Michel Sabarly posted an IWM Image showing a 147 Field Regiment Sexton on D Day here http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/16174-run-in-shoot-by-ra-in-overlord-assault/page-2 This is Imperial war musuem image B5262 with ther IWM description of "Troops from 50th Division coming ashore from an LSI(L), Gold area, 6 June 1944. A Sexton 25pdr self-propelled gun of 147th Field Regiment (Essex Yeomanry), 56th Infantry Brigade, can be seen on the left" I think it also shows an upturned Porpoise sledge in the foreground, which suggests that guns landed there. My question is what is the gun doing there and pointing along the beach rather than in action and pointing at the enemy? . Tony Richardson's account tells of a 431 battery gun which lost a idler negotiating a deep bomb hole. Is the reason why the gunners are specators for the infantry landing? Can anyone identify when the LSL shown was scheduled to land?
I does look bogged down looking at the crew sunbathing etc. doesn't it. I'll have a look in the war diary later and report back
I wouldn't rush, the war diary is rather sparse. Their history is a little better, but not much: However, this particular one looks as though it was far enough up the beach to avoid being 'rapidly drowned' if that's 56 Bde landing.
LCI(L) 295 landed alongside LCI(L) 305 which had the Serial 2905, part of the nine LCI(L) planned to land elements of 56 Inf Bde at H+3 1/2 hrs on JIG GREEN West Side: This fits with three of the six LCT(4) carrying 147 Fd Regt planned for landing at H+2 hrs on the West Side of JIG GREEN Beach, the other three on the East Side. I wouldn't say this Sexton is doomed: it just got bogged in one of the many "blue clay" patches on GOLD, like innumerable other vehicles there, and will probably get towed out by one of the Beach Grop BARVs or bulldozers once the infantry is out of the way...
