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165 HAA Regimental HQ Royal Artillery.

‘Inevitably all good things come to an end and we received our “Marching Orders” to proceed in convoy to the London Docks. The weather was worsening, putting all the best-laid plans “on hold”. Although restrictions as regards personnel movements were pretty tight some local leave was allowed. It would have been possible for me to see my folks just once more before heading into the unknown but having said my farewells earlier felt I just couldn’t go through that again.

‘With the enormous numbers of vehicles and military equipment arriving in the marshalling area and a continuous downpour of rain it wasn’t long before we were living in a sea of mud and getting a foretaste of things to come. To idle away the hours whilst awaiting to hear the shout “WE GO”, time was spent playing cards (for the last remaining bits of English currency), much idle gossip and I would suspect thinking about those we were leaving behind. God knows when, or if, we would be seeing them again. By now this island we were about to leave, with its incessant Luftwaffe bombing raids and the arrival of the “Flying Bomb”, had by now become a front line and it was good to be thinking that we were now going to do something about it!

‘All preparations were made for the off. Pay Parade and an issue of 200 French francs (invasion style), and then to “Fall In” again for an issue of the 24-hour ration pack (army style), bags for vomit and a Mae West (American style). Time to write a quick farewell letter home before boarding a troopship. Very soon it was anchors away. I must have dozed off for I awoke to find we were hugging the English coast and were about to change course off the Isle of Wight where we joined the great armada of ships of all shapes and sizes. It wasn’t too long before the coastline of the French coast became visible, although I did keep looking over my shoulder for the last glimpse of my homeland. The whole seascape by now was filled with an endless procession of vessels carrying their cargoes of fighting men, the artillery, tanks, plus all the other essentials to feed the hungry war machine.

‘That first night at sea was spent laying just off the coast at Arromanches (Gold Beach) where some enemy air activity was experienced and a ship moored alongside unfortunately got an HE bomb in its hold. Orders came through to disembark and unloading continued until darkness fell. An exercise that had no doubt been overlooked and therefore not covered during previous years of intensive training was actually climbing down the side of a high-sided troopship in order to get aboard, in my case, an American LCT. This accomplished safely, with every possible chance of falling between both vessels tossing in a heaving sea, there followed a warm “Welcome Aboard” from a young cheerful fresh-faced, gum-chewing, cigar-smoking Yank. I believe I sensed the smell of coffee and do’nuts!’

Three Batteries, each of two Troops of four 3.7-inch guns; some 24 guns in all, were tasked for ‘Ack-Ack’ protection of airfields once a foothold had been successfully gained and a position firmly held in Normandy. As it turned out, the Regiment not only fought in an AA role but 275 Battery came under command of Guards Armoured Division for ground shooting; 198 Battery deployed in the AA role defensive Conc. Area, and 317 Battery deployed in the Anti-tank role.

2nd Ranger Battalion marching along the sea front at Weymouth.

U.S Army