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HMS Brontosaurus, Castle Toward, Dunoon, Argyll was the No 2 Combined Training Centre informally known as CTC Castle Toward (pronounced as in coward). It trained officers and crews to operate major landing craft in preparation for amphibious landings including those on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. All photos, unless otherwise stated, are courtesy of Lt Col D.B. Peyman. Based on research material supplied by Phillip C Jones.
~ Training ~ Initially the Centre provided basic Royal Navy training for the officers and crews of major landing craft. In November 1942 the ground force element from HMS Dundonald was transferred to Castle Toward and Inveraray about the time the Commandos and Infantry Battalions were being trained in amphibious operations.
The school's remit therefore expanded to include the training of officers and men of the Royal Navy, Army, RAF Regiment and ground crews in combined amphibious operations. The trainers used a variety of assault landing craft such as Landing Ship Infantry (LSI), Landing Craft Tank (LCT) and Landing Craft Personnel (LCP). The training of officers and men of the ground forces included the skills and procedures of loading tanks, vehicles and personnel followed by the disembarkation of men and machines in mock landings on 'assault' beaches in the area. All the training and practice was in preparation for future raids and landings such as those at Dieppe, N. Africa (when a large contingent of U.S. forces was trained at both Castle Toward and Inveraray), Sicily, Salerno, D-Day and Walcheren. ~ Photo Gallery ~
Visit of Vice Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten 16 December '42. I remember this occasion very clearly. It was a typical Scottish winter's day blowing a howling gale, pouring with rain, and bitterly cold. Mountbatten was due to visit Castle Toward at mid-day. Like every good WO the Chief Petty Officer got the men of the establishment on parade at least half on hour before the V. Admiral was due to arrive. 12 o'clock came and went and we still awaited the illustrious inspecting officer, all the time getting wetter and wetter and colder and colder. Finally after a delay of one and a half hours Mountbatten appeared. By then the ratings and soldiers had been on parade for two hours. The parade was drawn to attention and the commander invited Mountbatten to carry out the inspection. So far as I remember the parade consisted of what the navy call divisions, and what the army would describe as companies or squads. In both cases about 30 men each. Mountbatten first inspected the naval divisions and as soon as he had inspected a division the officer in command ordered the men to' Right Turn - Quick March', and off they went through the Scottish mist and rain, back to their Nissen huts. When Mountbatten had inspected the fourth naval division, he turned to the parade commander and asked him why authority was being given, without his permission, for the men to be marched off parade once they had been inspected. I do not recall what sort of a reply the unfortunate officer gave though I am sure he would have like to have said something like "You arrogant sod, it's because the men have been on parade for two hours, are wet through, and frozen stiff. What ever the parade commander may have said he got short shift from Mountbatten who ordered all the men to be brought back on parade. I don't need to tell you that the Noble Lord was not greatly loved that day. ~ Centre Staffing ~
C.T.C. Castle Toward was under the command of a Captain R.N. with tri-service instructors. Below there is a 1942/43 list of training and support staff and their duties which provides a good indication of the diverse nature of the training undertaken. Naval Commanding Officer -
Commander B Dean (Retired) DSO RN
Victor Frederick Golder ex RN, aged 83yrs. Service Number was C/JX 548491. Rank of AB LC/SIG. Dear Geoff, I’ve just made a donation to the Combined Ops Memorial Fund, having been prompted by a chance conversation with my Father about his National Service training. Dad is Victor Frederick Golder ex RN now aged 83yrs. His Service Number was C/JX 548491 and held the rank of AB LC/SIG. He has some memories of his time at HMS BRONTOSAURUS and remembered that it was a Combined Ops training establishment, but didn’t recall that it was at Castle Toward. He was there for signals training. He spent his War Service drafted to minesweepers and LCTs and was one of many that embarked troops who landed on D-Day beaches. I have found your web-site exceptionally useful and informative, not least of all because I am preparing for Dad a summary account of his Service life, brief though it was (he volunteered at age 17 in 1943 and was demobbed in late ’46). When I have tidied up a few of the photos that I have of Dad and his mates on board LCTs, I will pass them across in case they stimulate memories in others. In the family he was known as Joff, maybe that was carried into the Service. Do you have an appropriate tag within the website to post these (all too brief) details of my Dad at Castle Toward. I would love to find out if there is anyone that remembers him. Sub Lt Islwyn Vaughan RNVR
This photo includes my father and I'd love to hear from anyone in the photo or
anyone who has any information about it. My father was Sub Lt
Islwyn Vaughan RNVR. He served as follows in combined ops;
My grandfather, Charles Carmichael, served in the RAF Regiment as an AC2 with No. 2777 Squadron. The squadron operations record book is very brief but contains the following entry concerning training courses.
In August 1944 my grandfather was transferred to No. 2742 Squadron RAF Regiment. That squadron was also at Castle Toward in 1943 from 18-24 May for what was designated as No. 12 Combined Operations Course.
Ian Young
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