|
Background (What
is a Combined Operation?) |
|
Combined
Operations Explained (Introduction) |
After you've read this page you should know why Churchill set up the Combined Operations Command, the duties and
responsibilities he bestowed upon it and some of its achievements. |
|
Combined Operations
Explained (Advanced) |
Brief description of the principle behind a well
organised Combined Operation for those already familiar with the
contents of the "Introduction" immediately above. The term Joint Forces Operations is used to describe
similar operations today and in 2013 a Joint Forces Command was
established in the UK. |
|
Wolfe's Combined
Operation. |
How Wolfe's raid on Quebec in 1759 unwittingly set the
ground rules for successful amphibious Combined Operations. |
|
Biographies (Short) |
|
Roger Keyes |
Churchill's 1st appointment to the post of
Director
Combined Operations
which ended in acrimony just 15 months later in Oct
1941. |
|
Mountbatten |
Lord Louis Mountbatten was Combined Operations
Adviser from 17/10/41 to 17/3/42 and Chief of Combined
Operations from 18/3/42 to 10/43. Despite
his youth and relative inexperience he gained the respect and
co-operation of the Chiefs of Staff. |
|
Geoffrey
Pyke |
A wartime Scientific Adviser whose unusual and
creative mind knew no bounds. Described variously as
a
'One Man Think Tank' and 'not a scientist, but a man of a vivid and
uncontrollable imagination, and a totally uninhibited tongue.' |
|
Commandos |
|
No 1
Commando |
A brief history of No 1 Commando
from its formation in July 1940 to disbandment in 1946. |
|
No 4
Commando |
A brief history of No 4 Commando
from its formation on 4 March 1941 to disbandment in July 1945. |
|
No 5 Commando |
A brief history of No 5 Commando
from formation in July 1940 to disbandment in January 1947. |
|
No 9
Commando |
A brief history of No 9 Commando from their formation in
the summer of 1940 to disbandment in late 1946. |
|
No 11 (Scottish)
Commando - The Black Hackle |
No 11 (Scottish) Commando was formed in
July 1940. Its members were dispersed to other Commando units a little
over a year later. However, much of great interest was packed into this
period as this 20,000 word history by Graham Lappin describes. |
|
45 (RM) Commando (1) |
This account of the early years of 45 Royal Marine Commando
draws heavily on the official publication 'The Story of 45 Royal Marine
Commando' written by the 45's officers and published privately for members of
the unit and their relatives. The book covers the history of the unit from its
formation in August 1943 until it returned from Germany in June 1945. The
account here concentrates on the amphibious landings on the beaches of Normandy
and the immediate aftermath. Intermingled with this account is the story of
Marine Bernard Charles Sydney Fenton provided by his son Bernard.
|
|
45 (RM) Commando
(2) |
This account of 45 Royal Marine Commando (45 RM Commando)
concentrates on the amphibious landings on the beaches of North Africa and
Sicily and the immediate aftermath.
|
|
Royal Naval Commando (The Beach Commandos) |
Early amphibious raids by Army Commandos between l940 and
l942 proved a need for better intelligence on the landing beaches and
better control of the movement of men, vehicles and supplies on the
beaches during raids and landings. |
|
Royal Air Servicing Commandos |
Recruited from RAF service personnel by notices posted at
RAF Stations.. 'Volunteers wanted in all trades for units to be
formed to service aircraft under hazardous conditions.' ...
i.e. on or near the front line! |
|
Royal Air Servicing Commandos
No 3201 Unit |
An often light hearted account of hazardous duties
illustrated with cartoon images drawn by the author. |
|
W Commando |
 The
story of Canada's Juno beach Commandos from training in Scotland
to Normandy on D-Day and beyond. |
|
D-Day and its Aftermath |
|
Coastal
Command |
Coastal Command's Anti-Submarine patrols on the flanks of Combined
Operations. |
|
Fighter Direction
Tenders (FDTs) |
The story of the 3 radar, communications and intelligence gathering
vessels off the beaches of Normandy in June 1944 - Fighter Direction
Tenders (FDTs) 13, 216 & 217. |
|
FDT 216 -
Diary of a Leading Aircraftsman |
These extracts
cover the service of LAC Leslie
Armitage
on board Fighter Direction
Tender (FDT) 216 off the American beaches of Utah and Omaha over a 10
day period from June 5 1944. |
|
HQ
Ships |
HQ Ships. The vital Command,
Control & Communications role of Headquarters Ships off Normandy and
during other amphibious landings. They were technological marvels of the
day. |
|
Landing Craft |
Most, if not all, accounts of Landing Craft include a
description of their role in the Normandy Landings. |
|
Mulberry Harbours |
The Allies needed secure sheltered harbour facilities
within days of the Normandy landings to supply their advancing forces
until ports like Cherbourg were captured. How did they erect two
harbours, each the size of Dover, in just a few days in wartime, when
Dover took 7 years to construct in peacetime? |
|
Operation
Overlord |
D Day, June 6 1944! Operation Overlord was the
culmination of years of planning and training by Combined Operation
planners along with others, notably the USA. |
|
Photo Gallery |
Photos of veterans taken in recent times mostly at
commemoration events. |
|
P.L.U.T.O |
The Pipeline Under the Ocean was
designed to supply petrol from storage tanks in southern England to the
advancing Allied armies in France in the months following D-Day. This
page tells the story of the planning, development, testing and
installation of the pipelines and of the contribution of PLUTO to the
war effort. |
|
Poetry |
Thoughtful poems about
aspects of the Normandy landings. |
|
RAF Air Sea Rescue |
For a select few serving in the RAF Air Sea Rescue Service, D Day
was to find them undertaking an important, top secret task which would improve
the chances of survival of thousands of servicemen . It was so secret that they did not know what they were involved in until they were in position off
the Normandy beaches.
|
|
Royal Observer Corp Seaborne Ops |
796 talented people of the ROC participated in the D-Day
landings. They were, however, not part of the Combined Operations Command but
their uniforms comprised aspects of all three services.
|
|
Documents & Signals |
|
Infamous Commando Order
[Hitler] |
As a result of an unfortunate incident on the
island of Sark a number of German soldiers
were shot with their hands tied behind their
backs. This apparent execution by a Commando
raiding party incensed Hitler who shortly
afterwards issued his infamous Commando Order.
|
|
Western Front
Preparations
[Hitler] |
Hitler's Directive 51 - preparations for the
anticipated invasion from the west. This
ordered the transfer of men and materials from
the eastern front because the greater, and
more immediate threat, was in the west. |
|
The Gratitude
of a Nation [Churchill] |
An
expression of a Nation's gratitude for the
role of Combined Operations in planning and
training for the amphibious aspects of D-Day. |
|
Combined Operations Insignia |
|
Insignia Design & Development |
A
copy of an article entitled 'The Combined Operations Badge,
1942-1946' by Terry Carney
based on research
carried out at the National Archive, Kew, London.
Includes many drawings of early design ideas. |
|
Insignia Specimens |
Over 50 images of Combined Operations Insignia from the
early 1940s to the present day including some from overseas.
Lieut D A Grant, who suggested the design, could not have known how its
use would spread around the world and how it would endure over the
decades to the present day. |
|
Insignia in Use |
Old photos of veterans, tattooed arm, ship's funnel,
scaled model of craft, Christmas card, Commando certificate etc - all
clearly show the ubiquitous Combined Operations Insignia in use. If you
have any examples you're happy to share, please send them in with a
brief note for possible addition to this page. |
|
Landing Craft |
|
Landing
Craft Assault |
Landing Craft Assault (LCA). These small
troop carrying craft were usually carried on mother ships to the landing
beaches and lowered into the water with their crew of 4 and up to 36
fully armed troops on board. This first hand account includes a landing
early on D-Day morning when death and destruction were constant
companions. |
|
LST and Landing Craft Association |
With the demise of the LST and Landing Craft Association
as a National organisation in Sept 2011, Tony Chapman, their
Archivist/Historian, offers advice and information about WW2 landing
craft through this link. |
|
9th LCT
Flotilla |
In Oct 1944 6 LCTs foundered off Lands End while under
tow with the loss of over 50 lives. This is the tragic story of "The
Lost LCT Flotilla." |
|
601 LCM Flotilla |
601 LCM (Landing Craft Mechanised) Flotilla not only battled
against the enemy as they ferried supplies and ammunition from ship to shore for
6 weeks from D-Day - they also battled against the elements with tragic
consequences. |
|
814 HMLCV(P)
Flotilla |
814 HM Landing Craft Vehicle (Personnel) [814 HMLCV(P)]
Flotilla took part in the D-Day landings. These are the recollections
and impressions of former Royal Marine Roy Nelson. |
|
HDML 1301 |
The role of Harbour Defence Motor Launch 1301
in Operation Brassard, the invasion of Elba, and its
subsequent service and return to Holland for restoration. |
|
HM LCG 19 |
LCG 19 (Landing Craft Gun 19) was one of a class of
converted landing craft that provided supporting fire in the area of landing beaches
during amphibious assaults in WW2. It was to be home to linesman
Harold Dilling for over two years
and it would take him into many very
hazardous situations both natural and man made. |
HM LCV (P) 1228
|
LCV(P) 1228 [Landing Craft Vehicle (Personnel)] was a
relatively small flat bottomed boat whose main function in WW2 was to
deliver assault troops onto enemy held shores. Collectively there were
many hundreds of these craft but, even so, they were just a small blip
in the great sweep of events beginning June 6th 1944. |
|
HM LCT 318 |
This is the story of one Landing Craft Tank seen through
the eyes of the craft's electrician. It
saw action off
Dieppe, North Africa, Sicily, Italy and
Normandy. After such an illustrious wartime service the end came from an
unexpected source. This Mk3 HMLCT 318 was built by
Teesside Bridge and Engineering Company and launched on February 14th
1942. |
|
HMLCT(4) 749 |
H.M. Landing Craft Tank 749 - HMLCT(4) 749 was involved
in the first assault wave onto Gold Beach on the morning of D-Day. It
was part of the 28th LCT Flotilla ‘D’ LCT Squadron. Its cargo
included specially adapted tanks (known as Hobart's Funnies) for the
clearance of beach obstacles in advance of troop landings. This was
hazardous work undertaken before enemy resistance in the area of the
landing beaches had been cleared. |
|
HM LCT 795 |
This
is the story of HMLCT 795 from early training to D-Day and beyond
seen through the eyes of the craft's electrician. From the
hazardous work off Normandy, where experiences shared bonded the
crew together, to an unexpected event that dispersed them without
ceremony. The author never met any of them again. |
|
HM LCT 821 |
On D-Day Signalman Eric J. Loseby served with His Majesty's
Landing Craft Tank 821 of the 42nd
Flotilla of ‘I’ Squadron Landing Craft. This is his story.
From training and over-wintering in the cold waters around Scotland's
northern shores to undertaking running repairs while stranded on a
Normandy beach, there were many hardships and dangers.
The common purpose of these non
specialised landing craft was to transport the Allied armies, their
weapons, equipment and supplies across the English Channel. |
|
HM LCT 861 |
HMLCT 861 was a unit of the 38th Flotilla of Assault
Group S3 Support Squadron. Their task on D-Day was to support the first
assault wave by providing withering fire onto enemy targets on or near
to the landing beaches and thereafter to discharge their cargo of tanks
and men onto the beaches. |
|
HM LCT
979 |
LCT 979 saw action on the Normandy beaches but took on a
much more hazardous task a few months later against the island fortress
of Walcheren. Against the odds they survived, battered but not broken. |
|
HM LCT 980 |
HMLCT 980 was one of hundreds of similar
vessels that saw action on the Normandy beaches in June 1944 and again at
Walcheren in Holland in Nov 1944. It gives a good description of the vessel, its
specifications, life onboard after the action was over including
an ignominious end on the Thames.
|
|
HM LCT 1171 & HM LCH 75 |
1171 survived the Normandy landings but broke her back,
split in two and sank on a routine return trip to UK shores. 75 was a HQ
vessel fitted out for Far East Service. The atomic bombs halted her
journey in the Middle East. A remarkable trip to the USA followed to
return this US owned vessel to its owners. |
|
HM LCT 2304 |
D-Day. Two views of the same events from
the perspectives of a British Navy landing craft crew and their 'cargo'
of US Army soldiers. |
|
HM LCT 2331 |
- ditto - |
|
HM LST427 |
A Photo Gallery of 49 rare photographs of 427 in action off Sicily,
Italy and Normandy.
The photographs were taken by
Temporary Acting Lieutenant Commander W.G.E. Rawlinson RNVR who
commanded 427 during 1943- 45.
|
|
HM
LCF |
Landing Craft Flack bristled with gun turrets to provide
anti aircraft cover for other vessels off enemy held landing beaches. On
first seeing his craft the author mistook her for local bomb damage! A
light-hearted and humorous style belies the very dangerous situations he
found himself in and the death and destruction he witnessed. |
|
HM LCF 7 |
The
author faced death on many occasions and witnessed much carnage.
But, as he walked down LCF7s gangplank for the last time with the
thanks of the Captain and his fellow officers ringing in his ears,
he gave the customs officer a deferential wink and stepped ashore
with a heavy heart. |
|
HM LBK 6 |
His Majesty's Landing Barge Kitchen 6 (HMLBK 6) provided
hot food off the Normandy beaches and continued in Navy use into the
21st century. On the LBK web page it is seen departing Portsmouth Naval
Base at 13.30 hours on May 10th 2007 under tow of a marine tug out of
Itchen. Read on to find out what happened next. |
|
Landing Craft Support Squadron |
Support landing craft in the form of LCGs, LCFs and LCRs
(guns, flack and rockets) provided fire power to soften up entrenched
enemy positions on and near the beaches in advance of troop landings.
This account provides an insight into the establishment of a support
flotilla and its deployment. |
|
Landing Craft
Squadron |
This is an incisive and often amusing account of a
Landing Craft Tank Squadron from early training in the harsh, cold
winter of 1943/44 in the Moray Firth in Scotland to the hazardous
landings on the Normandy beaches on D-Day June 6 1944. It's told by the
late Lieutenant Commander of the squadron, MOW Miller, RN, later
Commander. |
|
LCA, LCM & LCI (L) |
Canadian Kendal Kidder trained and served on different
types of small landing craft;
Landing Craft Assault (LCA) Landing Craft Mechanised
(LCM) Landing Craft Infantry Large LCI (L). Their purpose and functions
are described on the web page. |
|
LCS(M)s of the 524 LCA Flotilla |
LCS(M)s were manned by Royal Marines. Their primary task
was to assist in the establishment of beachheads for the oncoming waves
of regular troops about to land. Until the beaches and their environs
were cleared of the enemy the Royal Marines were exposed to heavy fire. |
|
LST HMS Misoa |
Taken from
the shallow
waters of Venezuela's Lake
Maracaibo in South America, Misoa saw service off N Africa,
Pantellaria, Sicily, Italy and Normandy. These
are the wartime memories of a young Royal Navy seaman who served on
her. Although his ship didn't have the sleek lines and style of
a cruiser, it came through many actions relatively unscathed. |
|
HM
LST Thruster |
HMLST(1)
Thruster was built by Harland and Wolf,
Belfast, Northern Ireland and launched on September 24th 1942. She
later took part in the invasions of Sicily, Salerno, Anzio and
Southern France. The photographs on this page are a rare record of
those times when the taking of such photos was banned. |
|
HMS Royal Ulsterman |
An ex English Channel Ferry used to carry tanks, lorries,
men and equipment directly onto the beaches. Saw action off North
Africa, Pantellaria, Sicily, Italy and Normandy. |
|
HMS Empire Battleaxe |
The 'Empire' ships were built to carry eighteen LCAs
[Landing Craft Assault] and to accommodate about one thousand troops.
The LCAs were lowered over the side with troops and their light
equipment already on board. Interestingly, US procedures lowered the
LCAs empty with troops going over the side of the mother ship using
scrambling nets. |
|
HMS Glenearn |
HMS Glenearn was a class of vessel known as Landing Ship
Infantry (Large) LSI(L). She and vessels like her formed the majority of the
infantry carrying ships in the three British invasion forces formed for the
Normandy landings.- G (for Gold), J (for Juno) and S (for Sword), the last
included HMS Glenearn, a converted 16 knot cargo liner of about 10,000 tons
carrying two Landing Craft Assault (LCA) Flotillas of twelve craft each.
|
|
D-Day Landings |
A general overview of the role of landing craft off the 5
landing beaches of Normandy. Includes many of the above plus Landing
Craft Tank (Armoured) [LCT(A)], Landing Craft Tank (High Explosives)
[LCT (HE)], Landing Craft Tank (Rocket) [LCT(R)], Landing Craft Assault
Mortars [LCA(HR)]. Also includes individual harrowing stories. |
|
D-Day Assault Convoy G6 |
A routine enquiry about
RN
Able Seaman Norman Kenwood, recorded lost at sea on June 6th 1944 from
Landing Craft Assault 591 (LCA 591)
led the LST and Landing Craft Association into uncharted waters.
The end result of was a correction to the Commonwealth War Grave
Commission's records. |
|
Landing Craft from
a Canadian Perspective |
A
comprehensive, often humorous account of life on a Landing Craft in the UK,
Africa, and Europe from the perspective of a young Canadian volunteer. Lloyd
Evans packed more experience of life into just a few years than most young
people today pack into a lifetime. Although there were times of rest and
relaxation always present was the next unknown mission with moments of great
danger. |
|
Operation Tiger |
The
Disaster in Lyme
Bay.
A pre D-Day landing craft
training exercise which was to culminate in the loss of 749 American
lives. |
|
New
LCAs |
Rare photographs of
newly completed Landing Craft Assault (LCAs) being handed over to the
Royal Navy by builders Elliotts of Reading, Berkshire, England. It is
believed the photographs were taken in September 1944. |
|
US LST 28 |
The story of a United States Landing Ship Tank and a crew
member. |
|
US LCT (R) |
A first hand account of the use and deployment of United
States Landing Craft Tank (Rocket) vessels in WW2 as told by a Group
Commander. These craft were most effective in launching hundreds of
explosive projectiles onto enemy held beaches just minutes ahead of
Allied troops landing. Timing and accuracy were of the essence. |
|
US LCT (R) 439 |
This is an account of WW2 United States Landing Craft
Tank (Rocket)
439 - USLCT(R) 439. This specialized landing craft carried
2896 5" x 4' explosive
rockets (127mm x 1.2m) designed to soften up enemy coastal
defensive positions immediately prior to the landing of the main
Allied invasion force. |
|
US LCI(L)
502 |
US LCI(L) 502 carried 196 Officers an men of the Durham Light
Infantry to Gold Beach on the wild and windy morning of June 6th
1944. This account is based on the writings and recollections of
John P Cummer and information from the craft's Deck Log. |
|
Memorials & Plaques |
|
Combined Ops Memorial Sub-Web |
A single click to the Combined
Operations Memorial sub-web where you'll find
all you need to know including the latest
photos of the memorial under construction and
donations to the memorial fund including an
impressive painting called
"Combined Operations - A
Normandy Beachhead." |
|
Memorials and Plaques |
See a diverse range of
existing
Combined Operations memorials and plaques
world-wide. |
|
Roll of Honour |
Family and friends of veterans
who died in action or training while serving
in the Combined Operations Command are welcome
to add veteran's details to this page in the
way of a personal tribute. |
|
They Also Served |
Family and friends of veterans
who served in the Combined Operations Command
are welcome to add veteran's details to this
page in the way of a personal tribute. We owe
a debt of gratitude to those who served the
Allied cause in Combined Operations and who
were fortunate to return home after the
conflict. |
|
Miscellaneous |
|
ROC - Royal Observer Corp |
Although not part of Combined Operations The Royal Observer Corp
provided vital early identification of approaching enemy ships and
planes for Allied gunners.
|
|
HMS COPRA |
The
name of HMS COPRA is often used in pay records and even grave
stones. The significance of the term is explained here. |
|
Notice Boards |
|
Operations and Units. |
Appeals for information about specific operations,
Commando and other units. |
|
Veterans. |
Appeals for information about individual Combined
Operations veterans. |
|
Other. |
Appeals for information of a general nature. |
|
Poetry |
|
Poetry Page |
1). 5 thoughtful poems about
aspects of the Normandy landings. |
|
|
2). Commando Memorial. In
memory of the 1,700 Commandos who died in
action. |
|
Post War Combined Operations |
|
Suez |
The Suez landing was the first
Combined Operation to use helicopters. One
Regimental Signaller with the Royal Artillery
remembers. |
|
Training in Germany 1947 - 1950 |
A photo gallery of 24
photos. All the photos were taken on Combined
Operations manoeuvres at Ekernforde in
Schleswick Holstein in northern Germany in
early 1948. |
|
Raids
& Landings |
|
Raids & Landings
Index |
Raids
& landings in chronological order from
Operation
Catapult
at
Mers-el-Kebir on
4/7/40 to
Operation Infatuate at Walcheren
1-8 November 1944. |
|
Landing
Craft |
All the landing craft operations listed above were
involved in raids and landings. Just click on the link opposite to see
the web pages concerned. |
|
Operation Starkey |
The invasion
that never was. The war years are littered with stories of deception
designed to confuse the enemy. Systematic bombing of selected
targets over several weeks in late August and early September 1943 and
an invasion armada of empty ships were the key elements. |
|
Small Scale Raiding Force (SSRF) |
They
specialised in "pinprick" raids on the coast of Northern France
and the Channel Islands. They were designed to demoralise German
troops as well as tying up enemy resources that would otherwise be
used more effectively on other fronts. |
|
Re-enactments &
Renovations |
|
HDML 1301 |
The role of Harbour Defence Motor Launch 1301
in Operation Brassard, the invasion of Elba its post war
service and return to Holland for restoration. |
|
No 3 Commando |
The No 3
Commando Re-enactment Group is based in the
south west of Scotland. It has an educational
bias in addition to participating in
re-enactment (living history) events and
displays. The group aims to inform and educate
people of all ages about one of the most
critical periods in our history - the Second
World War. |
|
No 10 Inter Allied (IA) Commando. |
Click on the link to visit
their website in Holland. |
|
Scottish
Military Re-enactment Society |
SMRS is based in the south and east of
Scotland.
Units within SMRS include: a Combined
Operations Section in particular the Small Scale Raiding
Force, the Special Operations Executive, Airborne (British
and American), Infantry, Royal Navy, Home Guard and the
Auxiliary Territorial Service. |
|
Commemorative Commando March |
A number of Commando re-enactment groups come
together for the Annual Commemorative Commando March from
Achnacarry to Spean Bridge. |
|
Science & Technology |
|
DD
Tanks |
DD Tanks were designed to make their own way to the
landing beaches after disembarking
from their Landing Craft a mile or two offshore. Each was fitted with twin
Duplex Drive screws (hence DD) and an inflatable floatation screen. Whether they swam,
sailed or motored this remarkable amphibious craft and their brave crews were early
arrivals on the Normandy beaches. |
|
Fighter Direction
Tenders (FDTs) |
The story of the 3 radar, communications and intelligence gathering
vessels off the beaches of Normandy in June 1944 - Fighter Direction
Tenders (FDTs) 13, 216 & 217. |
|
Mulberry Harbours |
The Allies needed secure sheltered harbour facilities
within days of the Normandy landings to supply their advancing forces
until ports like Cherbourg were captured. How did they erect two
harbours, each the size of Dover, in just a few days in wartime, when
Dover took 7 years to construct in peacetime? It was a civil engineering
project of immense size and complexity. |
|
PLUTO |
The Pipeline Under the Ocean was
designed to supply petrol from storage tanks in southern England to the
advancing Allied armies in France in the months following D-Day. This
page tells the story of the planning, development, testing and
installation of the pipelines and of the contribution of PLUTO to the
war effort. |
|
PLUTO Manufacture |
Many companies were involved in the manufacture of
machines which, in turn, would manufacture the pipeline. This page
provides information on some of the major players. |
|
PLUTO Salvaged |
The recovery of PLUTO from the depths of the
English Channel was the mother of all salvage operations - dangerous,
arduous and huge! There were 21 pipelines and after two years work
almost 800 miles were recovered for recycling. |
|
PLUTO in Fawley |
PLUTO, the WW2 Pipe
Line Under The Ocean, had a sizeable network of
storage tanks, pumping stations and pipelines in southern England to ensure an
adequate supply of fuel could be pumped to the Allied armies as they advanced
across occupied mainland Europe and into Germany. This is an account of one tiny part of
that network as remembered by a local resident, then a young boy. |
|
Navigational Aids |
Navigational aids helped landing craft locate their target
beaches especially at night. Accurate navigation was vital to all amphibious
Combined Operations otherwise well researched and rehearsed plans would
disintegrate into chaos with potentially disastrous consequences. This account
by Commander Philip Noel tells of his involvement in navigational experiments
while based for 5 years at HMS Saunders, a RN base that was part of the
Combined Training Centre Middle East at Kabret on the Little Bitter Lake, Egypt. |
|
Ice Ships in the
Rockies! |
The
improbable but true story of a top secret WW2 project to build
ships from a mixture of ice and sawdust. Behold ye among the
heathen, and regard and wonder marvellously: for I will work a
work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told to
you. So reads a biblical quotation from the book of Habakkuk
... a name adopted by the top secret project to build ice ships. |
|
Special Units and Forces |
|
574 FSS |
It's likely that Field Security Section of 3 Special
Service Brigade did not operate directly under the Combined Operations
Command. However, where 574's activities involved amphibious landings,
or raids, Commando support was often provided... as in the case of the
main 'snatching' operation described on this page. |
|
SSRF |
The Small Scale Raiding Force
specialised in "pinprick" raids on the coast of Northern France and the
Channel Islands. They were designed to demoralise German troops as well
as tying up enemy resources that would otherwise be used more
effectively on other fronts. |
|
COPPs |
Combined Operations Assault Pilotage Parties. They risked
their lives to gather information about proposed landing beaches and
in-shore waters usually under the noses of enemy coastal defences
including land and sea patrols. |
|
Training |
|
UK Training Establishments |
Combined Operations training in WW2 was primarily
concerned with preparing allied forces for the amphibious invasion of
mainland Europe. There were 45 separate establishments listed, mainly in
the west of Scotland and the south of England, all of which served to
fill particular training needs. |
|
No
1 Combined Training Centre |
Around 250,000 personnel passed through
the portals of the training centre from 1940 to 1944. At any one time up to
15,000 service personnel were billeted in the area. The impact on the small
community of 500 can only be imagined! |
|
CTC Middle East |
The Combined Training Centre (CTC) Middle East at
Kabret, on the Egypt's Little Bitter Lake, was the first Combined
Operations Training Establishment located outside the United Kingdom.
Its purpose was to train RN personnel in the operation of landing craft
and together with the troops of many Allied nations, to practice
amphibious landings prior to operations against the enemy in the
Mediterranean. Its associated naval base, HMS Saunders, was
commissioned in March 1941 (under the name of HMS Stag (Division
K) with Commander RKC Pope DSO, RN in command. |
|
Middle East Signals Training |
Signals Training in the Middle East was undertaken at
HMS Saunders a Royal Navy shore base which formed part of The
Combined Training Centre (CTC) Middle East at Kabret on Egypt's Little
Bitter Lake. It was the first Combined Operations Training Establishment
located outside the United Kingdom. Its purpose was to train RN
personnel in the operation of landing craft and, together with the
troops of many Allied nations, to practice amphibious landings prior to
operations against the enemy in the Mediterranean. This page
concentrates on Signals Training. |
|
HMS Brontosaurus |
This page provides information
about HMS Brontosaurus,
Castle Toward, Dunoon, Argyll, otherwise known as the No 2 Combined
Training Centre and CTC Castle Toward (pronounced as in coward).
The centre was located at Toward Point 6mls south of Dunoon on the
Clyde. Includes many photos. |
|
516 Combined Operations Squadron |
RAF air support for Combined Operations training in amphibious landings
was provided by 516 Sqd. Both the training and the squadron were located
at
Dundonald,
Ayrshire
in the south west of Scotland. |
|
1st Canadian Corps |
This
account of Combined Operations training at the No 1 CTC Inveraray is
presented in two parts; the first a report from official Canadian war
records and the second the personal recollections of a Canadian war
artist. |
|
Small
Landing Craft |
One
Canadian volunteer's training in small landing craft operations.
Thousands of landing craft of many different kinds, together with
a well trained force of Navy personnel to operate them, were
essential for any major seaborne landing against entrenched enemy
positions. |
|
Wartime Recollections |
|
COHQ -
Memories of a Secretary |
Joyce Pitchford, nee Rogers, was
employed in Combined Operations Headquarters (COHQ) in WW2. She worked
with both Keyes and Mountbatten before moving to the War Cabinet
after the main work of Combined Operations was over following the
D-Day landings. |
|
Combined Operations
Pilot |
516 Combined Ops Squadron was
attached to Combined Operations to provide air support during
amphibious training exercises, calibration of radar etc. These are
the memories of New Zealander, Doug Shears. |
|
US Ranger to British Commando |
How the war of 20 year old USA citizen G W McCurdy was changed by a late night
in a Belfast city pub!
|
|
Inveraray in Wartime |
In the early to mid 1940s the
small Scottish town of Inveraray was host to an estimated
quarter of a million men undergoing Combined Operations
training in amphibious landing techniques on the shores of
Loch Fyne. These are the personal recollections of these
times compiled by three local residents. |
|
Occupation of
Walcheren |
Jan
H. Wigard of Walcheren, Holland was a small boy when he lived
through the trauma of the German occupation. This is his story. |
|
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