GOLD BEACH.

Hi Mike

I see your main interest is in the units operating the beaches. I am particularly interested in the 1048 port operating company as my wifes grandfather was in the unit and was killed in an attack on the ship Fort Lac La Rongue on 3rd August 1944 by kriegsmarine craft either a boat loaded with explosives or the manned torpedos.

I have details regarding his death but would love to find out where he left England from and when he arrived in Normandy. I did request the war diary but it is closed until 2043.

Chris

 

Great find Chris!

A couple of corrections: the spelling is Fort Lac La Ronge, not "La Rongue". Additionally, according to Paul Kemp in his book Underwater Warriors:

"Other casualties that night included the merchant ships Fort Lac La Ronge and Samlong, which were both damaged. In the case of these two ships it is impossible to say how they were damaged: a Marder may have been responsible, but the two ships may have been mined or hit by a Dackel (Dachshund) circling torpedo."

The Marder was a larger version of the Neger and "incorporated a diving tank and could submerge to a depth of 25m for very short periods."

Linsen are not considered potential culprits because that night they were operating in different areas.

Does the War Diary for 8 Port Op Group not mention the arrival date of its various components, including 1048 Port Op Coy ? I don't understand why 1048 Port Op Coy War Diary should be closed until 2043...

Michel

 

has anyone got any information on the 86th field regiment, after they landed, they are always mentioned in the run in and shoot, and the excellent 341 Bty diary,
but very little else, would be very interested in what they got up to later, particularly ,any info on 342 Bty .

 

Thank you for this very interesting post. I'm particularly interested in the photo of the guys sheltering in the 677 casement. I think one could be my late father- very short soldier talking to the Navy chap. Perhaps taking down the beach dressing station from what looks like stretchers around the area? I've a pic of him on d day and what looks like the tall chap with the dark hair and another from the distinctive way he wears his beret. It's probably a long shot, but would you know the source of this image should there be any possibly of obtaining a higher resolution image please?

 

Hi Michel

I dont know why it is closed but that was the response I got from the NA and I have downloaded the file.

The German raids of that night are covered in detail in a book called, Hitlers Secret Commandos ( Operations of the K Verband) by Helmut Blocksdorf on pen & sword books ISBN number 184415783-0

On the night of 2nd August an attack on the Mulberries was launched from Houlgate by Marders of K Flotilla 362 and Linse explosive boats of K-Flotilla 211. 58 Marders headed for the Mulberries with the main attack concentrated on Trout Line (?)

The book states that "the troopships, Fort de Lac (sic) and Samlong were torpedoed and damaged. it goes onto list other attacks and ships that were sunk and damaged on the night of 2/3rd August.

it infers it was either a Marder or Linsen as Dackles are not mentioned anywhere in the book I refer to above.

At least i now know where he was killed and the circumstances. We will visit his grave again when in Normandy at the end of May this year.

I have uploaded the war diary file I received from the NA and details of the deaths on the on the Fort ship. In addition, below is an extract from a witness statement about the attack.

Remarks of Alfons Steck

I became acquainted with Ferdinand Hoffmann in 1969. In the beginning he still was proud of sinking the destroyer but advancing in years he suffered more and more under this mission and the many of dead people.

This was the reason, why he could not agree to this publication during his lifetime. Ferdinand Hoffmann told his story coherently only once in 2005. He died at the age of 86 years in 2009.

There is no doubt on validity in his report. In British documents, (Rohwer: chronology of war page 169) it is told, that in this combined mission of explosive boats “Linsen”, “human torpedoes”, and “Marder”, the destroyer “Quorn”, trawler “Gairsey”, “LCT 764 transporter”, “Fort Lac La Ronge”, transporter “Samtucky”, and the old cruiser “Dragon” had been damaged or sunk.

Best wishes - Chris

 

I would start with cautioning you against reading too much too fast into period photos. This has happened before on this forum, where a chap somehow convinced himself that his father was on a D Day photo just because one or two things might have matched, but got severely distressed when shown that it could not be him.

That said, the photo is IWM A23995, of which you can download a medium resolution (2,356 × 1,772 pixels) version, which corresponds to the zoomed version on the IWM website, here:
File:Operation Overlord (the Normandy Landings)- D-day 6 June 1944 A23995.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

The IWM caption reads:

Royal Navy Commandos of LCOCU (Landing Craft Obstacle Clearing Unit) examine a large casemate and its 88mm gun which formed part of German strongpoint WN33 on the western edge of La Riviere, and which caused the forces landing on 'King' Beach, GOLD Area considerable trouble before it was silenced.​

It thus appears that the people on the photo are not part of an FDS or another medical unit.

The truck and the MC on the right belong to 240 Pro Coy CMP (part of 9 Beach Gp), so the two men in peaked caps (apart from the RN type) are therefore most probably MP.

 

Thanks Mike, I do fully appreciate your comments and caution. Agree, I think it will be very unlikely, but you never know. Thank you for the link. Much appreciated.

 

Hi Chris,

I am confused: do you have the War Diary for 1048 Port Op Coy or not? Which file have you downloaded?

I did see your posting of 8 Port Op Gp for Aug 1-4. I was simply thinking that earlier entries of this same 8 Port Op Gp War Diary (eg for June or July) might mention the date and means of arrival of its various component units, including 1048 Port Op Coy.

Michel

 

Hi Mike, Over the last few days I seemed to have remembered seeing this photo before. After looking back at the photos from my late father's last visit to Normandy I found this. My dad got very emotional looking at this image and was somewhere else for 15-20 minutes taking in everything around this casement. When he regained his composure, he told me he was taken back to treating/moving casualties here. He didn't recognise himself, but it was very moving to be in the same place as him 70 years previously. Thank you so much for triggering this, as it is now with hindsight, I can pinpoint the actual site.

 

Hi,
No idea why you were told the WD was closed. If you visit Kew you can view this document.

Below is some information from the WD covering the sailing and arrival dates in Normandy and some pages from the WD covering the 3rd August.

PM sent.

Regards

From the War Diary.

Prior to February "A, B, C, D Sections" are mentioned. After this date it is “Right Half Company” and “Left Half Company”.

21/5/44. Left Half Company move to Camp T/3. 3 Officers and 144 Other Ranks.

2/6/44. L.H. Coy aboard ship, LSP/S 2. 3 Officers and 148 ORs.
R.H. Coy move to Camp C8. 3 Officers 152 ORs.

Advance Party. 2 Officers 23 ORs. 03.30 Hrs moved to embarkation point. 1330 embarked on LCT 7090.


5/6/44. R.H. Coy embarked on coasters Kyle Castle, Galacum and Leoville. 14.00 hrs.
Advance Party sailed 09.30 hrs

6/6/44. L.H. Coy. LSP/S2 sailed from Thames Estuary approx. 11.00 hrs.
R.H. Coy sailed 12.30 hrs.


7/6/44. R.H. Coy coasters anchored of French coast (Jig Beach). 06.30 hrs. work commenced on coasters.
Advance Party arrived off French coast 01.00 hrs. Disembarked King Red Beach 12,00 hrs.

11/6/44. L.H. Coy anchored off Portsmouth. Ship sailed at 23.30 hrs.

12/6/44. L.H. Coy arrived complete in the evening and settled in bivouac area.


From the book “The D Day Ships” by John de S Winser.

Kyle Castle. Loaded at London, left Thames 31st May. Left Solent arrived Gold 08.30 7th June. Convoy EWC1B
Leoville. Loaded at London, left Thames 31st May. Left Solent arrived Gold 08.30 7th June. Convoy EWC1B
Galacum. Loaded at London, left Thames 31st May. Left Solent arrived Gold 08.30 7th June. Convoy EWC1B

 

LCT 7090 was carrying Serial 3528 of Force "L", Assault Group L2, Sailing Group 4. From Trux' thread, the planned load was:

Serial 3528 is an LCTIII carrying
1 Jeep from 24 Beach Recovery Section REME.
3 ARV from 24 Beach Recovery Section REME.
3 Tractor, Matador, from 24 Beach Recovery Section REME.
21 men from 24 Beach Recovery Section REME.
10 men from 107 RAF Beach Section.
5 Jeeps from 47 Survey Battery, 4 Survey Regiment RA.
1 15cwt from 47 Survey Battery, 4 Survey Regiment RA.
21 men from 47 Survey Battery, 4 Survey Regiment RA.
1 3ton 4 X 4 towing a water purification trailer with 4 crew from 183 Field Regiment RE.
1 3ton 4 X 4 GS with 16 men from 1048 Port Operating Company RE.​

 

That is great Danny and thank you, it now absolutley confirms what i thought in that he is actually named as being on the ship. I have attached download received from KEW statting that war diary closed. i am starting to think I requested the wrong thing?

 

I think i may have requested the wrong diary in asking for 8 group and should instead of requested to diary for 1048PCoy?

 

Is anyone able to please tell me at what distance from the beach HMS Ulster would have been when its guns opened up on the beach at around 0530 (I believe) on D-Day?

 

Destroyers were not supposed to open fire until H-60 (0625 hrs).

From ONEAST/G. FIVE - Orders for Bombardment, Part I - Neutralization of Beach Defences :

INSTRUCTIONS TO DESTROYERS
17. Destroyers are to take up the following positions by H-60 minutes:-
(...)
(c) Bombardment Area No.3:
H.M.S. ULSTER
49° 25'.4 N.
00°31' W.
(...)
18. Fire is to be opened from these positions at H-60 minutes in accordance with the fire plan. Before H-60 minutes any batteries seen to be engaging our ships and craft, particularly the L.C.T.(3) carrying the D.D. tanks, are to be engaged.
19. At H-40 minutes Destroyers in Bombardment Areas I and III are to close the shore making good 6 knots and at H-15 minutes when 5000 yards from the beaches are to open A arcs. Hunts in Bombarding Area II are to close at the same time making good ten knots and opening "A" arcs at H-15 minutes when the charted position of the 3 fathom line is crossed.
20. If circumstances permit, from H-15 minutes until completion of the fire plan, destroyers are to remain stopped in their inshore positions.
​

Since the coast was at around 49° 21' N, ULSTER was to open fire from roughly 4 nautical miles (8 000 yards) offshore.

From the Report by D/SOAG KING RED:

6. The fire support plan commenced at 0525 with Cruiser bombardment and all subsequent phases appeared to work well to schedule. LCG(L)s 1, 2, 3, and LCS(L)s 258 and 259 closed inshore at 0646 and opened a well directed fire. There was no counter fire whatever. At 0715 "ULSTER" was ordered to attack the anti tank gun position 925868 as LCG(L) 2 reported that she was uncertain of it's destruction. It was this gun which afterwards caused several casualties to the leading AVRE's even though it has since been established that the Gunlayer was killed by "USTER'S" bombardment.​

From the Report by Naval Commander Force "G":

0735 ULSTER and URCHIN completed prearranged run in fire plan.​

Michel

 

Michel,

Thank you very much for the information and for confirming that the Ulster wouldn't have started firing until about 0625.

If I've understood the rest of the information correctly, does this mean that the Ulster would have been 5000 yards out from the beach?

I recently met a veteran who was onboard HMS Ulster, and he said they were 250-300 yards out. This is clearly a huge discrepancy.

 

Hi JC29,

I was editing my post when you replied. ULSTER was to commence firing from aroung 8 000 yards then to close to 5000 yards. However, she did run aground on 9 Jun so she must have cruised pretty close to the beach at times:

June
6th On arrival at Beachhead took position off GOLD Beach and provided naval gun firesupport for assault landings.
9th Grounded during gunfire support and returned to Portsmouth for inspection suspected damage to underwater fittings
10th Inspection revealed port propeller missing and damage to starboard propeller.
15th Repair arranged at commercial shipyard in Cardiff.
22nd Arrived at Cardiff for repair.
Source: HMS Ulster, destroyer

Michel

 

Michel, very interesting. Those distances are hugely different to the '250-300 yards' cited by the HMS Ulster veteran whom I spoke to recently.

Can the passing of 80 years sufficiently explain such a huge error in recollection re the distances at which this gentleman found himself from the beach?

He added the fact that he clearly saw landing craft exploding following hitting mines on the sea defense obstacles, which would have been MUCH closer to the shore. Even at 5000 yards we are talking a distance of 4.5km from the beach. Would the naked eye see what was happening on the beach in such detail? He would not have been using binoculars for his role.

 

A wrecked British Army Churchill AVRE (Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers) tank stands in a field beside Gold Beach near the town of Saint-Come-de-Fresne in Normandy, France during World War II in May 1945. The tank was damaged during fighting in the Battle of Normandy following the Normandy landings on D-Day, 6th June 1944.
A wrecked British Army Churchill AVRE tank stands in a field beside... News Photo - Getty Images


Part 7:...A Churchill tank named 'Leviathan' passing and driving into the water to reembark on LCT 600. A fascine Churchill named 'Lurcher' passing.

 

Fantastic find and superb photo! Thank you, this was completely new to me! It reveals the callsign of LEVIATHAN as 2F (last tank in 2 Tp), and clearly shows its unit markings. I knew only the IWM film and the photo in Story of 79 Armoured Division, showing the bogged LEVIATHAN on the beach itself, with the callsign partially obscured:


On D Day AVRE LEVIATHAN T68309/C 2F, 82 Assault Sqn RE, was commanded by L sjt TOSH and was fitted with a Bobbin Mk.II. It was the second vehicle to land from LCT(4) 805 (Serial 2029), commanded by Lt J. MANFIELD RNVR:

Activities in Lane 5, 82 Sqn LCT 2029

Report by L sjt Tosh in Bobbin AVRE 68309 "Leviathan"

Detail of Operations.

Embarkation carried out without incident.

On craft device (Bobbin) became unstable due to constant roll of boat. By use of wedges device was held secure enough to disembark without incident. Found beach firm and did not use the device.

Reached sand dunes, and was told by Lane Comd to retain device in case needed elsewhere.

Retained and returned to waters edge for beach clearance.

Immediately struck clay patch under water, and could not pull out. Rapid rise of tide caused abandonment of tank. Tank was rapidly submerged and was then rammed by incoming LCT.

On beach, crew assisted in laying of chespale bundles for marking up of flailed lane. One member of crew Spr Owen was standing at head of lane when a Sherman tank came off the beach, swung too far left and off track, thus hitting a mine. Spr Owen caught the blast and received injuries to his right foot. He was left on beach under care of Red Cross.

At end of day, reached ASNELLES, remained there without incident until recalled to Unit HQ.​

A (not too sharp) still from the IWM film:


Michel