Horsham war veteran, 98, recalls D-Day landings

Geoffrey, 98, attended both Horsham’s Armistice Day ceremony last week and the town’s Remembrance Sunday service.

“I joined up on 20 June 1942 reporting for training as a telegraphist to HMS Collingwood at Fareham, Hampshire,” said Geoffrey.

“I initially joined HMS Blizzard which was assigned to duties including minesweeping in the Western Approaches to protect convoys from the USA to Liverpool.

“It was late 1943 when I was transferred to HMS Astral.

“HMS Astral was a former Belgian vessel and formed part of the Hydrographic Service of the Navy.

“On D-Day, HMS Astral, in company with HMS Scott, sailed from Spithead in the vanguard of the Invasion Fleet.

“HMS Astral’s role was to follow the minesweepers and lay marker buoys to indicate the separate channels to the beachheads for the landing craft.

“HMS Astral operated in Juno sector. Following the landings, HMS Astral helped with the arrangements to moor the concrete caissons for the Mulberry Harbour.

“My role on the day was to listen out for incoming messages and, in particular, for details of any E-boat activity.

“I did all this from the bridge and helped the signalman with messages between the Survey flotilla.

“As the troops moved inland, our orders were to mark dangerous underwater wreckage off the beaches.

“Later that year, when it was decided to take the port of Antwerp, HMS Astral was assigned to undertake the same role in the assault on the island of Walcheren as on D-Day, namely laying buoys for the assault forces and marking wreckage.

“HMS Astral received the Battle of Honour Normandy 1944.”