5

Preparations for the Normandy landings

With the ‘Second Front’ lying ahead, it became clear that 47 Royal Marine Commando would be involved. The decision had been for the invasion to be on the beaches of Normandy. The Dutch and Belgian coastlines were too heavily fortified, and crossing to Calais would be the obvious invasion point in the eyes of the enemy. The chosen landing area would run from Ouistreham in the east to Cherbourg in the most western end of Normandy, divided into five sectors code named respectively Sword, Juno, Gold, Omaha and Utah. Sword and Gold sectors were assigned to the British, Juno to the Canadians, Omaha and Utah to the US forces. The seaborne operation was to be preceded by airborne drops behind enemy lines in the US sectors and at the far end to the east of the invasion area. It soon became clear that the small fishing town of Port-en-Bessin, which lay precisely between Gold and Omaha sectors, would become vital as the only usable port to have stores and fuel delivered to the front lines.

Reports from the local French Resistance indicated that the town had two high features on the western and eastern side of the port that were heavily fortified by the enemy, which would make a seaborne approach an almost impossible task without heavy losses of both men and materiel. Reconnaissance photographs from both offshore and the air confirmed the German defences on both features, although it was still unclear what the risks were going to be. Local fishermen also claimed there was a reef just outside the port, which would bring an extra risk to the operation if it was to be done from the sea. The 2nd Tactical Air Force was to investigate these rumours, and as a result no reef was to be found on any of their aerial photographs. Still the chance of failure was too great a risk, so plans were made to attack the town from inland. This operation was given the codename ‘Aubery’ and 47 Royal Marine Commando was assigned the task to land in the Gold sector, march cross country for twelve miles behind enemy lines, attack the town from the South, and in the process of liberating it link up with the US troops coming in from the Omaha sector.

Mne Fred Wildman, Heavy Weapons:

Our destination turned out to be an American camp just outside Southampton, shielded by endless rows of barbed wire and heavily guarded gates. Under no circumstances was anybody allowed to leave and the rumour went round that the Americans were under pain of death if they broke out.

In any event after a while we were ferried out in buses to two ships at Southampton and briefings became more detailed. The ships in question were converted channel ferry boats. These carried 15 landing craft between them, each one capable of carrying 30 troops. Our maps became detailed and we were issued with some French francs. It became clear that we were due to land on the Normandy coast on June 5th. In fact the event of the landings were postponed for 24 hours because of severe weather. The final briefing made it clear that our task was to land in the second wave on Gold beach and then undertake a ten mile walk behind German held territory and capture the fishing port of Port en Bessin, simple really.

L/Cpl Frank Wright, X-Troop:

The area of the camp was a great sandy plain, ring-fenced in barbed wire filled with rows of bell tents and marquees on the north eastern fringes of Southampton. The weather was what we used to call a heat wave.

We arrived at the camp and immediately started on a short series of exercises in landing and forced marching in Dorset and the Isle of Wight where the terrain and beaches were similar to Normandy. One day we charged through the Purbeck Hills—I got my first glimpse of Corfe Castle—and the next day we were landed from our LCA near the Needles in Alum Bay then rushed, hell for leather, across the full length of the island to Bembridge (about 20 miles in blistering heat) where we re-embarked in the LCA and returned to camp. We were all lean and fit by then.

At first in the camp we were allowed shore leave every evening and could catch a tram into town for a spot of Southampton’s night life. This freedom continued until about a week before D-Day after which we were confined to camp. During those hot days we visited the local swimming pool. Everyone in the troop, swimmers and non-swimmers (there was a surprisingly large number of those), had to dive or jump off the high diving board into, of course, the deep end. Non-swimmers had to rely on the long poles shakily offered from the edge of the pool by TSM Ball, CSgt Robinson and others. At one time there was a struggling mass of bodies in the pool and it was pretty difficult to tell who could swim and who couldn’t. Nobody drowned though.

The heat wave continued after the security clamp-down. This threw more weight on the camp entertainment, which meant the Camp Cinema.

The Cinema was in one of the marquees and we soon realised that in the windless hot weather the temperature under canvas rose into the nineties. It was just possible to survive by rolling up the bottom two feet of the tent walls and lashing the roll of canvas to the poles. This allowed in some air but it let the light in too, so that images on the screen were pretty pale. What films did we see? Well I think ‘The Song of Bernadette’ was one of the films—not exactly ideal viewing under the circumstances, but watched in polite silence by the Marines. But another film, an early Sinatra movie, didn’t escape a good deal of cat-calling and ribaldry.

The Commando embarked onto the Princess Josephine Charlotte and Victoria on about 3rd June but we had a 24 hour postponement when the weather fronts rolled in from the Atlantic.

L/Cpl. F. A. Wright PO/X118984, X-Troop.

When A-Troop were carrying out landing exercises in Studland Bay in May 1944 the weather was extremely hot. As a result, Cpl George Amos was sent into a local pub for 64 pints of beer. Fine. Unfortunately, the landlord wouldn’t oblige with seconds!

Cpl George Amos, A-Troop:

At Herne Bay we settled down in new billets and carried out rehearsals for our landing. The Captn’s relationship with the senior NCOs seemed good, drinking with them in the White Horse which was next to his billet. I used to drink there sometimes with the senior NCOs but when the officers appeared junior NCOs tended to disappear.

One very hot day at Studland Bay following a D-Day rehearsal I was delegated to buy 64 pints of beer from a small pub nearby. The publican would not serve us any more because we had used his ration!

One of our number was a great sniper but had great difficulty in getting back from leave on time. On the journey back he tended to treat the sorrows of his separation from home with a ‘touch’ of alcohol. All the NCOs were instructed by Cousins to bring him back from the station, come what may, drunk or sober. We always made it with seconds to spare.

After our move to Southampton, we had a sports day and Capt. Cousins very successfully put the shot. On another day, as D-Day was delayed, we went for a recreational walk and again repeated a pub visit at the expense of Paul Spencer, later to become Adjutant. On leaving the pub, a feeling of youthful exuberance seemed to take over the Troop, perhaps with future battles looming—a case of letting off steam like schoolboys on an outing. At all events, crossing Southampton Common, we approached a children’s paddling pool. Capt. Cousins gave the order to right-wheel but the men, in view of the recreational nature of the exercise, ignored him and marched straight through the pool. Approaching a golf course the players shouted at us. The Capt., perhaps conscious that his authority on a military training exercise was being challenged asked me for the pistol used for firing an explosive cord for clearing mines and fired it. It blasted a brown pathway across the grass. Due to dockers blocking our stores I was never able to renew the cord but, in the event, this was neither here nor there as I lost all my gear in the landing, anyway.

Cpl Chuck Harris, HQ-Troop (later CQMS):

Busy getting Trucks ready for action, as there was a sense that something big was about to happen. Went down with this unit end of May 1944. In Southampton—confined in the camp. Went out on 4th June—but weather too rough.

Mne John Wetjen, Q-Troop:

... Such times as in the Garden of England, Herne Bay, where we moved before embarking at Southampton for the real thing; a training exercise from a LSI (Landing Ship Infantry) on the Isle of Wight and at Dover etc. We never knew when it might be the real thing, for all we knew when we packed our kit it could be the real thing anyway, anywhere, anytime!

While in Herne Bay we were lodged with civilian landladies and received a subsistence allowance of 6s 8d per day but as the landlady usually only charged 30s 0d per week we were better off by far, our daily pay being 3s 0d per day less stoppages. The ladies were the salt of the earth, treating us as part of the family. I believe they saw it as their contribution towards winning the war—God Bless them!

Being in lodgings we were unofficially off duty once our day’s tasks had been completed. As long as we were back in time for parade in the morning, no questions were asked. On parade one morning, we were ordered to parade at Herne Bay Station at 03.30 hours, in full marching order with kitbags. I looked at my ‘oppo’ Bob Wilkie, who grinned as I whispered, ‘I bet some silly bugger oversleeps.’

Yes, you’re right, we managed to do just that, not oversleep, but we shared lodgings just down from the station and we decided we couldn’t expect our dear old landlady to wake us at 02.45 hours, so we sat up on the bed, smoking and playing cards until it would be time for the off.

Now I had a personal reason for not being late, having been informed the previous week that I was up for Cpl’s stripes. So ...

‘What’s the time, Wilkie?’

‘What’s up?’

‘The time man, the time! We’ve both been asleep!’

‘Ten past four!’

That was it—we’d missed the train, the exercise and certainly lost my stripes!

We caught up with the Commando after the Isle of Wight exercise, then did on near Corfe Castle, but first were interviewed by the CO on board the LSI (Landing Ship Infantry). I don’t remember what the punishment was but the usual thing was loss of pay for many days. I didn’t get my stripes!!

Cpl Albert Potterton, Y-Troop:

We were at Herne Bay and then we were told we were going to report to Southampton. When we got to Southampton the whole of the place was a buzz. With all types of invasion equipment, troops by the thousands or millions if you like. All types, all our British forces, also the Empire forces as well and a tremendous number of the Americans and people like that.

We went out to the River Hamble and we found our mother ship there, which was carrying the invasion crafts that we would land. We thought we were going to shoot off immediately but apparently the weather deteriorated so badly. It was the worst storm ever.

When we were leaving Southampton, the captain was calling over the tannoy system, ‘We’re now entering mined waters’ and that really put the fear up with us because we realised that we had such a long crossing to do and eventually we were onboard ship. We were delayed because of the weather so we were in this precarious sort of position so we had the fear of the floating mines. We knew we were gonna face the enemy very, very soon and so we were all very, very uncertain, trying to keep up our cheerfulness which was very much lacking at time.

Each landing craft had something like thirty-five or thirty-six commandos, in our case, onboard and I happened to be a Corporal in charge of one and then I lost my Sergeant for some reason or other and so I was in charge of the section that was actually landing on D-Day. It turned out to be a trip to Normandy at that time. Our raid was going to be on a place called Port-en-Bessin. We were also going to link-up with the Americans from Omaha beaches.

Because of this very, very rough weather, we lost a lot of the landing craft in the landing, because of the excessive waves that were there the boats were being lifted up and dropped onto these teller mines which were attached to the structure work that was there.

Cpl A. E. Potterton, Y-Troop.

Combined Ops Signals Officer Charles Armstrong:

I was combined operations signals officer aboard HMS Princess Josephine Charlotte, which is classed as a landing ship infantry assault, working mainly with Commandos. The landing craft are carried on davits, port and starboard sides, we carried eight such craft, the SS Victoria was to go in with us on D-Day, she carried six LCA, this made up a flotilla of fourteen landing craft, I was boat officer in No. 4 boat.

The classes I had been instructing over the past year were aware we were training hard for a special mission, when we will be put to the test, most of us guessed what it would be. The question was where? The training had been arduous and realistic, there were a few unavoidable casualties.

The boat crews consisted of quite a few veterans, from operations such as Dieppe, North Africa, Anzio etc., it certainly felt good to have men like this around you, quite often I would visit their mess deck with a pipe full of baccy and spend an entertaining hour with them listening to humorous banter and amusing songs. The oldest among them was a character ‘Seaweed Sam’, a strange but fascinating person who fitted his nickname. There was a good camaraderie among officers and men without any lack of discipline or respect. We loaded No. 47 Royal Marine Commando at Berth 59 in Southampton Docks, on Friday 2nd June 1944. They were an impressive body of men intensely proud of their historical background and keen to get on with the task before them. I felt honoured to be associated with them.

I went ashore that evening to HMS Squid to see Sub Lt Glastonbury to try and collect some radio details for our navigator, but was told the ship was sealed. We then cast off and steamed down Southampton Water and anchored in the Solent to await further orders. We had been waiting a long time for this and now we were ready to go at last. Saturday morning came and went, Sunday morning came and went, when was it to be? I went with boat LCA 442 to refuel at HMS Tormentor, little did I know the next trip I took in her would be her last. We were to sail that evening, but as the world knows D-Day was postponed. In my diary for Monday a short note ‘rested and got ready for tomorrow’.

Another part of British 2nd Army, which was assigned the objective to take control of Port-en-Bessin and prepare its port for Operation PLUTO, was HQ 10 Garrison:

TOP SECRET

BIGOT NEPTUNE

10Garrison/102/Q

HQ 10 Garrison ADMINISTRATIVE PROJECT

THIS INSTRUCTION WILL BE READ IN CONJUNCTION WITH 21 ARMY GROUP PREPARATORY ADM ORDERS PART I DATED 28 MAY 1944, PART II ISSUED UNDER 21AGP/5536/2/AQ DATED 22 APR 1944 AND ‘NOTES FOR COMMANDING OFFICERS—SSV’, and EXTRACTS FROM 2nd ARMY ADMINISTRATION ORDER NO 2 FOR 2nd ARMY-TROOPS ISSUED UNDER SA/6218/Q of 13 MAY 1944-Ref Maps—FRANCE 1/25000 Sheet 37/185W and 1/12500 FIRST EDITION Sheet No. 81.

47 RM Commando embarking the SS Victoria 2 June 1944.

INFORMATION

1. Roads

(a) ARROMANCHES—PORT EN BESSIN—This road runs along the coast about one mile inland, and is narrow and winding. It runs through gently undulating pasture and orchards, and somewhat abruptly, the country gives way to typical ‘bocage’ country of the CHERBOURG Peninsula. Deployment of MT is likely to present difficulty owing to hedges.

(b) The road is about 15 feet wide with a tarmac surface. It has a pronounced cumber, in 1940 it was reported to be in good condition.

(c) Through TRACY SUR MER the road winds considerably and has some blind corners.

(d) PORT EN BESSIN—Bayeux—the main exit from the village leaves the broad stone quays of the inner basin and runs due south to a cross roads with the coastal road and thence across hilly pasture fields towards Bayeux (7 miles). This road appears to be about 25 feet wide and is lined with small bushy trees at each side.

PORT-EN-BESSIN

(a) A small fishing port, lying in a hollow between limestone cliffs, PORT-EN-BESSIN had a peacetime population of 1,500. The houses are closely crowded and generally streets are not suitable for two way traffic. Around the Port are open fields surrounded by hedges, and on the cliff tops are open cultivated fields.

(b) The harbour consists of an Avant port, and two drying basins. The entrance channel is between two curving moles, the western 1,490 feet long and the eastern 1,390 feet long.

(c) The quays in the Avant Port and basins are about four feet above high water springs.

(d) Electricity is laid on in the town, and the supply is reported as obtained from Caen via Bayeux.

(e) An electric tramway joins the Port with Bayeux running along the roadside.

Water and Sanitation

The supply which is piped from springs South of the Village is poor. It is laid on in only a few houses and to street fountains, most houses use well water. There is no organised sewage system.

Intelligence

There are defences on either side of the Port on the cliff tops which are mined. It is believed that further mining may be taking place in the area, details of which are not yet known.

INTENTION

2. HQ 10 Garrison will:–

(a) Land and assume control of the Port of PORT EN BESSIN and the area around it and defend it against all forms of attack.

(b) Establish a bulk petrol port at PORT EN BESSIN and supervise the construction of bulk petrol installations.

METHOD

3. General

(a) Second Army will be maintained over the beaches and through an artificial Port until maintenance through Ports is possible.

(b) Artificial Port—An artificial Port (MULBERRY ‘B’) is being built in the vicinity of ARROMANCHES.

(c) Two small Ports COURSEULLES and OUISTREHAM initially on 1 Corps front, are being developed as sheltered anchorages.

4. Opening of the Port and capacity

The estimated tonnage capacity for coasters at PORT EN BESSIN is as follows:–

D+4	200 tons per day
D+6 to D+30	300 tons per day
D+30 onwards	500 tons per day

The estimated figures are subject to the conditions of the Port on opening and the speed of rehabilitation. Should quays however be in a reasonable working condition, and entrance to inner basins 1 and 2 be navigable prior to D+30, the higher figures of 500 tons per diem may be obtainable at a correspondingly earlier date.

One small bulk petrol tanker is estimated to commence discharge inside the Port daily from D+10 and two small tankers from D+20 onwards.

Tombola Tankers are estimated to commence discharge outside the Port on D+24.

5. Organisation of 10 Garrison

(a) For Trace showing boundaries and First Key Plan see Trace ‘A’.

(b) For Order of Battle 10 Garrison see Appx ‘1’

(c) For Build up of 10 Garrison see Appx ‘2’

(d) An American Liaison Officer with a small staff is att to the HQ.

All matters concerning liaison with US Forces other than AA and technical oil questions will be referred to this HQ

6. Organisation of RN

(a) The Naval Port Party for PORT EN BESSIN is Party 1502(*) which is phased as follows:–

Date of arrival	Officers	Men	To land
D+1	32	192	PORT EN BESSIN
D+3		3	Beaches (Transport Party)

(b) The Naval Party is commanded by an NOIC (Cdr RN) and contains sufficient Officers and Rations incl Marines for the Naval control of the Port.

(c) The Naval Port Party will be administered by HQ 10 Garrison for local adm including the provision of common user items of stores.

7. Organisation of RAF

(a) The only RAF Unit in 10 Garrison is phased as follows:– 104 Port Balloon Sec phased in D+8, probably direct to PORT EN BESSIN—Str 3 Officers 46 ORs 6 vehs 52 Tons Store

(b) This unit and all other RAF units which may later be located in 10 Garrison will be administered by HQ 10 Garrison for local adm and the provision of common user items of stores.

RESPONSIBILITIES

8. Comd 10 Garrison is responsible for:–

(a) The co-ordination of the defence of the Port of PORT EN BESSIN (except seaward and AA) and American petrol installations shown in Trace ‘D’. The term defence including all matters of PAD Fire Fighting and Security.

(b) The smooth passage of stores and eqpt from the Port to the British and American petrol installations, in order that these installations may be constructed according to Schedule.

(c) In conjunction with NOIC 1502 the operation of the Port.

(d) The co-ordination of military and civil requirements for defence and, in conjunction with the civil affairs officer, the general control of civil adm.

(e) The local adm of all RN, RAF and British Army units in the area.

9. NOIC

(a) The NOIC is in comd of all naval personnel incl Royal Marines, and establishments on shore, and of all naval ships and vessels att to the Port. He is the final authority empowered to issue orders for the berthing and movement of all shipping and craft of every description afloat within the Port limits.

(b) So far as concerns the defence of the Port or the safety of the ships and craft from all dangers, such berthing and movement are at his sole discretion.

(*) Naval Party Nº 1502, whose business was to get certain captured ports working again, formed Prested Hall, Kelvedon—split into Parties A, B, and C before left UK D-Day.

Naval Party 1502A (Port-en-Bessin)

T/A/Cdr. Wykes, Frederick Edgar—HMS Odyssey 06.1944—07.1945

A/Capt. THOMAS, William Cowley—Naval Officer-in-Charge 06.1944