Landing Craft Tank (A) 2428

[Ali Mayor]

Hi everyone,

I am new to this forum havingcommended as a possible source of information from members of WW2 talk. It's a bit of a long shot but I am hoping to trace records of some Canadian soldiers who would have been involved in the capsize and sinking of a Landing Craft Tank on the morning of 6 June 1944.

It's a bit of a long story...

I am a recreational scuba diver with Southsea Sub-Aqua Club, (Portsmouth, UK www.southseasubaqua.org.uk ) and last summer I lead project to survey the wrecks of 2 tanks and 2 armoured bulldozers 8 miles offshore in the English Channel. Part of the puzzle was how did they get there? - as there is no associated shipwreck nearby. As a result of the survey and lots of seaching through War diaries I was able to esatblish that the tanks were Centaur Tanks of the Royal Marines 2nd Armoured Support Group and that the tanks and D7 Armoured bulldozers were lost from LCT(A) 2428.

LCT(A) 2428 was part of the 105th flotilla, headed for Juno Beach as part of "J force", she loaded at Stokes Bay, Gosport, only a few miles from where I live. In addition to the RM Centaurs and 15 men from the 2nd RM ASG she also carried Canadian troops. I have been trying to find out some contact details for Canadian regiments involved see if there are any accounts/records of what happened.

According to the loading tables for LCT(A) 2428 (LTIN 1008) she also had on board -

4 members from "HQ RCE 3 Cdn Div (Special Bulldozer Inc)" - "2 D7 Bulldozers Armd"
14 members from "18 Cdn Fd Coy" - "Car 5Cwt 4x4"
6 members from the "8 Kings A Coy"

The tables also mention "1 Truck Airborne" but is not listed as a vehicle. I have no idea what a truck airborne is???

LCT(A) 2428 capsized whist under tow from HMT Jaunty on the 6 June 1944. Her cargo of tanks and armoured bulldozers were lost at sea but the LCT was reported to float upside down for some time afterwards - eventually being sunk by gunfire by HMT Jaunty.

I am hoping to find and identify the wreck of LCT(A) 2428 along the South Coast of England and I have identified a dive sites which may be the right one. However, after 65 years underwater and being upside down, the wreck will not be easy to identify.

After completing a scuba diving survey project on the Tanks & Bulldozers last year - I am now leading another project to locate/survey LCT(A)2428. Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Alison