Can anyone help me clarify what the 5th Battalion of the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry were doing in the days leading up to their introduction to Normandy. I have sources stating they boarded the SS Biarritz at Newhaven and another mentioning Purfleet and waiting onboard ship in the Thames estuary. I am try to confirm the movement of Captain J J B Aimers
Chris, It was quite normal for the personnel of a battalion to board ship for Normandy at ports on the South Coast. I do not have details for loadings after the first few days of the campaign but certainly the larger personnel ships loaded at Southampton while the smaller ships, including Biarritz used smaller ports to the east. The US used ports to the west. Newhaven was a ferry port in peacetime and Biarritz was a converted ferry. Troops waited in camps around the port until called forward for loading. Biarritz could not take a full battalion. Vehicles and their drivers plus a small number of other personnel typically loaded at the Thames. Purfleet was very busy. Vehicles here were loaded onto coasters or Liberty type ships. No personnel ships sailed from the Thames after D day. Personnel again were accommodated in camps and the vehicles parked along roads in the area until they could be loaded. If Captain Aimers was a company officer he would load at Newhaven. It might be that the War Diary has a Landing Table attached as an appendix but this is rare. Mike
See the 21 Army Group section of this forum. Hidden in the Others section under Royal Navy, near the bottom of the page are brief details of Biarritz and a simple side view drawing from a recognition book. Mike
