Description
Mr. Gorsline talks about the D-Day landing.
John Henry Gorsline
Mr. Gorsline was born on November 12, 1924 in Collingwood, Ontario. He joined the Navy in November of 1942 on his 18th birthday. Mr. Gorsline served aboard the HMCS <em>Prince David</em> as a radar operator and returned to civilian life in September 1945.
Transcript
So about half of our soldiers were, we were able to load with the, on the first wave on the landing craft, but then the second wave, as the landing craft tank came out after they, they were empty, landing craft coming out from the beach later in the day, about ten o'clock or so in the morning, the second wave of the Chaudieres had to go down the rope ladders, you've seen pictures of them, which is, the height of the ship was a fair height and it was tough for them going down the rope ladders and into the landing craft tank or, a flat craft and at low level. And so anyway they got loaded around 10:00 or 10:30, so the second wave of our troops went in; really on landing craft tank and by that time they, I guess that the beaches were cleared enough that they got ashore okay. And then other landing craft, we had two doctors, was part of our permanent crew on our ship, so as other landing craft, particular landing craft tank came out from the beaches, they were bringing out casualties, most of which were British commando's, who had landed earlier, in the earliest days, trying to destroy some of the beach defences.