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Martin Vanheems

D. Day - June 5th/6th 1944

The 100th L.C.T. Flotilla was part of Force S, under Rear Admiral
C. A. Talbot, a sub-division of the Eastern Task Force, under the command
of Rear Admiral Sir Philip Vian. The Flotilla consisted of eight Mark V
L.C.T.s. These were American built, 112 ft. long by 32 ft. beam, about
100 tons displacement, powered by three 500 H.P. Gray Marine diesels, and
mounting two Oerlikons. They were slow, and the accommodation wretched,
but they were reliable and sturdy craft. Our numbers and Commanding Officers
were as follows: 2433 Lieut. Townsend, 2432 Lieut. Constantine, 2334 Lieut.
Davis, 2191 S/Lt. Rowney, 2123 Lieut. Gibbons, 2052 Lieut. Woodham, 2042
Lieut. Aitken, 2012 Lieut. Vanheems, all R.N.V.R.

We had been briefed on June 3rd, and returned aboard with great sacks of
operation orders and photographs which would have taken a week of hard reading
to get through. We glanced through it all: most did not concern us directly.
Now we were ‘'sealed", not allowed to go ashore, and the operation was due to
start on 4th June. However, in view of the bad weather it was postponed for
24 hours, which we spent pitching uneasily at our buoy in the anchorage.

At 0800 on June 5th we singled up, and at 0830 were ready to slip.
Owing to the heavy lop on in the Solent our mooring wire had jammed, and we
were unable to free it. Eventually the First Leituenant used the emergency
axe, and cut the wire. We were some ten minutes late, and using full revs.
it took us about half an hour to get into position. The Flotilla was travelling
in line ahead in two columns disposed abeam to port. Each of us was carrying
a Cromwell tank manned by Royal Marines, and a huge bulldozer which came
aboard with inches to spare either side. Our job was to act as support to
the A.V.R.E.s, a number of peculiar-looking vehicles like pre-historic monsters
which were coming in Mark IV L.C.T.s to clear the beaches of mines and
obstructions in preparation for the main assault. We were to deploy on
either side of the A.V.R.E.s, and if necessary to stay on the beach with
out tanks firing or to move round acting as mobile forts. Immediately ahead
of us was that bank of heroes - the minesweepers, which later laid [crossed out]down[end crossed out] dan
buoys right through the swept area, marking clearly the safe passage.