Twice Upon the Beach: A D-Day Story

My father was conscripted into the Royal Army Ordnance Corps in 1943. He did his initial training and was then taught to drive. He then proceeded to learn to drive a variety of vehicles, over different terrains. He was then billeted to Dorset, where he worked assembling armaments for many months.

They surmised that there was a big offensive about to happen. He drove his truck to the Solent, where they waited to board boats; they then proceeded to sail around the Isle of Wight for many hours. Just before daybreak on the 6th of June 1944, the boats set sail.

On arrival at the beach in France, they disembarked. Dad drove his truck to the rear of the beach, and they were all instructed to dig their own holes. These holes would be their home for the next 3 weeks. One of Dad's friends, who was driving another truck full of ammunition, got hit by fire from the Luftwaffe who were constantly overhead. There was nothing left of him or the truck.

Dad was instructed to go back to the landing craft, get on one, and go back to Blighty and pick up another truck full of ammunition. This was his nightmare come true. The tide had come in and the landing craft were in 5 feet of sea water. My Dad couldn't swim. He waded through neck high water. He thought he was going to drown. Thankfully, hands reached down to him and pulled him onto the landing craft. He went back to the Solent, picked up another truck, and got back on another landing craft. He landed for a second time at 10pm in the evening on 6 June.

My father has not come across anybody who landed twice on D-Day itself.