90 Co RASC D Day 1944 - Cant find the LCT that these 9 trucks were on

HI, my name is Robert Colquhoun and I'm endeavouring to research my late father-in-laws D-Day movements. His name was James (Jim) Carver of B Platoon 90 Co RASC attached to 27th Armoured Brigade, and he drove one of the nine vehicles that Major Cuthbertson 'came across' as he drove back to Sword Beach from Pegasus Bridge on 6th June. Major Cuthbertsons meeting with these vehicles is well documented, but the fact that the vehicles were not supposed to be there until 11th June was not explored. It may be of interest to readers as to why they were there and hopefully someone may know what happeded to them over the following days, and what LCT they came over on. Please read below the words spoken to me by Jim:

"MPs arrived at our camp and all truck drivers were ordered into a hut. Here, we were made to draw straws and those of us who drew the short straws were ordered to drive our loaded vehicles out of camp and follow the MPs. They drove us straight onto a waiting LCT. (apparently a tank transporter had broken down on its way to the LCT and the space had to be quickly filled). My truck was carrying ammunition and fuel.
As we approached Normandy, we were taken onto the LCT bridge were the Captain explaind exactly where he expected to drop us off. I remember a crane driver jokingly shouting out 'If anyone gets stuck in the sand, dont worry, I'll pull you out!. As our 9 truck convoy drove up the beach (with no orders or Unit to follow) we were told to 'just get off the beach!'. I remember that as we reached the top of the beach, the crane that had been on our LCT was stopped, and the driver was slumped over the wheel.
We drove down the Lanes for a while before stopping, and this is where Major Cuthbertson came across us. That night we stayed in a barn in Ranvelle and I remember being terrified as German Soldiers were talking as they walked by".

 

Hi Robert,

Here are some details for B Pln in the Company war diary (WO171/2377):

25 May 1944
“A”, “B” & “C” Platoons and Workshops Detachment sealed in Camp No. 1 Petworth in connection with Operation EXERCISE [sic] “OVERLORD”.

[...]

2 June 1944
13 Vehs + 32 Personnel ‘B’ Pln under Lt. G.R. Glenny left Concentration Area PETWORTH and arrive Marshalling Area.

6 June 1944
‘D’ Day.
[...]
9 Vehs of ‘B’ Pln under Lt.G.R. Glenny landed with Pet & Derv, disembarked at 1200 hrs and proceeded to 27 Armd. Bde A Echelon Area HERMANVILLE-SUR-MER (0679). Contact established with Capt. D.E. Gray of this Coy who landed at 1100 hrs with 1 E.R.Y. to undertake P.O.L. supply duties with HQ 27 Armd. Bde. Pre-loads of Pet & Derv delivered direct to Armd. Regts of 27 Armd Bde under AFV protection in certain cases and vehs continued throughout day and most of night 6/7 June 44 to ferry Amn, Pet & Derv from Beach Sector Stores Dumps forward to ‘A’ Echelon.
2 O.Rs ‘B’ Pln received injuries from Shell Splinters and evacuated to 21 F.D.S.

7 June 1944
[...]
‘B’ Pln vehs continued to transport POL and Amn from Sector Stores Dumps to form Bde Dumps Area HERMANVILLE. A further 4 vehs from ‘B’ Pln landed and joined the 9 Vehs already at Bde ‘A’ Echelon ‘B’ Pln vehs also took part during the day in an urgent Troop Carrying Detail transporting 1 LINCOLNS to ST.AUBIN D’ARQUENAY.

8 June 1944
At 0030 hrs Bde ‘A’ Echelon Area was bombed from the Air causing the following casualties to ‘B’ Pln. 1 OR killed, 1 Off & 4 O.Rs wounded and evacuated to 21 F.D.S., 1-3 tonner (B’ford), 3 M/Cs & 3 Bren Guns were damaged beyond local repair. Other vehicles suffered slight damage which was rectified during the day. Remaining vehs employed on delivery of Amn & POL to Bde ‘A’ Echelon.

[...]

15 June 1944
Small Tpt details for Bde.
‘A’ & ‘B’ Plns Gps arrive off Beachhead and disembark on QUEEN Sector at 2000 hrs. Slight enemy shelling of Craft off Beaches.
‘A’ & ‘B’ Pln. Grps (59 Vehs + 165 personnel) join Advanced Element of Coy at CRESSERONS (0379) at 2300 hrs.

There doesn't appear to be a mention of the particular landing craft in which the 9 vehs of B Pln went across. Your next step would be to see if there are any details on the "Sword Beach" thread on here - that covers all the plans for loading of craft and indications of timing.

There is quite a bit in the war diary for those early days in the bridgehead. If you would like, I could add those to the existing 90 Coy RASC thread in the RASC section of the forum.

Regards

Tom

 

Thanks Tom for your efforts. The information you have supplied fills in a lot of the blanks to Jims first days in Normandy, and yes, please add the war diary for those early days in the bridgehead. Regards, Robert.

 

From the landing time shown (1200 hrs D Day) I assume that the 9 lorries were on craft of Group 15 (18 LCT with Serials 337 to 348 and 351 to 356, from 42nd and 48th LCT Flotillas), planned to land at H+250 (1135 hrs). The previous LCT flight was planned to (and did) land at 1030 and the next at 1255 (touched down around 1400 hrs), thus either too early or too late.

Actual touch down time of Group 15 was between 1130 and 1138 depending on the craft, and is compatible with lorries disembarking around 1200, especially since "owing to congestion of traffic on the beach vehicles were very slow in disembarking."

The Landing Table dated 19 Mar 44 does not include any crane as such, but Serials 352 to 355 comprised 3 ton winch (Karrier), 3 ton B/D MACK 6x4 or 4 ton B/D Ward La France 6x6 which could be interpreted as "cranes". The Landing Table was also probably amended several times between 29 Mar and D Day and actual cranes might have been added.

Michel

 

Thanks Michel, Your so kind to give your time to help me find out the above facts.
Just as a matter if interest, regarding 'the crane'. my father-in-law often said that he knew it was the same 'crane' from his Landing Craft because the driver had tied a rubber Michelin Man to its radiator, and he spotted this as he passed the stricken vehicle at the top of the beach. So sad.

 

Hi Robert,
No problem, I’ll add the diary for June over the weekend,

Regards

Tom

 

Hi Robert,

I've put the war diary for May and June 1944 into the 90 Coy RASC thread here:

War Diary - 90 Coy RASC - August 1944

Regards

Tom

 

Thanks Tom for yet again gracing us with a full transcript of a War Diary!

As compared with the June War Diary, the Special Appendix to WD Aug 44 (account of the first four days) delays by a full two hours both landing times for Capt Gray (1300 hrs i/o 1100 hrs) and for the first 9 lorries of 'B' Pl (1400 hrs i/o 1200 hrs):

Capt. Gray (Coy Petrol Officer) landed at 1300 hrs D-Day in a tank of the East Riding Yeomanry (27 Armd Bde), with his M/C slung on the back of the tank and linked up with Bde A Echelon located about a mile inland between the beaches and HERMANVILLE.

Pending arrival of any Petrol lorries, this officer was engaged in locating amn “purpoises” (towed in by tanks and dumped) and getting the amn loaded on to Regts’ ½ track vehs for transport forward.

At 1400 hrs (after delay due to shelling of the L.C.T.) 9 out of the 13 vehs landed and reached Bde A Ech area at 1600 hrs.

This more or less matches the reported landing times (from 1351 hrs) of Group 18 carrying tanks of the ERY (12 LCT LTIN 365 to 376 from 39th LCT Flotilla), although Capt Gray's landing at 1300 hrs does not quite fit. What does fit however is that although the plan called for all of ERY's 61 tanks (plus 3 ARVs) to be loaded on LCT, the actual embarkation had A Sqn plus one troop B Sqn in LST instead:


which in turn means that there was space available in the LCT for other vehicles such as the 13 lorries from 90 Armd Bde Coy.

The Landing Table dated 19 Mar 44 and photos of Exercise FABIUS seem to indicate that A Sqn ERY was to be loaded in LCT LTIN 365 to 371, among which the candidates for the LCT carrying the 13 lorries of 90 Coy should therefore be. I believe that the Hull numbers for these LTIN were as follows:

LTIN 365 = LCT 675
LTIN 366 = LCT 864
LTIN 367 = LCT 851
LTIN 368 = LCT 1015
LTIN 369 = LCT 788
LTIN 370 = LCT 612
LTIN 371 = LCT 611

Another confirmation of sorts is that although in LTIN 365 no lorry was planned in the Landing Table dated 19 Mar 44, on D Day LCT 675 reported the presence of at least three lorries on board, one of which stuck shortly after leaving the craft and had to be towed ashore by a tractor.

Michel

 

Thanks Michel,
So, 1400 is looking more favourable than 1200 for the correct landing time for the nine vehicles of B Platoon? Is that a reasonable assumption do you think?

Robert.

 

Robert,

Yes, that's what I think. Additionally, the nine vehs from B platoon were part of a thirteen veh group that were called forward to embark in the LCT of Group 18, with the remaining four disembarking later than the nine, probably in the afternoon or evening of 6 June.

Michel