Page 11

June 6th contd

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The R.E. detachment on board rolled out the roly-poly (a long
hessian carpet strengthened with iron bars to form a firm base
for the vehicles and prevent them cutting deep grooves in the sand)
and the Sappers waded ashore. [They were a Beach Maintenance Party
and we did not see them again]. Our S-P guns had a short
distance to run through the water, dragging behind them flat "porpoises"
containing 25 pds. ammo.

We joined the single line traffic making for the only exit from the
beach. [Lt. Dorey, our Battery C.P. officer, already a foot on the
beach waved us along in the right direction]. The beach was by
now a narrow strip between high water mark and tide, crammed
with boats and vehicles and men in seeming confusion. Rolling
clouds of smoke from burning buildings and grass formed a
fitting background. The first German prisoners standing dazed and
bewildered amid all the activity were a centre of interest.
One P.O.W. lifted a wounded Tommy out of the path of vehicles.

The road leading from the beaches passed a deep anti-tank
ditch. [I cannot remember now whether the R.E.'s had bridged it
or bull-dozed it, to make a good passageway].

I was ordered to deploy my guns alongside the knocked out
casements of the Mount Fleury Battery of Coastal defence guns,
only recently captured. Great slabs of masonry and concrete had
been uprooted by the heavy bombardment and bombing. Our
Command Post was established in a bomb crater. [We learnt
later that some German gunners were still underground
and remained there for about two days after D-day].
Three Centaur tanks, manned by Royal Marines, joined us on this
site and for the first and last time in the campaign my
Troop had 7 guns. As soon as I reported that my guns
were in action, the other half of my battery (A Troop) who
had been firing from the beach itself, were brought up
and put into action alongside my Troop. [A few bursts of
a rifle suggested there was a sniper around, but we did
not see him]