Tracy, reading the except from Jim's account which you posted in the other thread JUNO BEACH., I agree with you. He most certainly was not with LST 159 on D Day, not even on another LST but on an LSI (Landing Ship Infantry, carrying LCA). Is the mention between brackets of (JUNO NAN) by you, or was it is the original account? "This could have proved disastrous, but in the event it was a huge success as very little resistance came from the enemy – who, because of the extreme weather and the unexpectedness of a landing on such an open beach (JUNO NAN)," The reason I ask is because this same except mentions "Large wire mats were put in front of the bow doors to prevent the heavy tanks and other vehicles being bogged down in the soft sand." Such mats were used extensively in GOLD Area, but not in JUNO, although it is probable that LSsT did have them, or at least those planned to unload in GOLD but actually did so in JUNO. The "frogmen" he mentions must have been from an LCOCU (Landing Craft Obstruction Clearance Unit, comprising personnel from the RN and the RM), and he might even have been part of this LCOCU (they were not all frogmen), because he says "What my job appeared to be was to get the ships unloaded as quickly as possible." See for example Operation Neptune: Frogmen - The First Men Ashore on D-Day If you could also post the part of Jim's account preceding the one you posted (starting from Swansea), we might find more hints about the ship he was in. Posting good scans or photos of his Service Record might also provide some clues which you may not have noticed, but which the expert eye of some forum member might discover. Michel
Hi Michel, between arriving in Swansea and the section I posted he only talks about personal stuff as he was granted a few days leave to go home, so no help there - he just says he arrived back on his ship just as it was leaving for (he says) Portsmouth. The timings definitely fit for this being LST159 still. It gets foggy after that, but the type of load he talks of sill points to an LST at that point doesn’t it? He always said he was on Juno beach, with Canadians, and this had such an impact on him that he felt compelled to visit Canada after the war, and many years later even contemplated emigrating there with his family. I have posted his service record on a separate thread in War at Sea ‘Royal Navy service records’ in the (vain, I fear) hope of getting some help there, and I have requested further info as suggested by a member there. All he says about post-D Day is as follows: A pattern of unloading from the beach itself was very quickly established and soon became almost routine, to such an extent that a long fishing line was fixed along the low-tide line, mostly along the length of the beach hooks were baited at low tide and many a meal of fresh-caught fish was had. The build up on the part of beach that I was on was beginning to be highly organised with supplies coming through almost uninterrupted – 24 hours a day. The block ships that had been sunk made a very effective harbour and the huge concrete caisoons being towed to the coast were beginning to take shape as what eventually became known as the ‘mulberry’ harbour. Simplistic in its design, it fulfilled its purpose 100%. One amusing anecdote, there arrived an American ocean going tug, quite the largest and possibly the strongest of its kind. Typically American Invention. Its name was ‘Pisonya’ and the two motor launches that were on its davits were named ‘Pisonya 2’ and ‘Pisonya 3’. All I know from there is that he rejoined his ship - and I’m assuming this was LST159 still/again but maybe it wasn’t - to return to London, a few days after his mother died as a result of one of the first V1 attacks, which I think began June 13th so I’m assuming he only stayed in Normandy a couple of weeks. The records for LST159 posted here some time ago don’t cover the period between 22nd April and 7th August but it was in and out of London docks for repairs several times after this. The nex solid date Jim talks of is leaving Sheerness on Christmas Eve for ‘the Bulge’, and as LST159 completed repairs 21st Dec at Chatham that would fit. T
Hi Tracy, Thank you for your answer and the additional info post D Day. After a quick look at his Service Record which you kindly posted in Royal Navy service records, I can only agree that there is nothing more to get from it, but I also agree with Hugh MacLean that it could be worth the while for you to request his Pay & Victualling Ledger. Reading again his account about D day and the few days before, I do not believe that the description he makes of Flail tanks being embarked applied to the ship he was in. They were loaded only on LCT (assault wave, planned to land at H Hour) and two LSsT (planned to land at H+7 hrs and H+9 hrs respectively), so this would not fit his statement that he landed frogmen from an LCA (or an LCP?), since as far as I could check no frogmen were carried in these two LSsT. The same applies to many parts of his account, such as the part about the MULBERRY artificial harbour, which was not in JUNO Area. If he landed in an LCA, he must have crossed the Channel in a Landing Ship Infantry (LSI), and his staying on the beach to do some beach maintenance job means he was either meant to do that from the start (and therefore part of a LCOCU or similar unit such as a RN Commando, sometimes labeled "RN Beach Parties" in some of the Landing Tables for JUNO), or his craft was stranded/damaged/destroyed and he had to remain on the beach or some time before being able to get back to the UK. There is also the problem of Porstmouth, where the only ships or craft bound for JUNO loading there were LCT. Michel
Hello, sorry to jump straight in here but im trying to find some pics of LST 159 for and elderly friend of mine who's father served on this ship, I have seen 3 relevant pics already shown here does anyone have anymore by chance? many thanks for any help
