached to on KIND RED Beach: NAM 104773 NAM 14776 Serial 2562 was possibly LCT(4) 520, but without certainty... Michel
Thank you so much for this! Sorry about the delay in responding. I never imagined being able to see actual LCT my late father landed with!!
I actually find this series of photos quite emotional to view. I can't remember his name (Captain Sale?) but he was a pretty good photographer. Lots of photos from the buildup in UK, crossing the channel, landing on Gold Beach. Then over time the balance shifts. More photos are of simple graves dug for his comrades, and the proportion seems to grow over time. I guess in a way he was trying to memorialise them. And I guess the fact we're thinking about them today means he was kind of successful?