SECRET

CHRONOLOGICAL STORY. PART I .

6 JUN. (D Day)

(a) Main SEABORNE element.

L.C.I. sailed from THAMES estuary about 0600 hrs in convoy with twelve Cargo LIBERTY ships, escorted by two H.M. destroyers and two H.M. sloops.

(b) M.T. coasters sailed in separate convoys.

All convoys kept close inshore until off PORTSMOUTH which was reached after dark. Except for shelling while passing through the Straits of DOVER, no enemy interference was encountered. About 2015 hrs main Glider force was seen passing overhead across the channel on its way to L.Zs in FRANCE.

(c) GLIDERBORNE elements.

Take off at 1915 hrs. One glider crashed into sea about 8 miles from the coast of FRANCE AND 6 O.Rs became 'missing'.

'A' Coy (Maj. J. ROGERS) was to form part of a special force, PARKER force, under Comd Col.R.G. PARKER D.S.O. Deputy Bde Comd, and consisting of 6 Airborne Div Armd Recce Regt., one bty 54 Lt Regt and one tp A/TK Bty. Their task was to form a firm base in conjunction with the arty in area CAGNY 1163 from which the Armd Regt could carry out recce SOUTH and S.E. of the Div area of Ops.

PARKERFORCE landed at 2130 hrs in area 1273 where the GERMANS had erected poles and placed minefields on the L.Z. No serious mishaps occurred on landing but there was a great dispersal of. gliders. This, together with the difficulty experienced in getting tails off - which meant hacking them off with axes in many cases - resulted in the coy taking 1 1/2 hrs to conc. The Coy moved to the force Assembly Area, SOUTH of BEVILLE 1374 but on reaching RANVILLE 1173 at midnight it was discovered that this place was occupied by the enemy so a halt was made.

7 JUN.

(a) SEABORNE elements .

(i) L.C.Is. beached at QUEEN beach as planned, at 1000 hrs (LION SUR MER) 0781).

The landing was made in about 4 1/2 ft of water in a moderate swell. Troops waded ashore assisted by ropes but difficulty was experienced in getting loaded handcarts and M/Cs ashore; the following eqpt was drowned :-

M/Cs. - 8.

Bren Guns. - 1.