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3. Medical Arrangements.

(a). Each Battalion in the assault brigade landed with its M.O., stretcher bearers ,
and a section of the Bde Fd Amb.

(b). An Advanced Dressing Station landed at H plus 60.

(c). Beach Dressing Stations and Resuscitation Centres were set up on each beach.
A reserve of clothing and equipment (including rations) [crossed out]will[end crossed out] were available for
re-equipping men who were brought to the Beach Dressing Station for treatment.

(d). Casualties occuring in ships remained in the ships; casualties occuring in the
first flight of landing craft were taken back to parent ships or ships specially
nominated.

The medical arrangements worked very well and casualties were evacuated quickly
after receiving adequate attention. I myself visited the Advanced Dressing Station on
the afternoon of D-Day and it was functioning smoothly.

4. Rations.

(a). Rations were carried by each man for the first 48 hrs after landing. Two 24-hr
rations were issued and were in waterproof packages specially designed for
assault operations.

(b). All units (less infantry battalions and anti-tank batteries) carried two days
compo ration in unit transport landing D and D plus 1.

(c). Infantry battalions and anti-tank batteries carried one days compo; the balance
being landed in RASC transport and drawn from DID on D plus 1.

(d). Three days AFV pack rations were carried in all tanks, scout cars , bren carriers
of Reconnaissance Regiment only, AV's RE, SP guns and bulldozers.

Rations in (b), (c), and (d) were held as reserves for emergency use only, A hot
meal was to be provided from the compo carried in unit vehicles for issue on the
evening of D plus 1.

Water was landed under unit arrangements as follows:-

(a). On the man - full water bottle.
(b). Full water trucks.
(c). 1st Line transport - balance required (in jerricans) to last
until evening of D plus 2 on the scale of
1/2 gallon per man per day.

A water point was to be established inland by 2000hrs on D-Day and two further
points in the Beach Maintenance Area by mid-day D plus 1.

5. Comments from Regimental Histories.

2 East Yorks.

"Everyone was agreed that the arrangements had worked out very
well. 'Just like a training show - only easier! ' was the
general verdict."

1 South Lancashires.

Major E.F. Johnson, commanding "C" Company has this to say:-
"They were magnificent on the beach. Mines, bullets, bombs,
shells...nothing could keep the South Lancashires back. They
were the first British infantry to press inland, their objective
being Hermanville."

1 Suffolk.

Major C. Boycott says:- "It had been a great experience, something
that none of us will ever forget. Superb organisation, long months
of training and meticulous attention to detail, had all paid their
dividend. There can be no higher praise of the organisation of a
great and complicated undertaking than to say 'It all seemed easy'."

Notes and Questions

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martinar317

Just FYI that the computer-generated transcription also included:

great and complicated undertaking than to say ‘It all seemed easy‘.“

though it didn't make it onto the scan.

wilsone5

Thank you. That last bit is appearing in the scan now. I added it to the transcript. Sometimes the viewer cuts off parts of the image. Refreshing the page or using the Fullscreen mode sometimes helps.

martinar317

Thank you!