On June 6, 1944, the United States Coast Guard performed a number of key tasks that enabled the Allies to successfully carry out Operation Overlord, the cross channel invasion of Northwest France. One critical task was to rescue drowning and wounded allied soldiers found floating in the English Channel. Read Coast Guardsman John Campbell’s vivid accounting of his experience on board one of the rescue boats deemed part of the “matchbox fleet” because the boats were so small.
THE U.S. COAST GUARD HAD SIXTY 83 FOOT PATROL BOATS OPERATING OFF THE COAST OF NORMANDY DURING THE D-DAY ASSAULT. PRESIDENT FRANKLIN ROOSELVELT SPECIFICALLY SUGGESTED THAT THE INVASION OPERATION NEEDED A RESCUE FLOTILLA AND THE COAST GUARD WAS TASKED TO PROVIDE IT. EACH PATROL BOAT WAS ASSIGNED A HULL NUMBER FROM 1 TO 60. I WAS ASSIGNED TO PATROL BOAT NUMBER 49.
PRIOR TO D-DAY, WE WERE STATIONED IN POOLE, ENGLAND FOR TRAINING. I AND THE BOAT CREW RECEIVED TRAINING IN FIRST AID, SMALL BOAT HANDLING, SHIP TO SHORE MOVEMENT, BEACH LANDINGS AND RETRACTIONS AND RESCUING MEN FROM THE WATER. JUST AFTER RECEIVING WORD ABOUT THE ACTUAL INVASION DATE, WE CLEARED OUR BOAT'S DECKS OF ANY UNNECESSARY EQUIPMENT AND STRUNG CARGO NETS OVER THE SIDES OF OUR CRAFT SO MEN FOUND FLOUNDERING IN THE WATER COULD CLIMB INTO THE VESSELS.
ON JUNE 2, WE ALL WERE SEALED ON THE NAVY BASE. NO ONE COULD LEAVE THE AREA. IN THE AFTERNOON OF JUNE 5TH, MY BOAT DEPARTED FROM POOLE HARBOR. WE MARRIED UP WITH A GROUP OF ENGLISH LANDING CRAFT AND ESCORTED THEM ACROSS THE ENGLISH CHANNEL TO NORMANDY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE INVASION ON THE 6TH. CROSSING THE CHANNEL THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT WAS EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS BECAUSE THERE WERE GERMAN PATROL BOATS TO CONTEND WITH AND MINES FLOATING EVERYWHERE. I ALSO REMEMBER THAT THE WATER WAS VERY ROUGH.
ARRIVING AT DAY BREAK OFF THE COAST OF NORMANDY, THE LANDING CRAFT WE WERE ESCORTING PROCEEDED TO LAND TROOPS ON THE BEACHES. MY BOAT WAS STATIONED OFF THE BRITISH INVASION BEACHES KNOWN AS GOLD, JUNO AND SWORD. WE REMAINED AS CLOSE TO THE SHORE AS POSSIBLE PREPARED TO PICK UP MEN IN THE WATER. MOST MEN WE ENCOUNTERED THAT DAY, HOWEVER, WERE
BEYOND ANY HELP THAT WE COULD GIVE THEM. THROUGHOUT THE DAY WE ALSO DODGED ENEMY FIRE FROM THE SHORELINE AND FLOATING DEBRIS.
AT NIGHT, WE TIED UP TO ONE OF THE LARGE SHIPS IN THE CHANNEL AND STOOD WATCH FOR GERMAN PATROL BOATS. QUITE OFTEN GERMAN PLANES WOULD FLY OVER, CUT THEIR ENGINES, DROP BOMBS THEN ROAR AWAY. ANTIAIRCRAFT GUNS ON ALL THE SHIPS OFF NORMANDY WOULD FIRE ON THE PLANES AND IT LOOKED LIKE AND SOUNDED LIKE THE FOURTH OF JULY. BY DAWN, THE NEXT DAY, I WAS PLEASED TO HEAR THAT THE RESCUE FLOTILLA HAD NOT LOST ONE VESSEL DURING D-DAY AND RESCUED OVER 400 MEN.
WE WERE KNOWN AS THE "MATCHBOX FLEET" BECAUSE OUR VESSELS WERE SMALL AND ALL OF THE BOATS WERE MADE OF WOOD. HOWEVER, TO THOSE WE RESCUED, WE WERE KNOWN AS THEIR "LIFESAVERS." I WAS PROUD TO BE ON BOARD ONE OF THEM.
John W. Campbell
