In this clip, Tom Renouf talks about landing, with Tyneside Scottish, describes going ashore on the beach in Normandy. Tom Renouf volunteered for The Black Watch. He was trained in Perth and joined the Tyneside Scottish in early 1944. Private Tom Renouf came ashore with R, Reserve, Company of Tyneside Scottish on 9th June (D+3). He landed on the left side of the bridgehead at Ouistreham. We didn’t land ‘til about D3 or D4. And we were R Company. [Tyneside Scottish] We had a fairly easy time landing, but it wasn’t so easy getting off the ship. You had to get off the ship and then you had to climb down the rigging. Now just imagine climbing down the rigging with full kit – large pack, small pack, your helmet, your rifle, ammunition. It was really quite a load that you had to carry. And there you were coming down the rigging and the little boat down at the bottom - a landing craft which took about 60 people, I would think, at most. And you had to land on this landing craft. So we were greatly indebted to the naval ratings who were there waiting for you down at the bottom; and of course the boat was bobbing up and down something terrible. Quite a frightening experience. However when you got down there, the Naval boys, they had a – they knew their job pretty good. And they said “OK, Jock – just do what I tell you to do.” Got down the bottom there. The boat came up; “Let go!” he grabbed hold of you – you jumped on the boat and then you were doing down into the trough once again. I don’t remember anyone falling off. I think everybody landed safely. And I think that was quite a feat. It was not an easy job, laden as you were, and also trying to time it so that you got the timing right; because that was critical. Quite a feat. Nobody fell. Nobody had to be rescued. We didn’t have much opposition at all [on the beach.] We went ashore. I’m not terribly sure exactly where it was. But from my memory, I would have thought that it was Ouistreham that we got ashore. So we were pretty well at the left end of the bridgehead. No great problem. The beach was still being shelled, so the beach marshals, as they were called in those days, in charge of the beach – they were there to guide everyone and to direct them; and of course you got a good bawling “Get moving!” And they wouldn’t allow – they didn’t want you hanging around the beach for your own safety and to keep the beach clear; and so as soon as you put your foot on the beach - we landed fairly safely. These landing craft took us right in and, I think, we maybe got our ankles and calves wet, but we got ashore there. And [were] directed straight away; right away; “Get moving!” That was it. “Get moving!” Everyone had to move as quickly as possible.
Posted on: Fri, 06 Jun 2014 15:00:01 +0000
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