Trying to identify a soldier's unit with his diary (D+1 on Juno Beach, etc...)

Discussion in 'Searching for Someone & Military Genealogy' started by ClémentH, Jan 13, 2017.

  1. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Forgot to say

    Is there any point in using social media - I know how to say and spell it but thats about it - sorry

    TD
     
  2. ClémentH

    ClémentH Member

    I was looking up the RE port operating companies, and found that two beach groups landed on Juno Beach, no. 7 & 8. This is a good starting point I guess: Beach groups - Wikipedia
     
  3. ClémentH

    ClémentH Member

    How can we know what exact units were part of that convoy?
     
  4. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Clement

    Our forum specialist on D Day is Trux - see
    Trux 21st Army Group | WW2Talk

    Might be an idea to start a conversation with him - he might know the answer

    TD
     
  5. ClémentH

    ClémentH Member

    Thank you Tricky, I'll contact him right away !
     
  6. Trux

    Trux 21 AG

    He did and I have replied.

    I was looking through my documents, slowly. The problem is one of cross referencing. I have the tables of vehicles and units carried by MT ships but they are identified by landing serial numbers rather than ship numbers or names.

    I have tens of thousands of pages of documents. Somewhere there will be the answer.

    Mike.
     
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  7. Trux

    Trux 21 AG

    I have worked the other way round. If your man unloaded vehicles from ships and arrived off Juno on a MT ship he would be a member of a Port Operating Company. Since he came from Hull, which is a port, he could well have been a dock worker in civilian life. Most of the personnel of a Port Operating Company had been dockers.

    The fact that he was at Graye sur Mer for some time means that he was on Juno Mike beach. Mike was used for landing vehicles and Graye sur Mer was just behind the beach and used for accommodation.

    There were four Port Operating Companies on Mike, 996, 998, 1018 and 1057. !057 did not arrive until D+2. A small advanced party landed from companies on D Day and the rest of the personnel arrived on MT ships and coasters which they were to unload. They were organised into gangs, one gang per hatch on the ship. When they had finished unloading the ship on which they had arrived they remained to continue unloading other ships. This makes it difficult to identify a particular unit or individual.

    The ships mentioned were MT ships.

    Mike
     
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  8. ClémentH

    ClémentH Member

    Thank you so much, this is fantastic information ! But when you say the 1057 arrived on D+2, you mean on the beach? Because this man's ship arrived on the 7th, he started unloading from it, and set foot on the beach on the evening of the 8th, D+2.

    Anyway it's still great you found this much, at least we know what sort of unit he was in. Thank you !

    Clément
     
  9. RCG

    RCG Senior Member, Deceased

    It Appears that 1018 POC were one of the first to go in

    Name: Squires Alfred Edward
    Rank: Sapper
    Regiment/Service: Royal Engineers
    Unit Text: 1018 Port Operating Coy.
    Age: 29
    Date of Death: 06/06/1944
    Service No: 1562139
    Memorial Reference: P 12 C 1

    Bayeux Memorial.

    Then did 1057 POC leave Normandy in the Sept to go to Antwerp.

    Name: REILLY, JAMES
    Rank: Sapper
    Regiment/Service: Royal Engineers
    Unit Text: 1057 Port Operating Coy.
    Age: 28
    Date of Death: 15/12/1944
    Service No: 2005931
    Grave/Memorial Reference: I. C. 24.
    Cemetery: SCHOONSELHOF CEMETERY.

    Another small snippet which may have no relevance.

    Today R.E. 103 Field Squadron is based at ARC Debdon Gardens, Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 5TL. Then when you look at it on the map. The buildings under Benfield rd.

    Wonder if Centurion Park which comes under Wallsend. was an Army camp/training ground in WW2.



    https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Heaton,+Newcastle+upon+Tyne/@54.9922424,-1.5481388,1612m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x487e70fcd12c733d:0x260fd138073c0242!8m2!3d54.984077!4d-1.583544?hl=en-GB

    Someone who keeps a diary usually keeps one every year so wonder if more still exist from this man?
     
  10. Trux

    Trux 21 AG

    I found this air recce photo of Juno Mike beach. It escaped my notice previously because it is mistitled Mulberry 'A', Omaha Beach. On the left is the loop of the river and oyster beds adjacent to Courcelles. Centre right is a causeway constructed from NL pontoon material and used for LCTs to land vehicles dry shod. Immediately inland are vehicle parks where vehicles have their waterproofing removed before going to assembly areas further inland. All vehicle being landed on Juno from MT ships would normally pass through this area.

    Mike
     

    Attached Files:

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