France: D Day - GOLD Beach - Clydeside Images.co.uk

France

The D-Day Battlefields

GOLD Beach

Arromanches

Of the five D-Day landing beaches, GOLD was in the centre and closest to the Americans at OMAHA to the west. An Anglo-Canadian force assaulted JUNO to the east of GOLD with SWORD, the third British beach, beyond that. UTAH, another US beach, was at the extreme west end of the landing grounds. GOLD Beach, allocated to the British 50th (Northumbrian) Division supported by 8th Armoured and other units, covered the stretch of coast which links the harbour town of Port-en-Bessin in the west and La Rivière to the east.

Although there was a suitably long, flat section between Le Hamel and La Rivière, sectors that were code-named `Jig` and `King`, high cliffs at the western end of the zone ruled out a direct assault there. The IWM images below show LCPs (Landing Craft Personnel) making for the GOLD assault area on D-Day. Vessels in the right hand shot include Armed Trawler HMT Coriolanus, (T-140).

The main objectives for the troops landing at GOLD were to secure a beachhead then move west to capture Arromanches, where one of the two Mulberry artificial harbours was to be sited. A force of Royal Marine Commandos was to fight its way along the coast, seize Port-en-Bessin from landward, and establish contact with the American forces at OMAHA. Meanwhile, other troops would advance inland, capture the city of Bayeux and link up with the Canadians at JUNO. Opposing the landings on GOLD Beach were elements of the German 352nd Infantry Division and German 716th Infantry Division. Approximately 2,000 enemy soldiers were in the general area.

This aerial reconnaissance photo held by the Imperial War Museum shows the junction of King Red and King Green beaches during the landing of 50th Infantry Division on D-Day. The formidable Mont Fleury battery (WN 35a) and an anti-tank ditch are visible in front of the village of Ver-sur-Mer.

On the left is HMS Bulolo (F82), one of many Clyde-built ships that took part in Operation Overlord, in her case as the `Force G` Command Ship for the Landings on GOLD Beach.

She was built by Barclay, Curle & Company Limited, Glasgow, as the MV Bulolo for the Burns Philp line to be a passenger, cargo and mail steamer.

She began her eventful career on 19 November 1938, sailing between Australia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, New Hebrides, Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands, and had only completed eight voyages when war broke out in September 1939.

The Bulolo was requisitioned by the British Ministry of War Transport on behalf of the Royal Navy soon after and was converted to serve as an armed merchant cruiser, having been equipped with seven 6-inch guns, two 3-inch anti-aircraft guns, depth charges and smaller armaments. In late January 1940 she sailed to the UK via Freetown, Sierra Leone, in West Africa, after which she escorted numerous convoys across the Atlantic.

On 25 March 1942 the Bulolo was sold to the Admiralty and converted to an amphibious Landing Ship Headquarters. During this refit she had a sophisticated communications systems installed which enabled her to coordinate multiple army, naval and air force assets. She took part in Operation Torch (the invasion of North Africa), Operation Husky (the invasion of Sicily) and Operation Shingle, the landings at Anzio in January 1944. She then returned to Britain in April 1944 to prepare for the D-Day Landings.

On 6 June 1944, HMS Bulolo took up station just off GOLD Beach at Arromanches but she later had to relocate further from the coast after receiving incoming fire from the German battery at Longues-sur-Mer. She remained in action throughout the day, directing the assault.

The image on the right shows Naval officers aboard HMS Bulolo watching the landings going in on D-Day. Those present include Captain Sir Harold Campbell (left, wearing helmet), Commander A. Kimmins (seated) and Commander S. B. Clarke.

The Luftwaffe also had Bulolo in its sights and she was dive-bombed over the next few days. The following images show the result of an attack on June 9th.

Despite the damage, Bulolo remained off the French coast until 27 June when she returned to Portsmouth for a refit. In 1945, she was sent to be the HQ and flagship of Rear Admiral Benjamin Martin for 'Force W' off Malaya commanding the Allies` retaking of South East Asia from Japanese forces. In September 1945, she was used to accept the Japanese surrender at Singapore. In 1948, having been decommissioned, Bulolo returned to the shipping company and resumed her merchant duties. After more than 160 voyages, she was sold to the China Steel Corporation and scrapped at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, in May 1968.

Left: LCT(R) 440. Landing Craft Tank (Rocket) 440, at anchor in the Solent, 3 June 1944. This vessel supported the assault of 69th Brigade, 50th Infantry Division, on King beach, GOLD area, on D-Day.

About 07:25 hrs, as the leading flotillas carrying the flail tanks and armoured fighting vehicles of the Westminster Dragoons and the 81st and 82nd Squadrons. Royal Engineers, neared the beaches at le Hamel and la Riviere, it became clear that the preceding heavy air and naval bombardment had failed to silence the enemy guns.

Reaching the shoreline just ahead of this wave were the engineers and men of the Underwater Demolition Teams (UDTs) who had been tasked with clearing the beach obstacles. The strong north-westerly wind, however, piled the waves against the shore, covering the outermost lines of defences so the engineers had no choice but to concentrate on those partially exposed nearer the sand. Oncoming craft, driven toward the shore by the surf and gales, fouled on the obstructions but others, in the peak of a wave, swept clean-over the Tellermines and artillery shells that were attached to the top of the submerged girders.

Even though twenty of the LCTs were damaged, some severely so, they managed to disgorge most of their armoured vehicles. Hobart`s `Funnies` proved invaluable here, the flails clearing channels through the minefields while Petard AVREs launched `flying dustbin` bunker-bursting shells at enemy strongpoints. Even those tanks temporarily immobilised engaged targets with their main armament, paving the way for the infantry and follow-on armour.

It had become apparent that the DD swimming tanks, which should have led the attack. would not have been able to reach the shore under their own power in the rough seas, so they were held back until the chaos and confusion lessened somewhat. Meanwhile on the beach, amidst the incoming fire and explosions, Sherman Crabs detonated yet another mine as they progressed towards the coast road. They worked in conjunction with bobbin-carriers, which laid mattresses over patches of soft blue clay, and fascine bridging tanks that trundled up the beach with their huge unwieldy burdens until encountering a crater requiring attention.

Well within the first hour, despite intense artillery, mortar and machine-gun fire, Hobart`s armour had cleared four safe exits out of the planned six from the le Hamel beaches, and was spearheading the leading battalions as they fought from house-to-house toward their objectives. This is when the DD tanks arrived and immediately went to work, directing additional firepower against well-sited enemy pillboxes and fortified seaside villas. Units concentrated on neutralising any position which stubbornly held out while other elements pushed past, fanning out beyond the beaches and pushing well inland.

Resistance was particularly fierce on the right flank, at le Hamel, and the troops landing there could have found themselves in a situation similar to that experienced by the Americans at OMAHA but for the supporting armour. An immense weight of incoming fire stopped the infantry in its tracks as they attempted to move up the beach past numerous disabled tanks and ahead of the rapidly incoming tide until a Sherman Crab cleared a passage. All along the sector, the German defenders were incapable of stopping the onrush of men and vehicles, nor were there hedgerows immediately inland to check the Allies` momentum, although the le Hamel Sanatorium strongpoint held out until mid-afternoon. The shot above were taken at Arromanches.

Bottlenecks in the coastal villages delayed the British advance out of GOLD, and many men dug-in too soon, but the German armoured reserve was pinned down, well away from vulnerable OMAHA. It was late afternoon before the German High Command began to emerge from confusion, The lack of aerial reconnaissance, the jamming of radar and the disruption of every other form of communication by the Allies had worked superbly. Reports on the invaders` disposition could not be confirmed swiftly, nor any accurate information coordinated.

Field-Marshall Rommel had been right when he said that the first 24 hours following the invasion would be decisive. He had made repeated requests to have XII SS Panzer and Panzer Lehr Divisions relocated to take up positions between Saint-Lô and Carentan, close to the OMAHA beachhead. Had they been there, the carnage would have been far greater than it actually was and the landings in that sector, despite massive naval and air support, may well have met with total disaster.

If Rommel was actively in command in Normandy, he may have been able to convince Hitler to release the panzers, however, he was at home in Germany having taken a few days leave to celebrate his wife`s birthday.

The dispositions of German armour meant only 21st Panzer Division was immediately available for a counterattack. Some of its units had already been engaged by British airborne forces, but it was not until mid-afternoon on D-Day that the division finally advanced against the British north of Caen. The commander of LXXXIV Corps, General Erich Marcks, told Colonel Hermann von Oppeln-Bronikowski, who was leading the attack, "If you don’t succeed in throwing the British into the sea we shall have lost the war." The German assault was beaten back by British tanks and artillery. Some panzers actually got within sight of the coast, but then had to withdraw. The Germans lost 70 out of 124 tanks.

Above: The British 2nd Army: Royal Navy Commandos of LCOCU (Landing Craft Obstacle Clearing Unit) examine a large casemate and its 88mm gun which formed part of German strongpoint Wn33 on the western edge of La Riviere, and which caused the forces landing on 'King' Beach, GOLD Area considerable trouble before it was silenced.

Left: Men of the LCOCU run to get clear while obstacles are blown up at La Riviere. Some of the invasion ships can be seen on the horizon.

Above: A Cromwell Mk.V tank of 4th County of London Yeomanry, 22nd Armoured Brigade, 7th Armoured Division, leads a column of armour (including a Sherman Firefly immediately behind) and soft-skin vehicles inland from King Beach, GOLD Area. The other shot shows a column of Beach Group personnel filing past lorries of 50th Division. Barrage balloons fly over the beachhead in an attempt to deter low-level attacks by the Luftwaffe. Below: A Crusader III AA Mk.III tank, 'Skyraker' (aka 'The Princess') of 22nd Armoured Brigade, 7th Armoured Division, leads a column of Stuart Mk.V tanks inland from GOLD Beach. All three photographs were taken on Wednesday 7 June 1944.

Arromanches

Arromanches, situated at the west end of GOLD beach, was not directly attacked on D-Day as it was earmarked for the placement of one of the two Mulberry harbours. Plus the town had been heavily fortified by the Germans who were well aware of its strategic importance. Houses were demolished to improve fields of fire with anti-tank and machine guns sited to sweep the beach. Aerial and naval bombardments before the troops landed further along the coast successfully knocked out some of the strongest defences here but the Allies didn't approach from the sea.

The town was liberated by the 1st Battalion, Hampshire Regiment, who had came ashore further along GOLD Beach and entered the town from the heights of Saint-Côme to the east. It took most of the morning to dislodge elements of the German 352nd Division but, despite naval gun-fire support, there was very little damage to the town itself and only 6 civilian fatalities.

Above: With the Mulberry harbour at Arromanches up and running, British troops enjoy a tot of Rum while others come ashore.

Above: British troops of the Hampshire Regiment, looking relatively relaxed after securing Arromanches, man a lookout point on the heights to the east of the town. This shot was taken late on D-Day before the main seaborne force arrived and the activity, including the construction of the artificial harbours started in earnest. There is an excellent museum at Arromanches, Le Musée du Débarquement, with a wealth of exhibits including the immaculately preserved half-track shown below and a superb large-scale representation of a Mulberry harbour which runs the full length of the building. A separate page covers my visit: Click here to view.

Port-en- Bessin

The sheltered, historic natural harbour of Port-en-Bessin lay on the western extremity of GOLD Beach. Today it is one of France’s premier fishing centres with its trawler fleet landing between 10,500 and 12,000 tonnes for processing each year. Apparently the busy fish market on Sunday mornings is worth a look.

My base for three nights in this area was the Mercure Hotel Omaha Beach, Port-en-Bessin, which is actually on the outskirts of town and, despite the name, over 10km away from OMAHA. The rooms were comfortable and clean, and the reception staff welcoming - they even gave us an unexpected room upgrade to a unit with a balcony overlooking the pool area. The hotel has its own golf course too for those so inclined but you`re probably better dining in the town, rather than the hotel restaurant. The only evening meal we had there wasn`t great and drastically overpriced.

A large number of sites relating to the D-Day Landings can be reached within an hour`s drive from here including those in the American sector, such as UTAH Beach, Point-du-Hoc and the US Airborne drop-zones. Unfortunately due to time constraints, I didn`t have ample time to cover all the points of interest in Port-en-Bessin itself, let alone the surrounding area.

British Royal Marines of No. 47 Commando were tasked with capturing the town and its harbour on D-Day and there are several memorials and plaques to the men who lost their lives during the bitter fighting along this rugged stretch of coastline. Overall, more than 17,500 Royal Marines took part in the D-Day Landings, both ashore and on ships.

I`ve devoted a separate page to Port-en-Bessin and its capture following the D-Day Landings. Click here to view.

General Sir Bernard Montgomery stands in his staff car while in conversation with Army and Royal Navy officers in Port-en-Bessin, 10 June 1944.

A large silver ball-shaped object with metal posts sticking out of the top stands on the roundabout on the outskirts of town. This is actually the Montgomery Roundabout Memorial, which was inaugurated on the 50th anniversary of D-Day by Viscount Montgomery, the Field-Marshall’s son. The sculpture was created by Henri Lebihan and is called ‘ESSOR’. The sphere, designed to revolve and covered with fish, represents the world of the sea and the protrusions are the Pipeline Under the Ocean or PLUTO. This was a major engineering project designed to supply the massive amounts of fuel required for the push towards the heart of the Third Reich.

Ver-sur-Mer

I also didn’t have time to visit the America-Gold Beach Museum at Ver-sur-Mer. The title of this museum often leads to confusion as this was obviously a British area of operations. The name actually commemorates an event in 1927, when the first mail-carrying flight from the USA to Europe crash-landed in the sea close to shore here. The aircraft, piloted by Commander Robert Byrd, was named ‘America’. The remainder of the museum is dedicated to the D-Day Landings including intelligence gathering along this stretch of coast prior to the invasion. Information is also given on one of the first aerodromes to be set up by British engineers in Normandy in 1944.

Near the museum, beside the D112 in Espace Robert Kiln, is this immaculate Sexton Self-propelled 25-pounder gun. It stands in a small landscaped garden and now serves as the centrepiece of a memorial to the 86th (Hertfordshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery. The regiment was a Territorial (i.e. part-time volunteer reserve) unit which mobilised with towed guns in 1939 and converted to self-propelled artillery in 1943. The regiment`s guns engaged shore targets from landing craft as they headed in towards GOLD Beach on June 6th. Forward observers from the regiment accompanied each assault infantry battalion, ready to give fire support as soon as the guns reached land.

The Sexton here was driveable before it's engine had to be sold to a private collector help fund it’s restoration and re-siting as a memorial.

These Imperial War Museum images show Sexton 25-pounders at various locations in Northern France during 1944.

Below: Another preserved D-Day Sexton is displayed within the Museum of the Battle of Normandy at Bayeux.

Back at Ver-sur-Mer, across the road from the Sexton, is a memorial to the Royal Artillery of the 50th (Northumbrian) Division. The inscription reads "This stone commemorates the Headquarters and the Regiments of the Royal Artillery of the 50th (Northumbrian) Division which assaulted these beaches on 6 June 1944 and afterwards fought in the battle for the liberation of Normandy."

The units listed below the main inscription are: 74th (Northumbrian) Field Regiment RA, 86th (Herts Yeomanry) Field Regiment (SP) RA, 90th (City of London) Field Regiment (SP) RA, 124th (Northumbrian) Field Regiment RA, 147th (Essex Yeomanry) Field Regiment (SP) RA, 7th Medium Regiment RA, 102nd (Northumberland Hussars) Anti-Tank Regiment RA and 25th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA.

Please bear in mind that all images on this website are Copyright. They are not free to use and have been embedded with a digital watermark. Any historic photographs from the Imperial War Museum and other organisations` collections have been used courtesy of a `Share & Reuse` policy and are also subject to copyright restrictions, or are in the public domain.

Crepon

Creully

Crepon was on the route of advance for British forces following the landings at GOLD Beach and there are is a fine memorial to the Green Howards beside the main road through the village. Creully lies approximately 4 miles inland from the coast but DD tanks of the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards reached the outskirts on D-Day and assaulted the German-held defences. Although the battle didn’t spill into Cruelly itself, the fighting in the surrounding countryside was fierce. The British prevailed and the village was liberated by ‘A’ Squadron before darkness fell. More information on the fight for Crepon and Creully and images of their D-Day memorials can be viewed via the above links.