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Description
Colonel Merritt speaks of the flotilla’s crossing of the English Channel to France and the unexpected encounter with German E Boats.
Transcription
Oh it went perfectly smoothly til just at the end, there was an accidental collision, not collision but meeting of German E-boats and our landing craft, and it didn’t stop us landing but it did alert the German’s.
Interviewer: How much before the estimated landing time was it?
I couldn’t tell you.
Interviewer: If you had to estimate would you say that it was minutes or even an hour before?
Could have been an hour before. Very late.
Interviewer: So in your view is it likely that the E-boat captain radioed the alarm?
Yes.
Interviewer: Was there any discussion among the senior officers to abort?
Oh no. At least, I don’t know because I wasn’t consulted...I wasn’t in the planning. But we were discovered so late before our landing time that in fact we got ashore without being fired on, but on the main beach that wasn’t the case.
Interviewer: On your beach, Green Beach, where the South Saskatchewan Regiment landed, you believe that a surprise was achieved?
I know surprise was achieved.