TEIGNMOUTH & SHALDON

John Paul Boyne AB Aboard the cruiser Emerald

“I was born in 1922 in Mulberry Street and volunteered in July 1940… [After naval service in South Africa, the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean in 1944] I joined the cruiser, Emerald. We went in on Gold Beach on D-Day and bombarded gun emplacements until we ran out of ammunition.“We went back to Portsmouth, supplied the ship again with ammunition and went out for a second time, Landing at Sword area and helped with the breakthrough by bombarding Caen…I had to pass the ammunition over for loading into the breach of the 6-inch guns and the shells could travel up to about 12 miles…”

Sydney Charles Hook DSM BEM Aboard US Landing Ship Tank 403

Syd was born in Teignmouth in 1920 and joined the Royal Navy at Christmas 1939.He trained in anti-submarine detection and bomb disposal, then joined LST403, moving troops and equipment on the Mediterranean front.At the Normandy invasion, LST403 landed at Gold Beach under enemy fire to pick up the bodies of the dead and the wounded. In all they made 6 landings and 17 trips between the English mainland and Normandy, bringing back thousands of troops and prisoners of War.

Ronald John Rodwell Leading Shipwright

Ron was born in 1924 in Teignmouth. He became a boatbuilder at Morgan Giles shipyard, then in wartime volunteered for the Royal Navy. He joined Coastal Forces, serving aboard Motor Torpedo Boats.

During the Normandy Landings, Damage Control was his responsibility and he worked to ferry tanks and troops from the Landing Craft Transport to various beaches, then returned to the Depot ship for another batch.

He later transferred to an Aircraft Carrier, HMS Unicorn, patrolling the British Coast.

Peter Lewis Royal Marine

The Marines, billeted at Courtenay Hotel on the Den, went through rigorous training, testing equipment on the seabed with teams of divers, climbing cliffs at Smugglers beach and sounding water levels on Teignmouth Bar.

On D-Day, Peter was on the fourth Landing Craft F20 to reach the Normandy coast. Luckily he survived the attacks. In 1945 his unit was sent to Plymouth to load up for service in the Far East to destroy submarine nets blocking harbours. He arrived home after Victory was declared in Japan.

Private Ken Hookway 12th Battalion Devonshire 6th Airborne Division

Ken was born in Teignmouth in 1925 and trained as a printer with Brunswick Press. At 17, he was drafted into the Army as a rifleman. Then he joined the Airbourne Division practising flights for D-Day in Horsa gliders over Salisbury Plain. He said “It was an enjoyable experience and I wasn’t scared although I was one of the youngest…the men were all happy together.”

Unfortunately, he had to cross the Channel by the sea on landing craft. When they arrived, fighting was already underway. The company were expecting to be relieved by ground forces but stayed for 3 months. The 12th Devons were involved in taking Honfleur, with heavy casualties.

Private Ernest Robins 12th Battalion Devonshire 6th Airborne Division

Ernest was born in Saxe Street in 1914 and trained as a barber and hairdresser. He was called up and joined the Army, based at Okehampton Camp and then Plymouth. As part of the Airbourne Division, he was involved in the Normandy landings and later the Rhine Crossing. The gliders they flew in could carry 28 fully equipped troops or 2 jeeps or an anti-tank gun or even a light truck. They were towed by Halifax bombers across the Channel. After the war, Ernest returned to hairdressing and had a shop at the bottom of Bitton Park Road.

Private Harold Webber 12th Battalion Devonshire 6th Airborne Division

Harold took part in the Normandy invasion, landing on a beach near Honfleur on 7th June 1944. His job, dangerous under fire from the German defence, was to locate and transport water supplies.

Airborne and seaborne troops were linked up to drive the enemy back from the beaches and fought to take Caen. The 6th Airborne successfully held the Orne estuary and the unit dug themselves into foxholes in orchards. They got used to sleeping in saturated blankets.

After 3 months they left for England, but his unit was sent out again to fight in the Ardennes.

Corporal Robert Barge 12th Battalion Devonshire 6th Airborne Division

Bob was born in Teignmouth in 1916 and worked in the grocery trade. He joined the Army in wartime. His unit was one of those who flew in gliders to the D-Day landings, the troops carrying grenades, rifles and ammunition and their faces blackened with coal.

He was involved in the capture of Pegasus Bridge in Normandy after intense fighting. Later on the 24th of March 1945 he flew from one of 3 airfields for the Battle of the Rhine. Unfortunately, he was wounded here and spent 6 months in a Belgian Hospital.

After convalescence, he returned to Teignmouth.

James William Belton Shipwright

Jim was born in Teignmouth in 1923 and became a shipwright at Morgan Giles shipyard. During the war he repaired and serviced Landing Craft Assault ships, which were about 30 feet long and carried 30 men.

At the Normandy landings, he served on board Queen Beatrice, a troop landing ship which had been modified on the Clyde.

After the war, he returned to Morgan Giles and later had his own shipbuilding firm. Invited to go to Normandy for D-Day Remembrance, he said “No thanks – I went there once and it was bloody awful!”