D-Day 6th of June 1944....

My Dad was just 19 years old and a sailor on board a Landing craft LC539 and that day made 54 trips from the flotilla to Sword Beach all under fire from the beach and in constant danger from Planes and mines that were planted on Tank traps to the approaches to the beach.
The next day LC539 did another 48 trips again under fire, then on 8th June when LC539 was on it's 26th trip it hit a tank trap and this blew a hole in the side of Landing craft, on hearing the bang, a number of Marines jumped off the back of the boat and drowned.The skipper Captain Ariadne spun the sinking craft around and "Arse ennded" it up the beach therefore saving the rest.
My Dad was ordered up the beach and take cover, he later boarded another LC and went back to the Larger Ship. Later the LC539 was raised at low tide, a big piece of Plywood was nailed over the hole and the water was pumped out.
He was never give survivors leave even though technically he did sink, he never returned to France saying he never liked it since the war, no wonder, people kept shooting at him when he was last there.

I do miss him, it's been nine years since he passed away, and I heard this story from a guy who was writing a book about Dad's Flotilla, it was called HMS Tormentor a shore based establishment in Warsash. I supplied photos of the crew of LC539 and of some of the technical aspects of the LC which Dad and the Skipper went to pick up from Scotland in 1944, I have the test certificate of the sea trials which he had never seen before.

We will remember them.

BTW the blip is off the TV, Sorry.