D-DAY Embarkation Points

[Ian Dunn]

Hi All

Please can anyone help ?

I Live in Cornwall England

I am a member of the Military Vehicle Trust
ex member of the Territorial Army

On the 6th June this year the Cornwall Area of the Military Vehicle Trust are doing a road run (some members are attending the events in France) I thought it would be a good opportunity to visit the Embarkation points of the 29th Div,
Each year we have an event at Mount Edgcumbe House Nr Plymouth (this is a known Embarkation point ) and this would be the finish point.

Can anyone tell me the other loading points in Cornwall and also places where the 29th were Billited/Camped in Cornwall prior to D-Day

Thanks

Ian

[Paul K]

Ian,

The only information I have is for D Co. 175th Infantry. I have a photocopy of locations of D Co. from a larger report that I copied from the 29th ID Museum in Baltimore, MD USA.

Here is where they were from 1 January 1944 until they landed in France on 7 June.

Aboard LST 372 on 1 January
moved to Shipleigh Court, Devon on 3 January
Bowden, Devon on 4 January
Hazle, Cornwall on 6 January
Strete, Devon on 26 January
LST #7 on 30 January
Stokenham, Devon on 1 February
Hazle, Cornwall on 5 February
Clapper's Bridge, Cornwall on 12 April
Hazle, Cornwall on 14 April
Marshalling Area D-9 , Helston, Cornwall on 17 May
LST #533 on 1 June
Vierville-sur-Mer on 7 June

So to me it looks like their "home base" was in Hazle, Cornwall and quite obviously they left from Heltson. I hope that helps some.

Unfortunately that's all I copied but I know they had this kind of information for each company in the 29th since I saw it.

Best regards,
Paul

[Ian Dunn]

Hi Paul

Thanks for that info

I think Hazle should read Hayle (Hayle is more or less on the North coast of Cornwall

Helston is closer to the South coast but i dont think there were any loading points near there , the nearest would have been somewhere near Falmouth,

I will go and look on a map for Clappers Bridge

Ian

[Paul K]

Perhaps it is a typo on Hazle versus Hayle, but it definitely says Hazle over and over. But then again I see a Cormwall, too.

[Still unrecognized Gordon]

Ian -- I'll have to check my notes for the 116th and 115th, but I can already tell you that the 175th Infantry loaded at Trebah Gardens, between Helston and Falmouth, on the Hel River. If you go on their site (ww.trebah-garden.co.uk) and scroll down, you'll see an aerial picture. At the bottom is a broad white beach. In 1944, the US Army built a pier there, capable of serving two LSTs side-by-side (picture here: www.trebah-garden.co.uk/history_of_trebah_decline.htm). You can still see the concrete walkway on the beach today, and there is a monument commemorating the embarkation. It would make a great destination for the road run, especially since the Gardens are beautiful in June.
When I get a chance, I'll give you a list of 175th billeting locations, which I have somewhere in my notes. And maybe by then this board will recognize me as member and let me post normally!
Best -- Gordon

[Paul K]

Great info, Gordon. Thanks for the link.

At least the board recognized you at one point. I still haven't gotten approved by the board admins, despite emails and a post pleading to be approved. Count your blessings.

R,
paul

[Paul K]

Ian,

I did a google search on "marshalling area d" and found a history of the 104th Medical Battalion. Below is a quote from that history, which confirms what Gordon said:

On 1 June 1944, the vanguard of Company C, consisting of (5) officers and (92) enlisted men entrucked at 2315 hours from Marshalling Area, D-12, HELSTON, CORNWALL, ENGLAND for embarkation. The company reached the HELFORD Hard No, 5-1 and boarded LST 469 at 0350 hours. The ship weighed anchor at 9510 hours, sailed (3) miles to FALMOUTH HARBOR and dropped anchor at 0556 hours. The unit remained on board LST 469 in FALMOUTH HARBOR until 5 June 1944 on which date the ship again weighed anchor at 0434 hours and sailed into the English Channel.

[IAN DAVID DUNN]

Thanks for the info so far

If you go onto Google Earth and do a search for

Mount Edgcumbe House and Country Park, Cremyl

and then go down to 100Meters

most of the roads on in the grounds were built during the war by the U S Army (this was one of the embarkation points for the 29th (there are photos of LST's loading weasles etc that i have seen)

our annual weekend is held here in August (we normaly have about 50+ vehicles at this event ) our camp is set up about 100 feet from the actual loading point, right down by the waters edge.

Ian

[DON KOOS]

HI
IAN
I FORWARD YOUR REQUEST
TO MY FRIENDS IN CORNWALL
AND PLYMOUTH THEY WILL GET IN
TOUCH WITH YOU AS I KNOW THEY
CAN HELP YOU.
TAKE CARE
DON KOOS
CO I 175TH REGT 29TH DIV

[Bob Endean]

Hi Ian, Bill Bock has called me a few days ago about the visit to the embarkation areas, I will be coming to the next MVT meeting in Feb. with the info.
For now here is some to be going on with.
Loading Hards, falmouth. Cornwall. Tolverne - PF-1. Turnaware - PF-2. Trebah. and Harveys Yard & Docks Falmouth.
L.S.T. loaded at Tolverne PF-1. on 1st & 2nd June 1944. 5, 54, 56, 61, 197, 212, 307, 326, 497, 292, 393, 512.
L.S.T. loaded at turnaware PF-2. 331,381, 523, 392, 391, 59, 355, 306, 338, 7, 356, 386, 336, 388.
L.S.T. loaded at Trebah. 532, 28, 27, 533, 266, 262, 471, 482, 335, 16, 516, 337.
Marshalling areas D, Helston to Falmouth & E, Redruth to Helston roads was split in to 14 sub camps. Sub camp #1 was nearest to Falmouth. Regt Hq. D1/E1. Service Co. E1. Med, Co. D7. A/T,Co. D5. A, Co.E2. B,Co. D6. C,Co. E10. D,Co. D9. Hq Co 2nd Batt.D9. E,Co. E3. F,Co. D4. G,Co.D11. H,Co. D3. Hq Co. 3rd Batt. E8. I,Co. D14. K,Co.E14. L,Co.E5. M,Co.E6. This area had men from the 5th Armored Division, ( 22nd Engineer Battalion ) who performed cooking / house keeping duties.
Looking for info on 261st Medical Battalion, 1st E.S.B. stationed in Truro area before D - Day can anyone help Regards Bob. Endean. 29th Associate Member, Post 1. UK.

[michael]

My father, Eugene Richardson, was in Company A of the 175th. That Company was stationed in St. Ives from approx. October 1943 until they left for the invasion. They were put up in the St. Ives Bay Hotel. My wife and I visited St. Ives in Sept, 1995 and the Hotel was still open. There is a Museum on the Waterfront that has picture of Company A taken at Fort Meade in 1941. The people were very friendly and remembered "The Yanks".

[Unrecognized Gordon]

Bob -- that's great information. I have been trying for a long time to find out where HQ Co. 2/175 was marshalled and the numbers of the regiment's LSTs. Where did you find that? Is it in the 29th Division archives in Baltimore?

And Paul, I just noticed that the administrator hasn't logged on since May 31, 2008, so there's no telling when things will get fixed. I can log-in and it shows that I'm online, but when I try to post, I have to use another name -- since someone by the name of Gordon is already logged in!! Clearly a bug, and as you say a minor irritation.

Thanks to everyone for keeping the thread alive -- I'll try to add more this weekend.
Gordon

[Paul K]

If there is something that you all think resides at the museum in Baltimore I probably can find some time to go up there.

Let me know what you need. My address is lazorrick at yahoo dot com. It gives me a good excuse to get back up there and look through their stuff some more.

R,
Paul

[Jesse]

Just a note on this. I sent an email to Ian cause I could'nt get on here, informing him that I'm quite sure that F Company was billeted in or about Porthleven, probably in the Penrose estate.
Jesse

[Gordon the Unregistered]

Hi everyone:
Here is what I have for the 175th billets in Cornwall:
• Regt HQ: Pendarves Estate; marshalling area D1 (HQ Co: E1)
• Service Co: Clowance; E1
• Medical Detachment: Penzance; D7
• AT Co: Tregullow; Lands End Hotel; D5
• Cannon Co: Trelowarren; Tregullow; D12
• HQ1: St. Ives; D13
• A Co.: St. Ives; E1
• B Co.: Marazion, St. Ives; D6
• C Co.: St. Ives; E10
• D Co.: Hayle; D-9; LST 533
• HQ2: Helston, Praa Sands; D9
• E Co.: The Lizard (My father's platoon was in Cadgwith, where they spent many nights in that pub on the beach); E3; LST 538
• F Co.: Porthleven. According an FT article "the commanding officer, Capt Robert Miller, with his command group and two platoons, lived at Pendarves House. The third platoon was billeted at the Tye Rock Hotel, Porthleven." I think that's a typo -- it was probably Penrose House; D4
• G Co.: Trelowarren, Marazion (after B Co. vacated); D11; LST 469
• H Co.: Helston, Praa Sands; D3
• HQ3: Penzance; E8
• I Co.: Lands End Hotel, Albert Terrace, Penzance; D14; LST 262
• K Co.: Penzance; E14; LST 488
• L Co.: Penzance; E5; LST 523
• M Co.: Prah Sands, Penzance; E6; LST 484

I'll keep searching for the 116th and 115th billets.

Paul -- many thanks for your kind offer. I'll get back to you directly on that!

Best -- Gordon