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Our L.C.T. came in alongside an L.C.T. which had already beached. The first
vehicle off its ramp had stuck in the water and in consequence none of the
vehicles behind could get off nor could the L.C.T. close its ramp. Fortunately,
or skillfully, our craft made a perfect beaching.
The R.E. detachment on board rolled out the roly-poly (a long hessian carpet
strengthened with iron bard to form a firm base for the vehicles and prevent them
cutting deep grooves in the sand) and the Sappers waded ashore. (They were a
Beach Maintenance Party and we did not see them again). Our S-P guns had a
short distance to run through the water, dragging behind them flat "porpoises"
containing 25 pdr. ammo.
We joined the single line traffic making for the only exit from the beach.
(Lt. Dorey, our Battery C.P. officer, already a foot on the beach waves us along
in the right direction.) The beach was by now a narrow strip between high water
mark and tide, crammed with boats and vehicles and men in seeming confusion.
Rolling clouds of smoke from burning buildings and grass formed a fitting
background. The first German prisoners standing dazed and bewildered amid all
the activity were a centre of interest. One P.O.W. lifted a wounded Tommy out
of the path of vehicles.
The road leading from the beaches passed a deep anti-tank ditch. (I cannot
remember now whether the R.E.'s had bridged it or bull-dozed it, to make a good
passageway.)
I was ordered to deploy my guns alongside the knocked out casements of the
Mount Fleruy Battery of Coastal defence guns, only recently captured. Great
slabs of masonry and concrete had been unrooted by the heavy bombardment and
bombing. Our Command Post was established in a bomb crater. (We learnt later
that some German gunners were still underground and remained there for about
two days after D-day.) Three Centaur tanks, manned by Royal Marines, joined us
on this site and for the first and last time in the campaign my Troop had
7 guns. As soon as I reported that my guns were in action, the other half of
my battery (A Troop) who had been firing from the beach itself, were brought up
and put into action alongside my Troop. (A few bursts of a rifle suggested there
was a sniper around, but we did not see him.)