1st Hussars, D-Day

[Perry Kitson]

I am trying to find load data (would load data list T/CT#'s), photo's, flotilla numbers, LCT numbers for the LCT's that carried the 6th Canadian Armoured Regiment (1st Hussars) to the beaches.
They were supporting the 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade of the 3rd Cnd. Inf. Div. The information I have come across shows A & B squadrons ( the DDs.) loaded at Bayhouse, RHQ and C Sqd. at Gosport.
A Sqd landed at Mike Red and B Sqd. at Nan Green beaches, C Sqd. at Mike Red.
I have found a reference to LCT 303 carrying 5th Troop, A Sqd.
I would guess that it would have taken 4 LCT's to transport a squadron of Shermans (19 tanks).
Any suggestions on were to look or information that is out there would be greatly appreciated.

Perry

[charlie fitton]

MicS
(Michel Sabarly)

Mike whipped up a lot of good info for me when I asked a similar question ( HLIofC of course) a few months back...I have no doubt that he can help you.

f

[maple_leaf_eh]

The 27th Armoured's (Sherbrooke Fusilier Regiment) load list is an annex in a Normandy book. I believe the title is, 'Bloody Buron', which refers to a town and a battle.

[klambie]

Not sure if it answers all of your questions, but this is as complete an accounting of the Juno plan as I have seen.

http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/51316-juno-beach/

[Perry Kitson]

Thanks for the replies gentlemen.
Kevin, the link you provided is excellent. Lots of information.

Perry

[maple_leaf_eh]

Originally Posted by klambie

Not sure if it answers all of your questions, but this is as complete an accounting of the Juno plan as I have seen.

http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/51316-juno-beach/

Kevin:

Extremely useful link! Last night I had a 2 hr interview / conversation with Stanley Fields (5th Field Company RCE) (age 95) who landed on Juno Beach. He knew he'd landed at Bernieres sur Mer, but as an ordinary soldier never knew his section's particular beach plan name. The link to the load lists was crucial in putting a name to his beach as Nan Red. The Vol 2 of the Canadian Military Engineer history (p 267) describes their activities and ties in to a particular casualty, Lt D Stalker who was killed in his Jeep. The company later named a Bailey Bridge after Stalker.

[MicS]

Perry,

In addition to Mike's ('Trux') magnificent thread on JUNO on ww2talk, there's his equally great thread on Force 'L', with the Follow-Up ships and craft, some of which carried 6 CAR vehicles & men:
http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/52958-naval-force-l/

Should you wish to know the hull numbers of the craft which carried 6 CAR, i.e. which actual vessel corresponded to which LTIN or Serial Number, this is usually quite hard to come by, but I had a bit of luck and here they are, with their loading places and times (times are Zone minus Two, which means that 2 1/2 hours should be added to them to obtain local time. D Day was then scheduled as 5 Jun 44, so this must be kept in mind when calculating D-2 for example):

Group. LTIN Type.. Hull Flotilla, Squadron, Assault Group ................. Time,Day & Place of Loading
311(a) 1000 LCT(3). 306 .4 LCT Flotilla, 'K' LCT Squadron, Assault Group J1 0300 D-3 G.2 Hard
311(a) 1001 LCT(3) 7010 .4 LCT Flotilla, 'K' LCT Squadron, Assault Group J1 0300 D-3 G.2 Hard
311(a) 1002 LCT(3). 390 .4 LCT Flotilla, 'K' LCT Squadron, Assault Group J1 0400 D-3 G.2 Hard
311(a) 1003 LCT(3). 441 .4 LCT Flotilla, 'K' LCT Squadron, Assault Group J1 0400 D-3 G.2 Hard
311(a) 1004 LCT(3). 311 .4 LCT Flotilla, 'K' LCT Squadron, Assault Group J1 0500 D-3 G.2 Hard
311(a) 1005 LCT(3). 372 .4 LCT Flotilla, 'K' LCT Squadron, Assault Group J1 0500 D-3 G.2 Hard
311(a) 1006 LCT(3). 422 .4 LCT Flotilla, 'K' LCT Squadron, Assault Group J1 0600 D-3 G.2 Hard
311(a) 1007 LCT(3). 303 .4 LCT Flotilla, 'K' LCT Squadron, Assault Group J1 0600 D-3 G.2 Hard
312(b) 1013 LCT(CB)2041 333 Support Flotilla, 1 Support Squadron .......... 1900 D-3 G.4 Hard
315(a) 1106 LCT(4). 506 20 LCT Flotilla, 'K' LCT Squadron, Assault Group J1 0500 D-2 G.4 Hard
315(a) 1107 LCT(4). 522 20 LCT Flotilla, 'K' LCT Squadron, Assault Group J1 0500 D-2 G.4 Hard
315(a) 1108 LCT(4). 517 20 LCT Flotilla, 'K' LCT Squadron, Assault Group J1 0400 D-2 G.4 Hard
313(a) 1116 LCT(4). 509 20 LCT Flotilla, 'K' LCT Squadron, Assault Group J1 1800 D-4 G.3 Hard
315(c) 1133 LCT(4). 770 36 LCT Flotilla, 'P' LCT Squadron, Assault Group J3 0100 D-2 G.4 Hard
332 .. 1149 LST(2). 238 .9 LST(2) Flotilla, Assault Group J3 .............. 1200 D-3 S.2 Hard (East)
332 .. 1152 LST(2). 199 .4 LST(2) Flotilla, Assault Group J3 .............. 1600 D-3 S.1 Hard (Inside)
332 .. 1155 LST(2).. 65 .4 LST(2) Flotilla, Assault Group J3 .............. 1600 D-3 S.3 Hard
333 .. 1158 LST(2). 405 .2 LST(2) Flotilla, Assault Group J3 .............. 0300 D-2 S.3 Hard

Did you procure the 6 CAR War Diary, which may (or not) include the detailed loading table for D Day?

Here's what I have on some of the ships or craft listed above:

LCT(3) 441 (1003):
http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/it...ect/1030013008

LCT(3) 303 (1007) was photographed during Exercise Yukon on 11-12 June 1942 (see attachment).

LCT(CB) 2041 (1013) is better documented:
http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...ad.php?t=11527
http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/showthread.php?t=2205

THE BRITISH ARMY IN NORMANDY 1944. © IWM (B 5930)IWM Non Commercial Licence
plus attachment.

LCT(4) 522 (1107):
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peop...a4371059.shtml

LST(2) 238 (1146):
http://ddnf.org.uk/memories/h_spensley/

Any additional information you might have would be most appreciated.

Michel

[Perry Kitson]

Michel,
It has been a while since I have checked in on this thread. Thank you for digging up the LCT/LST information. The First Hussars are documenting, with as much detail as possible, the regiments movements from mobilisation through to the end of the war. This will be a lot of information. We are looking to retrieve any details on the regiment. We have not yet laid our hands on the "official" war diary.

Perry

[maple_leaf_eh]

The War Diaries will either be at DHH (Director of HIstory and Heritage) at NDHQ or at the NAC (National Archives of Canada). http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dhh-.../index-eng.asp

When I met Stanley Fields, he gave me a small-sized privately copied set of the 5th Fd Coy RCE's War Diary. The entries are interesting reading depending on the quality of the author's expression. Author Prof. Terry Copp had full run of the war diary section at the NAC for his series of book entitled (coincidentally enough) 'Maple Leaf Route'.