No.8 Beach Group War Diary: August 1944

The No.8 Beach Group August 1944 war diary covers the final weeks of the Beach Maintenance Area at Bernières-sur-Mer before the group was disbanded on 26 August. The period focused on unloading supplies despite night shelling, mines and bad weather, with a record 7,420 tons landed on 18 August and 319,980 tons discharged since D-Day.

National Archive Reference: WO 171/812

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WO 171/812 No.8 Beach Group

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This diary mentions 1 units with war diaries for August 1944.

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Page 1 of 6

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information
Bernieres	1	0800	Off loading normal. Nothing to report during day.
		1800	Tonnage: 3,569
	2	am	Slight enemy air activity during the night. Planes heard to dive at sea, followed by explosions.
		0800	Off loading normal.
		1800 am	Tonnage: 2,795 (Low tonnage due to fact of no coasters being in) Slight enemy air activity. No incidents reported. (E Boat activity reported at Courseulles.)
	3	0800	Off loading normal.
		1325	Monitor shelling inland enemy positions. This continued until 1515.
		1800	Tonnage, 2,498.
	4	0020	Enemy air activity over BMA. "B" Coy reported stick of red parachute flares
		to 0045	dropped. One landed in centre of bivouac area. Flare extinguished and parachute captured intact. No damage or casualties.
			D Coy reported bombs in St Aubin area. Smoke laid over BMA.
		0800	Off loading normal. No incidents to report during day.
		1800	Tonnage: 2,366.
		1905	Warning message from FOBAA via P.N.L.O. states: "Torpedo about 3ft 10ins,
			painted grey, three prongs on nose, may be floating in anchorage or washed ashore. First sighted at eastern end of Sword. Anyone sighting it
			please report at once. If All companies informed.
	5	am	Slight enemy air activity, mostly in direction of St Aubin.
		0700 0800	DUKW control report miniature torpedo found on beach near 904. Off loading normal. No incidents during the day.
		1800	Tonnage: 2,442.
	6	am	No reports of enemy air activity during night.
		0800 1800	Off loading normal. No incidents to report. Tonnage: 3,725
	7	am. 0800	No incidents to report during the night Off loading normal.

Page 2 of 6

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information
Bernieres	7	0930	Arrival of Col. N.B. Brading, Commander 102 Sub Area, to inspect men of
			eight platoons of the Royal Berkshire Regiment leaving to go up to the frontline.
			The place of these men on the beaches taken by Pioneer Corps personnel. Two platoons were taken from each Coy of the Royal Berkshire Regt so
			that a nucleus of trained men were left with each company.
		1800	Tonnage: 4,026 tons.
		2255 2300	Allied aircraft passing over BMA. Two red flares dropped 155° M. continuous flashing.
			Continuous explosions. Further formations of Allied aircraft passed
	8		over in the early hours of the morning.
		0800 1800	Mist delayed unloading. No incidents during the day. Tonnage: 4,576.
	9	a.m.	Slight enemy air activity in east n.e. direction. Units warned to watch for torpedoes or enemy naval personnel.
		0800 0900	Off loading normal Twin propelled torpedo found on rocks off Bernieres. Later inspected by
			Naval officer. Declared safe, and engine removed.
		1600	Major General R.F.B. Naylor, C.B., C.B.E., D.S.O., M.C.,
			Commander 11 L of C visited Beach Maintenance Area. Accompanied by Beach Group Commander he went to the Transhipment Area. He also visited
			the Information Room, and the Mines Museum. He went to the NAAFI which had opened that day
		1800 1915.	Tonnage: 4,792. One corporal RASC crushed between lorry and LBV. Later died.
	10	0010- 0200	Shelling in St Aubin area. 1033 Port Operating Coy billet and office damaged. No casualties reported.
		0800	No air activity reported during the night Off loading normal.

Page 3 of 6

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information
Bernieres	10		No incidents to report during the day.
		1800	Tonnage: 4,659.
	11	am	Enemy air activity during night. Also shelling during the early hours
			of the morning. Type of shell: air exploding. Mostly over Coursuelles area. No damage or casualties reported.
		0800 1800	Off loading normal. Tonnage: 5,952.
	12	am 0800	Slight e/a activity during night Off loading normal
		1050	A/T mine exploded while Bulldozer was working 30 yards east of Adv HQ. Damage: Bulldoser track blown off; Casualties: One man injured. Taken
			to BDS.
		1800	Tonnage: 5,970
	13	am. 0800	Nothing to report during night. Slight AA activity to west. Off loading normal.
			Heavy formations of Allied bombers passed over during the morning proceeding south
		1800 2200	Tonnage: 6,920 (Record for Beach Group to date) "C" Coy (5. R. Berks) reported three rounds, approx .303, landed in
			area of cookhouse. A landing craft was seen approaching in that direction. Reported to P.B.M. by Duty Officer.
		2350	Sub Area report landing craft at mouth of the Seine.
	14	0015 to	Shelling over area, and at Coursuelles. No. of shells: 26. Nineteen were of the air bursting type. Calibre of gun: 280 mm approx. Position:
		0548	Firing from Trouville - Villers-sur-mer. Damage and Casualties: 297 G.T. Sigs Worshop. Two trucks hit. Worshop
			fired. AMS and Sub Area notified. 1033 P.O.C. One man injured; 1034 P.O.C. One man killed, one injured.

Page 4 of 6

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information
Bernieres sur mer			"A" Coy Cookhouse. Direct hit. Officers Mess damaged..
	14	0800 1800	Off loading normal. Tonnage: 5,184.
	15	am 0800	slight enemy air activity during night. Shelling during night. Five shells No damage reported.
		0800 1618	DUKWS operating. Off loading normal. Fire on LBV. Extinguished by Army Fire Service
		1800	Tonnage: 3,431
	16	am	Slight enemy air activity during night
		0310 -	Shelling. Sixteen shells reported. Mostly over Coursuelles area. Slight damage to "A" Coy, 5. R. Berks. Biv Area. 15 cwt truck damaged.
		0443 0800	Slight injuries to I officer and 2 O.R.s Off loading normal.
		1800	Tonnage: 1800
	17	am	Air activity over BMA during dark. No damage reported.
		0800 1800	Off loading normal. Tonnage: 5,781
	18	am 0800	Slight enemy air activity during night Off loading normal.
		0945	Commanding Officer inspects 5. R. Berks personnel leaving for forward lines. personnel HQ Coy (Signals). "SP" Coy personnel.
		1800	Tonnage: 7,420
	19	am,	No incidents during the night
		0800 1730	Off loading normal Pte Blank (5346309) S Coy fatally injured by mine explosion on cliff
			top at St Aubin.
		1800	Tonnage: 7,032.

Page 5 of 6

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information
Bernieres	19	am,	No enemy air activity during night. Naval star shells N.E. of Le Havre. sound of distant explosions.
	20	0800	Off loading normal. No incidents during the day.
		1800	Tonnage: 5,827.
		am	Slight enemey. air activity over St Aubin area no report of bombs dropped
	21	0400	Report from 102 S.A LCTs will not be unloading owing to weather.
		0530	Reported LCT in Gooseberry hit by bomb and beached owing to danger of sinking
		0800	Bad weather. LBVs - three only boats to be unloaded.
		1800	Tonnage: 2,350
			No incidents during the night
	22	0800 1800	Weather still bad. Off loading hampered. Heavy mist, rain and wind. Tonnage: 2,675
		am	Gunfire reported during night, but no incidents.
	23	0800	Off loading normal. Slight improvement in weather.
		1800	6,029
	24	am.	Aircraft activity out to sea. Flares dropping continually in direction of Le Havre
		0800	Off loading normal. NO incidents during the day.
		1800 am	Tonnage: 6,826 Nothing to report
	25	0800 1800	Off loading normal. No incidents during the day. Tonnage: 6,336
		am	Nothing to report during night
	26	0700	Beach Group ceases to exist. Tonnage since D Day 319,980. Daily average of 3,950
		0930	Draft of 5 R. Berks inspected by Commanding Officer prior to posting. Preparation for move to new location. Advance parties leave during day

Page 6 of 6

Place	Date	Summary of Events and Information	References to Appendices
Bernieres	26	Special order of the Day issued by Commanding Officer icer	Appx A

		Enclosures: Special Order of the Day Appx "A"
		Special Order of the Day 8 Beach Group Op Order No 3.
		Amendments to op Order No 3. Beach Group orders No 89 to 84.
		Copy of Beach Group War Diary for July 1944

Units Referenced in this war diary

The following units are mention in this war diary and have their own August 1944 war diary

5th Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment, August 1944 War Diary