Category: Landing Craft

The enjoyable autobiography of a grammar school boy who served in landing craft in the Mediterranean and at D-Day.

KAY-BUJAK, Philip. Empire Javelin, D-Day Assault Ship: The Royal Navy Vessel that Landed the US 116th Infantry on Omaha Beach. 240p., bibliog., illus., index. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Maritime, 2024. ISBN: 9781399035811.

She was an American built LSI serving in the Royal Navy. The book focuses on her role at D-Day, landing A Company of the 116th Infantry Regiment as part of the initial assault. It also explores her career from design and construction to launch and work-up. After 6th June she continued to ferry troops across the Channel until her sinking in December 1944, either by U-boat or a mine, while carrying troops.

WHITMARSH, Andrew. D-Day Landing Craft: How 4,126 ‘Ugly and Unorthodox’ Allied Craft made the Normandy Landings Possible. Cheltenham: The History Press, 2024. ISBN: ‎9781803994451.

Authored by a curator at the D-Day Museum in Portsmouth. Most of the more than 132,000 Allied troops who landed on the beaches on D-Day came ashore from landing craft. The book examines why so many different types of landing craft were used in the operation; how they were built in both the UK and North America, over several years and with many competing war production requirements and operational needs.

MITCHELL, W. J. & BUCKENHAM, Colin. Sainfoin’s War: The Story of HMS Sainfoin, 1944 to 1946. 141p., illus. Diss: DataTech D.T.P., 2007. ISBN: 9780955126758.

The vessel was an Infantry Landing Ship originally built in the USA as a merchant vessel before entering military service and renamed Empire Crossbow. Following her requisition by the Royal Navy in 1944 she was renamed again, this time as Sainfoin, and saw active service (mostly in the Far East). Based on the stories of those who served, an updated version was published in 2013, ISBN: 9781907997037.

EVANS, George. The Landfall Story. 112p., illus. Liverpool, [author], 1992.

The author tells the story of LCT(3) 7074. Completed at Hebburn in April 1944 she was assigned to the Normandy Landings and formed part of the 17th Flotilla at Lowestoft before moving to Gorleston then Harwich before the assault. In April 1945 she was assigned to Western Approaches Command and converted to an Emergency Repair Vessel based at Liverpool. Her post-war career is also traced.

ROBERTS, Charles C. The Boat That Won The War: An Illustrated History of the Higgins LCVP. 128p., bibliog., illus. Barnsley: Seaforth, 2017. ISBN: 9781526706911.

Literally thousands of these American designed landing craft were built, including those serving with the RN. A good detailed account of their development, construction and deployment.

PARKER, Charles Joseph. Red Duster to White Ensign: My Life at Sea in Peace and War. xiv, 112p., illus. Spiderwize: Peterborough, 2018. ISBN: 9781912694747.

Written in the 1970’s and as edited by his son in the 1990’s, this is his autobiography. He joined the Merchant Navy in 1921, aged fifteen. In 1940 he transferred to the RN where he served as a Steward. He was first on the minelayer Port Napier until her grounding and sinking that November. In March 1941 he joined the AMC Laconia, but when she was returned to the Merchant Navy as a troopship in September 1941, he joined the A/A ship Alynbank until the end of 1943, first on Arctic convoys and then in the Mediterranean. In May 1944 he joined the carrier Speaker briefly for six months then finally joined the LSI Keren where he served until discharged in 1946.

CLARKE, Bob. War and Peacey.  [224p]., illus. [n.p., author], 2018. ISBN: 9780992760113.

Aged 15, Chris Peacey joined the RN on the outbreak of war as a boy seaman. His first ship was Prince of Wales, where he served through the Bismarck hunt and on until her sinking in the Far East. He was quickly transferred to Danae and spent some time with her in the Indian Ocean before returning to the UK. He then went to the USA where he joined the newly acquired LST 163, nicknamed Rose Marie by her crew. With her he took part in allied assault landings in North Africa, Sicily, Anzio, Normandy and Malaysia. Also describes his post-war career in submarines. A fascinating and very personal tale as told to the author.

ROBB, J. D. Only Survivors Tell Tales. vii, 167p. New York: Vantage Press, 1990. ISBN: 0533089034.

The story of a young man in Tank Landing Craft in the Royal Navy during the later part of WW2. A humorous tale of escapades, voyages to Australia, India, the East Indies and Japan; of sex and growing-up during wartime. Semi-autobiographical, but inspired by imagination and other's experiences.

THOMPSON, Chester. The Long Day Wanes: A Memoir of Love and War. xiv, 202p., illus. New Smyrna Beach, FL: White Sound Press, 2004. ISBN: 0932265758.

An autobiography. He served on Beverley in the Battle of the Atlantic and with Landing Craft at D-Day.

GUINNESS, Alec. Blessings in Disguise. xii, 238p., illus., index. London: Hamilton, 1985; New York: Knopf, 1986. ISBN: 0241116813.

He trained in tank landing craft then went to the US to collect LCI(L) 124, which he brought to the Mediterranean. He took part in the Sicily landings then sank in an Adriatic storm. Moving to LCI(L) 272 he next took part in the Elba Invasion and finally spent the rest of his service in the Adriatic. The war occupies 40 pages of engaging reminiscence. See also the autobiography of fellow-actor Peter Bull, who served with him.

The author was called up, trained at Ganges, served in Ark Royal until her sinking then in Woolston on the East Coast. He was next commissioned and served in LCTs in the Mediterranean, notably at the Sicilian landings. En route to the UK his LCT landed in Spain due to bad weather and the crew was interned. Towards the end of the war he was returned to the UK and latterly ferried LCTs to France.

A good basic guide to their design and deployment. Well illustrated.

A penetrating and perceptive account of an intriguing and complex and very private man. Focuses on his huge talent as an actor but gives a good account of his war service.

A reprint of a wartime US intelligence manual, edited by A. D. Baker. It describes the vessels in use.

Artists' impressions of the various types of landing craft, with an accompanying description of each type of vessel and its function.

A good general history of the major actions where they were deployed, followed by a brief biography of the career of each vessel.

Weaves reminiscences of former crewmen into the story of the RN's assault craft - the ugly but utilitarian "kipper-boxes" used in all amphibious assaults.

Examines its design history before the War, when amphibious operations were deeply unfashionable. It describes its design and construction and includes information on the role of the crew and the techniques and tactics used in landings. It gives an account of the larger ships which carried it and the life of the sailors and soldiers who travelled in it. Finally, it describes its role in the many operations in which it took part, including withdrawals such as Dunkirk and the catastrophic Dieppe raid of 1942

A comprehensive guide to the various types of landing craft, support ships, and amphibians developed for assault landings.

Hundreds of Thames barges were commandeered by the Royal Navy, converted to landing craft and used at D-Day. This is their story.

He was called up in 1942 and after training joined landing craft as a midshipman. He took part in D-Day then slowly travelled east with his landing craft, mainly fighting the weather and arriving only at wars end.

The anecdotal story of lighters and landing craft from Tobruk to Germany.

A modest and witty account of his naval career. He joined as an Ordinary Seaman in 1941 and after seatime in Atlantic destroyers was commissioned. He spent the rest of the war in landing craft, seeing action at Dieppe then moving to the Mediterranean where he rose in rank while taking part in all the landings from Husky to Dragoon.

Dedicated to these unsung craft. A lighthearted account.

A lovingly researched and carefully documented account of the career, especially the wartime career, of the merchantman Glenearn, which was converted to a landing ship and saw very active service.

A souvenir brochure from her builders describes her operational career.