White Bread and Burial Blankets

Neither Dick nor half his troop (including Bren gunner Tony Rampling) were to go over with the first wave on ‘D Day’.

As Don Aiken explains :

“The assault units of the invasion Army were in fact only at half their normal strength - the troops that were to land on 'D' Day were now being loaded, and the 'build-up' of the remainder would take place as soon as possible after the invasion. It was anticipated to be completed about 6 days afterwards. - In fact it took about 16 days because of the inclement weather that followed 'D' Day.” 

“Eventually we arrived in Southampton and I was surprised to see how many of the local people seemed to realise that this was for real, evidenced by the unusually warm waves we were given. The embarkation organisation was wonderfully efficient, and it didn't take very long for us to be installed on a U.S.A. Landing Ship Tank (LST).”

“The entire docking facility as far as the eye could see was jam-packed with shipping of all shapes and sizes, and as most of them sported their own anti-aircraft barrage balloon. I foolishly felt a kind of festive air about it all.”  (Extract  republished from the BBC People's War website by kind permission of Don Aiken)

 

Operation Neptune was underway.

"Over the last few days of May and the first of June, vast columns of men and vehicles began to stream south into the assembly areas - the 'sausages', as they were known, because of their shapes on the map - where the invaders were briefed and equipped before being loaded onto the fleet."  (From ‘Overlord’ by Max Hastings, Macmillan 2016 edition)

 

Sandy Handley takes up the story of 61^st Recce’s role in ‘the longest day’:

 “Now it was 1^st June 1944 and we were all detailed to get on our Armoured cars, Bren Gun Carriers, etc. We were on our way to Southampton, about five miles away but so slowly, so many Army vehicles edging down to the docks. Military police (red caps) were waving us on -I thought ‘Better you than me mate’. 

After a long while we arrived at the landing craft (LST*) a ship with an American crew and were loaded in a position with other vehicles. I made my way on deck to view the scene in the dock area.  We were issued with Mae West** life jackets - just in case I thought!!  We were told ‘put em on and keep em on’.  These life jackets were a simple affair, a tube more or less, which in case of emergency we had to blow up (that’s if you were still capable of blowing it up). 

After loading we moved slowly out to the Solent - what a sight! We saw so many ships (ships to the left of them, ships to the right of them); I’ve never seen so many.  One thing I thought - we weren’t the only boat doing the invasion. 

Sometime later, a chap came round and we were issued with two blankets to sit on or lay on. Of course there were no bunks - may have been for the officers but not for us.  These blankets were in fact burial bags.  ‘That’s a good start we haven’t got there yet.’ 

While we were finding our way around the LST craft we were handed a foolscap size notice to all troops from General Montgomery*** it read ‘You are about to liberate the Continent of Europe’ etc. and at the end it said ‘Good Hunting’ or something like that! 

We found where the lavatories were or heads as they were called by the matlows (sailors).  I made my way down to the loos and was advised by a Yankee sailor who said ‘You must use the portside heads, it’s only crew use the starboard side heads’.  I thought at the time ‘Who cares?  Port or starboard!’  However, as I’d spent three years with Trinity House pilot cutters before the war I knew my port from my starboard. 

The amazing thing on that LST was how they served up our meals - we just filed past the galley and held our mess tins out. We certainly didn’t go without food anyway, and a big surprise White Bread!  Something we hadn’t seen since 1939.” (From Ex Trooper S Handley’s ‘61 Recce - Memories of Normandy 1944 – 1945’)

* LST = Landing Ship, Tank

**Mae West was an American actress known for her bawdy double entendres and her curvaceous figure. ‘Mae West’ was rhyming slang for breasts and the inflatable life vests that resembled them. 

***See Montgomery's message to the troops. Eisenhower also sent a message:

 

Eric Postles remembers:

“We drove to Southampton Docks with security guards at various points along the route.  We embarked on an American crewed tank landing ship (LST). My carrier would be the first vehicle off at the disembarkation so it was the last to go on the ship. 

We moved into the Solent towing a Rhino (a self-propelled flat girder structure) used for taking vehicles ship to shore.  An LST is very basic and because of its flat bottom had an uncomfortable motion when moving. 

We slept where we could and I chose to be on deck in blankets that made sleeping bags and used a blow up lifebelt for a pillow.  The food was good (including white bread – which was a war-time luxury) for those who felt like eating but many were seasick.  We found the ship’s emergency ration stock and although some of it was not to our taste we took it to supplement our rations.  For the next two days we stayed in the Solent.”  (Extracts from ‘My War Years’ by John Eric Postles ISO used by kind permission of the author.)

 

Eric Brewer had already experienced the luxury of white bread.  His Assault troop also seems to have been spared two of the nights aboard ship since he did not board until the 4^th of June:

2^nd June 1944: If people only knew the date of the 2^nd front

3^rd June 1944:  Had briefing and have been told all about Second front

4^th June 1944:  Boarded ship at Southampton still in dock. Had final briefing today.

(From Eric Brewer’s diary, courtesy of Derek Brewer and family)