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visibility was bad, to lead them in until landmarks on the shore could be
recognised.
It feel to Major Hull's lot to report that the 6th Battalion Green Howards
had taken its first objective fouty-eight minutes after landing, and this news
was received in London a few minutes later. "I doubt," says Major Hull,
"whether the Green Howards have ever received such heartfelt congragulations
from the Navy, as when this piece of news came through."
Shortly after this a landing craft came up, as previously planned,
and Major Hull and his small party joined the remained of the Battalion on
shore.
The naval combardment was terrific. Salvos from H.M.S. Warspite
sounded like express trains thundering overhead. Cruisers and destroyers
joined in, and landing craft carrying 25 pounders fired unceasingly as they
steamed ahsore. In addition there were rocket ships, which came within a
hundred yards of the shore, and each of which fired off four salvos a minute
of ninety rockets each.
At 7.37 a.m. on June 6 1944 the leading companies of the Green Howards
waded the last sixty yards on to the shore of France. Unfortunately several
men of "A” Company were drowned before the shore was reached, including
Sgt. Emmerson, an excellent N.C.C., whose death was a great loss to the
Battalion. In the face of heavy mortar fire and machine-gun fire from the
pill boxes Captain F.H. Honeyman led his company with great dash across the
beaches, and, with the assistance of one tank of the 4/7th Dragoons, overcame
this resistance.
The forward sections of the Company were then held up when they reached
the sea wall, from behind which the enemy was lobbing grenades. Captain
Honoyman, although he had been hit in the arm and leg by splinters, rushed
forward, and by his personal courage and initiative, restored the impetus
of the attack. In this daring action he was ably assisted by L/Sgt. H. Pronty
and L/Cpl. A. Joyce, who leapt over the wall, and charged the enemy, firing
sten guns and throwing grenades, until the latter were all dead or had
surrendered.