An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir June 2015 www.dfmagazine.ie 28 | iriSh D Day Veteran hOnOureD by ROBIN GILLEN, PHYSICS DEPARTMENT, UCC P atrick D Gillen was born in Galway City in March 1925. he had just turned 18 when he left home in 1943 to join the british Army in search of adventure. After basic training in bally- mena, Co Antrim, he was posted to the Royal norfolk Regiment in England. After some time with the norfolks, Pat applied to join the Commandos and after selection was sent for further training to the Achnacarry in the Scottish highlands. After completing a rigor- ous commando training course he was posted as a rifleman to hQ troop of 6 Commando, led by Scottish Laird 'Shimi' Lovat, where he immediately began training for the normandy invasion as part of 1 Commando brigade. The brigade spent weeks in the South of England honing their weapons skills, carrying out different types of landings, studying various models, sand tables and aerial photographs, which were updated daily. On 5th June, Pat, a young 19-year- old commando, boarded his LCI (Landing Craft, Infantry) as part of a flotilla of 22 craft. After a pretty uncomfortable journey, with the troops suffer- ing the effects of sea sickness from the swell of the previous day's storm and nausea from the fumes emanating from the LCI engines, the outline of the beach finally loomed. Earlier, at 0530hrs, battleships with 15" guns, cruisers and destroyers, had opened up on the beach defences. Looking up, Pat could see the vast array of Allied bombers and fighters all heading in the same direction. (He says it was an incredible sight to behold.) Weapons and equipment checks were carried out for the last time. Seasickness quickly forgotten, the troops moved into their prearranged positions ready for the landing. The flotilla carrying 1 Commando Brigade lined up abreast, and when it came to their turn (0840hrs for 6 Commando) the engines were opened up full throttle as they headed for the 'Queen Red' area of the beach. These LCIs were generally made with a wooden hull and powered by petrol engines, carrying 4,000 gallons of high-octane petrol in single-skin petrol tanks. Fortunately for Pat and his fellow commandos, the Germans had decided to use armour-piercing munitions rather than high-explosive shells to engage the flotilla. This resulted in many shells travelling right through the hull of the craft. A direct hit to the fuel tank would have resulted in disaster for all on-board. It should be mentioned here that the Commando always had great respect for the navy and, in particular, for the very brave LCI crews. As Pat and his comrades prepared to exit down the ramps on either side of the craft, the LCI alongside them suffered a direct hit, and shortly after his group of 80 troops from 6 Commando moved onto the beach, their own craft had both ramps damaged by an anti-tank weapon sited just behind the beach. Commandos moving through France 1944 Members of 6 Commando Brigade in Normandy Members of 6 Commando Brigade train around Inveray, Scotland, October 1941. Sgt Patrick D Gillen

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