Evening all, I'm currently interviewing a wireless operator from B squadron, East Riding Yeomamry. We have discussed in length where he landed on D-Day. On route to Gosport, 4 Sherman's from B squadron were held up and did not make it to their correct LCT. Alan says that they arrived in Gosport very late and were loaded up into an LCT that was waiting for them. They were the only four tanks onboard along with their fitters Lorry that was loaded on last and blocked there route off! Alan says the LCT was full of infantry, possibly Suffolk regiment (trying to remember 71 years in) The deck of the LCT was full with Bren gun carriers. Alan goes on to further say that it is mentioned in the ERY history book 'Forrard' that the LCT with most of the ERY was four tanks short. I haven't got a copy of the book and was wondering what was documented. Hoping to shed a light more light on it.
Hello Ben, If you get a chance could you please ask Alan if he can recall any of the tank names. As a radio operator hopefully he may be able to remember some of them. Cheers Kevin
Good day Ben, I researched the Battle of Normandy as part of my university studies. Also, a few years ago I posted a number of articles to the BBC “People’s War” project about the E.R.Y. in Normandy, partly based on interviews with an E.R.Y. veteran who landed on D-Day. It is an area I know reasonably well but if course these days it is rather quieter than June and July 1944. There are two books about the E.R.Y. in WW2: “Europe Revisited” by Victor Ellison, published shortly after the war and a later reference book which seems to be the one your friend has mentioned: “Forrard” (2001) by Paul Mace with Ted Wright, published by Leo Cooper. I think your friend would remember Victor Ellison, Paul Mace and Ted Wright. All three served as officers with the ERY. Ted Wright was 2 i/c of B Squadron in Normandy. I read Victor Ellison’s book some years ago but do not have a copy. I do have a copy of Paul Mace’s book “Forrard”. Both books draw on the War Diary as well as personal memories and stories of the men who took part in the campaign. Perhaps your friend has a contribution in the narrative? As you do not give your friend’s surname I am unable to check in the index of the book. The following extracts may help clarify some of the points raised by your friend: On the final approach of one LCT carrying part of B Squadron the commander was uncertain of his depth and didn’t want to get stuck in the sand. By this time the ramp was down, ‘and we were inching forward,’ wrote Lieutenant George Jenkin. ‘We were carrying some men of the RUR , and I remember Major Matthews, OC B Squadron, picking on the smallest and ordering him full kit to attention, facing the beach, followed by quick march’. The poor bugger marched off the end of the ramp into the water and disappeared from view. When he surfaced, Hugh commanded, ‘Pull him in,’ followed by ‘Forward a bit, skipper’ to our craft-commander.” Most of the tanks arrived on the beach without mishap, many hearts were in mouths, not only because of the noise of battle, but the personal hazard of getting the individual tanks ashore. Most came off ships and drove straight on to the shore; but some had to wade in water up to six feet and others came in from some distance from LSTs on Rhino ferries. (“Forrard”, page 121) … In fact all the tanks in the Regiment landed safely. The only casualty was the C Squadron fitters’ half-track under Mechanical Sergeant Davies. This was ordered off the LST by a twitchy Naval Officer and plunged into seven feet of sea. All Sergeant Davies’ tools, spares and the extra bits and pieces he judged necessary to service the tanks were lost. But Sergeant Davies and his team were not to be thwarted by any naval bod; so they waited until low tide, found the half-track some way off shore, salvaged the vehicle and rebuilt the whole machine within three days, hardly pausing for rest. (“Forrard”, page 122) …. The War Diary states baldly: “1440 hrs 6 June 1944. Arrived at Assembly area. Tanks de-waterproofed and took up positions as planned.” The Regiment had touched down on the beaches at 1412 hrs and commenced to move to the assembly area around 1420 hrs. (“Forrard, page 124) ________________ The allotted areas for the LCTs were between Lion-sur-Mer and La Brèche (to the west of Ouistreham). Once landed, the ERY tanks made for the assembly area just south of Lion-sur-Mer. For this early part of the Normandy campaign the ERY were under command of 9 Infantry Brigade, part of the 3rd British Infantry Division. Click on the following link if you wish to read one of the articles I posted to the BBC "People's War" website: Good day Ben, I researched the Battle of Normandy as part of my university studies. Also, a few years ago I posted a number of articles to the BBC “People’s War” project about the E.R.Y. in Normandy, partly based on interviews with an E.R.Y. veteran who landed on D-Day. There are two books about the E.R.Y. in WW2: “Europe Revisited” by Victor Ellison and the later reference book which seems to be the one your friend has mentioned: “Forrard” (2001) by Paul Mace with Ted Wright, published by Leo Cooper. I think your friend would remember Victor Ellison, Paul Mace and Ted Wright. Ted Wright was 2 i/c of B Squadron in Normandy. I read Victor Ellison’s book some years ago and I have my own copy of Paul Mace’s book “Forrard”. Both books draw on the War Diary as well as personal memories and stories of the men who took part in the campaign. Perhaps your friend has a contribution in the narrative? As you do not give your friend’s surname I am unable to check in the index of the book. The following extracts may help clarify some of the points raised by your friend: On the final approach of one LCT carrying part of B Squadron the commander was uncertain of his depth and didn’t want to get stuck in the sand. By this time the ramp was down, ‘and we were inching forward,’ wrote Lieutenant George Jenkin. ‘We were carrying some men of the RUR , and I remember Major Matthews, OC B Squadron, picking on the smallest and ordering him full kit to attention, facing the beach, followed by quick march’. The poor bugger marched off the end of the ramp into the water and disappeared from view. When he surfaced, Hugh commanded, ‘Pull him in,’ followed by ‘Forward a bit, skipper’ to our craft-commander.” Most of the tanks arrived on the beach without mishap, many hearts were in mouths, not only because of the noise of battle, but the personal hazard of getting the individual tanks ashore. Most came off ships and drove straight on to the shore; but some had to wade in water up to six feet and others came in from some distance from LSTs on Rhino ferries. (“Forrard”, page 121) … In fact all the tanks in the Regiment landed safely. The only casualty was the C Squadron fitters’ half-track under Mechanical Sergeant Davies. This was ordered off the LST by a twitchy Naval Officer and plunged into seven feet of sea. All Sergeant Davies’ tools, spares and the extra bits and pieces he judged necessary to service the tanks were lost. But Sergeant Davies and his team were not to be thwarted by any naval bod; so they waited until low tide, found the half-track some way off shore, salvaged the vehicle and rebuilt the whole machine within three days, hardly pausing for rest. (“Forrard”, page 122) …. The War Diary states baldly: “1440 hrs 6 June 1944. Arrived at Assembly area. Tanks de-waterproofed and took up positions as planned.” The Regiment had touched down on the beaches at 1412 hrs and commenced to move to the assembly area around 1420 hrs. (“Forrard, page 124) ________________ The allotted areas for the LCTs were between Lion-sur-Mer and La Brèche (to the west of Ouistreham). Once landed, the ERY tanks made for the assembly area just south of Lion-sur-Mer. For this early part of the Normandy campaign the ERY were under command of 9 Infantry Brigade, part of the 3rd British Infantry Division. Click on the following link to read one of the articles I wrote for the BBC "People's War" website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/81/a3976581.shtml I trust this will help you discuss the Normandy campaign with your friend. Good luck.
Did you write the article with Jack Farrell? I showed Alan this three weeks ago, he had never seen this before. Jack was one of Alan's drivers during there time in Normandy. Please look and let me know if Alan King has contributed to the books. He hasn't told me he has.
I did a lot of my original research in France, including visiting the Landing Beach areas, visiting the libraries, museums, archives, etc and also recorded some of Jack's personal memories of the war. Compared to some units I reckon it is comparatively straightforward to trace the movements of the ERY during the Battle of Normandy. There are other articles I posted to the BBC "People's War" website which concentrate on Jack Farrell's personal account of his wartime experiences (posted to the BBC website with his permission). I assume you are doing something similar? You could bring out a map of the district and go through it together. I thought your friend might have known Jack when you mentioned he was in the ERY. All the best to the two of you.
You could bring out a map together and go through the district? I'm not sure what you mean? Alan said me meet up with Jack at a regiment get together some years ago and that they always exchanged Christmas cards. He said the Christmas cards sadly stopped some years ago and Alan thinks Jack sadly has passed away. I have found tracing the ERY quite easy and the rgt diaries have helped a lot, also refreshing Alan's memory on some things.
Sadly, Jack Farrell passed away on 1 October 2005, just over 10 years ago now. How time flies. I attended his funeral. Although Jack had some health problems his death was rather unexpected. Jack's wife, Teresa, who I also knew, passed away a couple of years earlier. If you want to print off the following, this was Jack's obituary in the local newspaper at the time: http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/well-known-normandy-vet-jack-82-dies-1.406365 WELL-KNOWN NORMANDY VET JACK, 82, DIES KConnor NORMANDY veteran Jack Farrell, of Cleator Moor, has died. Jack, who was 82, was well known in the town having lived there all his life. He died on Saturday. He was best known as a member of the Normandy Veteran’s Association, having landed on the beach at Normandy on D-day, June 6, 1944, as a trooper with the East Riding Yeomanry. He was born in July 1923 on Birks Road, Cleator Moor, and attended St Patrick’s Catholic School. After leaving school Jack got a job working for Kangol before joining the armed services at the age of 18. Jack ended up in the Army but it could well have all been very different. It was automatic for 18-year-olds to go along to their local labour exchange and get signed up, and so Jack went along determined to join the Navy. However he was having trouble with his appendix and when he was sent for his medical at Carlisle the doctors told him there was no chance they were sending him to sea when he could end up being ill and stuck in bed. The East Riding Yeomanry had lost a large number of its men at Dunkirk and so Jack was sent off to join them. Once he left the Army he worked in the construction industry for various firms and was at BNFL for the last 10 years of his working life before he retired aged 65. He married Teresa in 1948 at St Mary’s Church, Cleator, and the couple made their home with Teresa’s parents in the Derby Arms pub on Ennerdale Road before moving to Clayton Avenue in 1952. The couple had five children, Jack, Patricia, Edward, Marie and Michael. They also had 10 grandchildren and one great grandchild. Teresa died two years ago but before that the couple enjoyed singing together. Jack was a keen vocalist and Teresa played the piano. Jack was also a keen gardener and worked not only on his own garden but also at the grounds of his church, St Mary’s, Cleator. His other main interest was rugby league and he enjoyed watching his local side, Wath Brow Hornets, as well as following both Workington Town and Whitehaven. He was very proud to be featured in a story in The Whitehaven News’ Cleator Moor supplement, Cleator Crack, in the summer and sent copies to relatives as far afield as Hong Kong. The funeral will be held at St Mary’s Church, Cleator Moor, at noon today.
