royal navy landing craft crews on LCIS at sword beach queen red

Discussion in 'NW Europe' started by wb1945, Jun 27, 2018.

  1. wb1945

    wb1945 Member

    Hello Paul,

    I trust you will enjoy this web forum.
    In the past three months I have been able to fill in a lot of details regarding the involvement LCI(S) 518 thanks to the help of many contributors to this thread.
    Although my father was not really traumatised he was very reluctant to speak about his actual experiences on Sword Beach, he would only tell of being shelled and losing several comrades and friends, both Royal Navy and RM Commandos.
    Most of his reminiscences were about the training on the south coast and being billeted in a large private estate, and the cameraderie.
    As previously mentioned he always told me that being the signalman on 518 his leave would be taken only at the same time as your father.
    I would be delighted to take up your offer to share your father's logbook.
    He was one of the fortunate veterans and lived to see the 60th Aniversary of D Day, passing away in 2008 aged 84.
    Best wishes from another proud son,

    William Bennett (Junior)
     
    Tricky Dicky and Guy Hudson like this.
  2. Jack's son

    Jack's son New Member

    Good morning William

    I have attempted to scan and reproduce the log for 518 for 5th, 6th and 7th June 1944. The original page size is A3 so I'm a bit constrained by being restricted to an A4 scanner and have stitched the pages together for each day. I hope they are legible as the entries were written in pencil.

    I also have a few photographs including the attached which shows my father on the right of the picture but I don't know the identity of the officer on the left. The first lieutenant perhaps?

    518 bridge, Lt Cdr JA Deslandes DSC on right.jpg

    I would be most interested to see any other photos that Peter or others took on the day. I met Peter and many other members of the flotilla both at the Rising Sun and at the RNVR Club. I wonder whether you and/or your father attended any of the reunion events, if so, we might have met!

    Even the brief log entries tell just how horrifying the landing must have been, being shot at, dodging Teller mines and beach obstacles, and seeing your crew and passengers torn to pieces. Would we have been so stalwart? We'll never know, thank God.

    With kind regards

    Paul Deslandes
     

    Attached Files:

  3. ddaycolin

    ddaycolin Member

    Hello Paul (and William too),
    I was very interested to see the photo of your father and the other officer on 518. The other officer could be 1st Lieutenant Don Bonfield. I was in touch with his widow some time ago and she did mention a photo of her husband and your father on the bridge of 518. I think she also said this photo was taken during the crossing for D Day. I would have to check my archives (I’m on holiday till 7th October).

    Some years ago, Peter Musgrave very kindly lent me the negatives of the photos he took and I had the negatives professionally reprocessed for Peter and new prints made of better quality than wartime development allowed.

    For each photo, Peter wrote a short descriptive text. I would be more than happy to publish all the photos and texts on this forum.

    Norman Fitzsimon of the LCI(s) Association sent me some group photos of the reunions at the Rising Sun with names added. I could also publish these. He also sent me two photo albums of small groups of people at these reunions (with names as well). I could publish the index of names.

    All the best,

    Colin Henderson
     
    Tricky Dicky likes this.
  4. wb1945

    wb1945 Member

    Hello Colin,
    Unfortunately we never attended any of the reunions, although we did watch the 50th and 60th commemorations together.
    I would be delighted to see the photographs and text you described.

    Hello Paul,
    Thank you for the logs, the were legible and very informative. I agree totally with your comments. My Father was a few months away from his 20th birthday. When I was that age at University I thought I knew everything, it turns out that I really knew nothing at all.

    To Both,
    It has been a pleasure and a privilege meeting you online, I have learned so much about the part played by LCIS 518 during the landing at Sword Beach. I will be gathering all the information together and passing it on to his two Grandsons.

    Best wishes to all contributors.

    William Bennett Junior
     
    Tricky Dicky likes this.
  5. wb1945

    wb1945 Member

    Hello Colin,
    I was wondering if you were able to think about publishing those photos from peter Musgrave.
    Best Wishes

    William Bennett Junior
     
  6. I totally second that!

    Please post these photos in high quality, and the texts too, Colin!

    Michel
     
  7. wb1945

    wb1945 Member

    Hello Colin, I trust that all is well with you. I don't want to be a pest, however my sons were asking about the photographs you previously mentioned,
    Is there any possibility of publishing them ?

    Best wishes

    William Bennett Jnr
     
  8. wb1945

    wb1945 Member

    Hello Paul and Colin, Hope this finds you well,
    Since we last spoke in 2018, only yesterday I found an old Photo which I believed to be lost.
    It features the crew of LCI(S)518 somewhere in the South of England prior to the D Day landing on Sword Beach.
    I am glad that I found it even though my father was not in the photo because he was on leave at the time.
    It is quite sad even now to see that some of his friends shipmates in this photo would perish during D Day

    Best Wishes

    Wiliam Bennett Junior

    LCIS518.jpeg
     
    Dave Hosker likes this.
  9. Simon G

    Simon G Member

    Hi, I’ve only just joined this site in search of information on my Grandfather, Capt. Robin Goodall, who was with 45 RM Commando on one of the two LCI(S) that got hit whilst approaching Queen Red on Sword Beach. I don’t believe he was on LCI(S) 518. Does anyone know the number of the other 45 RM commando LCI(S) that got hit? Thanks in advance.
     
  10. Spitfires of the Sea

    Spitfires of the Sea Stephen Fisher

    Hi Simon,
    45 Commando were carried by LCI(S) 518, 532, 528, 530 and 517. According to the Admiralty reports, 518 and 528 were hit by shellfire, but only one man was wounded on 528. 532 suffered a near miss that damaged the hull but no-one was injured. 517 struck a mine when leaving the beach and later sank.
    Hope this helps,
    Steve
     
    Steve49 likes this.
  11. Simon G

    Simon G Member

    Thanks Steve - much appreciated
     
  12. Simon G

    Simon G Member

    In the ship's log of LCI(S) 518, it states that the crew buried the dead (presumably commandos and crew) at sea before securing alongside HMS Scylla and HMS Frobisher to disembark the wounded army and naval casualties. Does anyone know if there is a record of the commandos aboard LCI(S) 518 who were killed and wounded on 6 June 1944? Thanks in advance.
     

Share This Page