In 1941 John Richard Alcock, already serving as a Corporal in the R.A.F., was granted a commission for the duration of hostilities. He became an officer in the Administrative and Special Duties Branch. After joining No. 2 Beach Unit in 1943 he was made Acting Flight Lieutenant and became the Landing Officer of No. 103 […]
Search: “”
We found 82 results for your search.
Personal stories of men who served with R.A.F. beach units in World War Two These men have described some of their experiences in their own words. John R. Alcock The Landing Officer of 103 Beach Flight, No. 2 R.A.F. Beach Squadron who landed in the JUNO assault area on D-Day in Normandy (Operation OVERLORD) and […]
For those seeking information on a particular R.A.F. beach unit, this page provides direct links to each one (where information is currently available). There were differences between units formed at different times and in different places. R.A.F. beach units were continually evolving and changing as a result of experience gained and the requirements of different […]
“OVERLORD” and “NEPTUNE” There were two phases to Operation “OVERLORD”. The first phase was the assault landing on the Normandy beaches and the capture and development of airfield sites and the port of Cherbourg. The second phase was the capture of territory up to the river Loire and the ports of Brittany. The first phase, […]
Operations in which R.A.F. Beach Units were Involved The following is a list of Second World War Combined Operations (i.e. amphibious assault operations) in which R.A.F. beach units were involved. The list is in chronological order and each entry provides a link to further information, where available. Codename D-Day Location HUSKY 10th July 1943 Sicily […]
Exercise “FABIUS” was intended to be a rehearsal for Operation “NEPTUNE”. It took place at the beginning of May 1944.and was really six separate exercises. It followed Exercise “TIGER”, a separate rehearsal for Assault Force “U” (the U.S. force for the “UTAH” assault area) that took place at the end of April 1944 at Slapton […]
Exercises Involving R.A.F. Beach Units The following is a list of Second World War Combined Operations exercises in which R.A.F. beach units were involved, with links to information (where available). Codename Date(s) Location JANTZEN July/August 1943 South Wales PIRATE October 1943 Studland Bay, Dorset ROUNDABOUT Dec. 1943 – April 1944 Leith/Gullane SMASH various in 1944 […]
I first launched this website early in 2007 but the project really began in the summer of 2005. Although I was already interested in the subject through talking to my father (John Hughes Fenton, who served with No. 4 R.A.F. Beach Squadron) and through reading the “Normandy Beach-Head” chapter of his memoirs, it was not […]
The aim of this website is to promote awareness of the Royal Air Force Beach Units that took part in various amphibious assault landings in World War Two. As the R.A.F. element in Combined Operations beach organisation, the job of the R.A.F. Beach Units was to assist with the landing, assembly and onward dispatch of […]