November 1st 1944: Operation Infatuate and the assault on Walcheren.

Royal Marine Derrick Parsons

In an earlier post I have mentioned my father's experiences during the D-Day Landings on 6th June 1944 and actions in and around the Normandy beaches thereafter. His unit gradually moved eastwards to secure crossings over the Seine and then northwards through France towards the Belgian port of Ostend.It was from there that Dad became part of Operation Infatuate.

As the Allied forces advanced deeper and deeper into Europe, the need for port facilities north of Normandy grew acute. Allied supply lines were moving farther and farther away from Normandy, where most of their supplies were landing in Europe, resulting in very long supply runs by truck to the Allied armies. Antwerp had fallen with intact port facilities in September 1944, however, the waterway leading to Antwerp, the Scheldt Estuary, was lined with German forces, and in particular heavy coastal batteries on Walcheren Island prevented any Allied supply ships from approaching the Scheldt in order to land supplies in Antwerp.

A schematic of the Battle of the Scheldt, of which Operation Infatuate, to capture and secure Walcheren, was a key part.

The task of capturing and securing Walcheren was given to the combined forces of Canadian and British troops and was spear-headed by an amphibious assault (Operation Infatuate) from the west by Royal Marine forces. Dad was part of this force, the Close Support Squadron, and was on LCF 38, one of the heavily armed landing crafts which were part of the first wave. In fact, LCF 38 was the lead attack vessel in their particular sector and, as such, was in the thick of the action right from the start. This amphibious assault at Westkapelle – the last such enterprise in the European War – was difficult and dramatic. Especially hard hit was the Support Squadron Eastern Flank, of which LCF was a key part. Twenty of its twenty-seven vessels sunk or were put out of action and their complements of about one thousand men suffered 192 killed or missing, 126 severely wounded and many others slightly wounded. Here's a quote I've taken from a book about Operation Infatuate and it gives a flavour of its difficulty: "For ‘Operation Infatuate’ Landings, only experienced Officers, Sailors, Marines and Soldiers were required for this last, extremely difficult and operationally essential landing in Europe. This had to be during daylight hours because of the prevailing tidal conditions. The officers commanding the assault and landing craft knew each other well and all had high regard for each other and their crews. They knew that success was not guaranteed, but heavy casualties were. Their tremendous professionalism, dedication to duty and heroism under extreme fighting conditions is not duly recognized. When the odds were stacked against them, all the crews of the ‘Operation Infatuate’ assault craft did not let the side down and ensured the success of the ‘Landings’. They all answered ‘The Call’."

This is a photograph of LCF 32. Dad's LCF 38 would have been essentially identical. Landing Craft Flak (LCF) were landing crafts armed with a variety of guns, designed to attack shore batteries and provide cover for landing troops. Because of their shallow drafts, they were able to get extremely close to their targets and, as a consequence, were very vulnerable. Dad would have manned one of these guns.

Luckily, I've been able to locate a copy of the report of LCF's exploits written by its commander, Lieutenant Alfred George Whittington Wilks. It makes for harrowing reading, particularly if you are related to one of the men on board! The original record is quite difficult to read, in parts, so I've included the transcription below.

REPORT ON OPERATION INFATUATE 1^ST NOVEMBER 1944

LCF 38

At Ostend Roads weighed and proceeded to form up at 0245 on LCGs with LCH 98 as guide.

Proceeded along swept channel to position AA off Westkapelle, Walcheren Island.

From AA proceeded to position BB with LCH 98 as guide in Order 1. The tide had a definite southerly set and big alterations of course were necessary to maintain correct bearing.

At BB with LCH 98 as guide quarter line to port was assumed. At approx. 0915 shelling of the Red Flank by shore batteries began. At approx. 0920 signal from 98 to carry out previous instructions. F38 became guide of Ps and proceeded at half speed as Landing Craft were behind time and the circumstances it was felt that it was best that they should be coming through while while the Ps were still able to engage the enemy batteries.

At approx. 0935 while about 2000yds from the beach salvos of rockets from our own rocketships began to fall about 1 ½ cables from our port quarter. With wheel hard astarboard and emergency full ahead we drew away from the line of fall. Bringing F38 back onto her course emergency full ahead was maintained for some minutes. Reducing to full we closed the beach. With F36 and F42 acting independently a slightly zig-zag course was maintained to enable port and starboard batteries to fire in turn. At about 1500 yds from the beach the port batteries opened up on the enemy positions. At approx. 1000 yds from the beach we straightened up and headed for the mound on the lefthand side of the gap. At approx. 0945 the shore batteries began registering hits on both sides of the ship. Between 800 and 1000 yds from the beach a 90 degree turn to port was made to engage enemy machine gun nests and batteries south of the G(M) now beached. Fire was maintained until dangerous to the G (M) but re-opened when she was out of line.

By this time we had been hit by about ten heavy shells. The magazine flood was smashed, the magazine on fire, the forward mess deck a foot under water, the wheelhouse a shambles, the steering jammed, one engine gone, about five gun positions smashed and the ward room on fire. Still all available armament maintained constant fire on the enemy. Asking the Flotilla Officer to take over on the bridge I went below to try to rig up some sort of steering. By disconnecting the port rudder (damaged by hit) steering was obtained on the starboard rudder. Being now a danger to incoming craft F36 was requested to take us in tow. Cease fire was ordered and at approx. 1015 F36 came alongside and took us in tow, still under heavy and accurate shell fire. Hoses were at once rigged to the magazine from F36 but it was well ablaze and ammunition began to explode, despite the use of hoses and foam. F36 was hit below the water-line on the starboard side by a heavy shell. F38 received two more direct hits on the port side. With the presence of F38 endangering the F36 and being no longer a useful fighting unit it was decided to anchor her and then abandoned F38. Removing wounded and one dead, leaving one dead aboard, dumping the CB chest overboard and removing the vital parts of the QH to F36, F38 was abandoned at anchor at approx. 1035.

Wounded were transferred to LCT 428 and the survivors sailed back to Ostend on F36.

The last report on F38 was she had blown up, her tanks had caught fire and she was well ablaze.

Through the whole of the action, the ship’s company bore itself in a manner fully in keeping with the highest traditions of both services. The guns were firing until the last possible moment, the gunnery especially under the circumstances was excellent and I believe effective. It is indeed very difficult to single out any man were worthy of praise than another. Excellent discipline was maintained at all times. Fire control was beyond criticism. The whole ship’s company fought with characteristic determination. Some died at their posts.

The SBA’s Drummond and Watkins did sterling work throughout.

AB Crothers with the wheelhouse a shambles freed the wheel from the dead and took over.

Corporal Miller performed excellent work throughout and after the action.

OCRM Lieut Clifford was very calm and decisive during the entire action. The amazing steadiness and brilliant efficiency of the Royal Marines was undoubtedly due to their training and his presence.

Lieut Hewitt RM directed fire by manning the after oerlikons and did fine and accurate work, until his gun was blown up, his crew killed and he was severely wounded.

Sub/lt Maclean after but one week as First Leutenant showed a veteran’s poise and performed his multitudinous duties with great skill and perseverance.

I am indebted greatly to Lieut-Commander Lammert RNVR and Lieut D. Thomas RNVR for their services rendered to F38.

Orders had been carried out. Support had been given.

Casualties:

Killed – 4.
Died of wounds – 1.
Wounded (including slightly wounded) – 20 approx.

The survivors were taken back on F36 where they were divided between F36  and F35 and routed back to the UK.

Lt. Alfred George Whittington Wilks
Lieutenant RNVR
Commanding Officer.

Luckily, dad's name appears on the list of survivors and he, and his comrades, were taken on board another landing craft. I can only try and imagine the conditions at the time. Cold, wet, bedraggled, shocked - probably all of these. Being transferred to LCF 36 was not the end of action for the men off LCF 38. As a sailor on LCF 36 wrote: "Our Flotilla Leader, L.C.F. 38, was ahead of us in the firing line. She was hit and set on fire at 10:20, we went alongside and took off survivors. Going back into the firing line, we were eventually hit and holed at 11:15. Dodging more shells, we withdrew and after the survivors of L.C.F 38 had been taken off, we limped back to Oostend".

The message from the operations commander on board HMS Kingsmill, the lead battleship and effective HQ for the operation, to all stations after the Westkapelle attack

Signal from Admiralty to operations commander after beachhead assault at Westkapelle November 1

A personal note sent to all on LCF 38 and who survived the action. It wasn't the style of the officer classes to use Christian names!

Operation Infatuate was a success and played its part in the liberation of the Scheldt and providing the much needed access to the port of Antwerp. As far as my dad's service is concerned, his service record is a bit hazy on the details. However, we do know that he was part of the capitulation of Germany and was spend time with the invading forces on the Rhine. Perhaps we'll be able to find out more as we try and locate further records.

I'll leave the last words of this post to the son of Lieutenant Wilks: "I can only speak about my father’s vessel and her crew, but I am sure that others were the same. LCF 38 as lead attack vessel in that sector, charged in with a thousand horse power thundering in her engine room and all guns blazing, keeping accurate fire with some shells penetrating gun slits. These men were not just doing their job, they were warriors of the highest order in the full knowledge that, for the objective to succeed, it could result in the total loss of the ship and all hands. The document I find particularly moving is the high praise of the actions of the close support flotilla especially the LCF, LCG, and LCS. Knowing my father and his crew were real warriors in the thick of it, and the recognition they got, makes me intensely proud".

Derrick Parsons x2, taken in about 1948, some 4 years after Walcheren. It could have turned out so differently.