The 803 Flotilla was formed in the autumn of 1943 from Royal Marines of many units, MNBDO’s and the RNASDF who had re-mustered as landing craft crews. They had their initial training in the RM establishments in North Wales as follows:
Gibraltar Camp Llanegryn Basic Seamanship
Burma Camp Llwyngwril Seamanship, Navigation Etc
Crete Camp Barmouth Practical Handing of Landing Craft
Coxswains stayed at Barmouth for a while and then went to Essex.
Stokers (the quaint RN title for any rating dealing with engines etc) – they were later called Driver/Mechanics – went to HMS Northney I and IV, Hayling Island, Hampshire for lectures on maintenance etc of the Craft’s engines and pumps.
Deckhands trained in various camps.
We came together in HMS Effingham, part of the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, Devon. On formation 803 Flotilla were sent to HMS Lizard in Brighton, Sussex, their LCV(p)s were docked in the Portslade Basin, we took them over from RN Ratings. The Flotilla also trained for a short while at HMS Newt, Newhaven, Sussex.
In early spring 1944 we moved to HMS Northney, Hayling Island to prepare for D Day. Four of our crafts and crews were seconded to HMS Tormentor in the Solent, Southampton, there we sailed each day to act as Safety/Guard ships to the Duplex (Swimming) tanks practising landings in Osborne Bay, Isle of Wight. Unfortunately there were some fatal casualties, some tanks capsizing as they left the LCT’s.
On June the 5th after some days of being confined to camp for security reasons we set sail for Normandy. Six of the boats went over on LST’s (Landing Ship Tanks), slung from the davits, the rest had to cross the channel in convoy, not a comfortable voyage, considering the size of these small flat bottomed craft. We had to refuel in mid channel from the Jerry cans that we were carrying, very hazardous, the fuel filler caps were situated on the small aft deck, the Mechanic and the Deckhand holding on to each other and whatever else they could whilst tipping fuel into a small funnel.
We arrived off Sword Beach and proceeded with our designated tasks of carrying troops and stores. As the action progressed we were used as messenger boats etc. carrying all means of personnel to and from the Beach head. We had to try and look after ourselves as best we could, living on 24 hour and “Compo” rations. Later we were able to get meals from the LBG’s (Landing Barge Galley), floating kitchens that had been converted from Thames Barges. There were several casualties from mines and the shelling.
On the 8th June our Mother Ship arrived in the anchorage, this was the old French Cruise liner Cap Tourane. She carried our spare crews and stores. Some of our crews were employed in assisting the Navy when they put in place the Gooseberry Ships, these were sunk in an arc to form a shelter to the beach. It consisted of many ships including HMS Durban, HMS Sumatra and the Courbet, an elderly French Battleship. Because of their armour-plated hulls these two ships became the safe shelter for small craft when they were being shelled from Le Havre
The next six weeks we were employed to carry reinforcements into the beach and bring out either wounded or German PoW’s. We had many casualties from the shelling and the storms that blew up in July. We eventually moved to the shelter of the Mulberry Harbour at Arromanches off Gold Beach. In August we handed over what was left of our craft to the Navy and we embarked on the Cap Tourane for Southampton, back to Hayling Island for a weeks leave. Then to our horror we left for the Royal Marine Barracks, Plymouth and the parade ground. Here we re-mustered either to the Battalions that were being formed or into the Commandos.
For more details of the Flotilla’s operations at Normandy, read Chapter 7 of Peter Frampton’s book “803 History of a Landing Craft Flotilla”.
© Peter Frampton 2001
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803 Flotilla – Normandy
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