Canadian Press War correspondent William Stewart. (CP PICTURE ARCHIVE/Canadian Army Overseas Photo/HO)
William Stewart was a Canadian Press war correspondent who sailed with Canadian troops on D-Day. This is his report from June 6, 1944.
WITH THE ALLIED INVASION FORCES, June 6, (CP Cable) – We sailed for France with the invasion forces for the greatest military operation of all time on a cool grey evening with hundreds of invasion ships dotted along the Channel like stepping-stones leading to the continent.
First ships to set out on the water-borne crusade raised anchor on the morning of June 5. They were the slower ships carrying tanks and heavier equipment.
Departure of the invasion craft in their blue and grey war paint continued all through the day of June 5 although the weather looked like anything but invasion weather. Invasion troops and invasion weapons had all been aboard and ready to sail since late the preceding Saturday.
I was with the Canadians who spent the two days waiting to sail checking and rechecking their equipment.
On the little ship on which I was travelling with the headquarters of an assault formation, there was an exercise in transferring to the much smaller craft that were to take us ashore. The army and navy men on our ships were old friends. They had been on several invasion exercises together.
As we got under way a major summoned army personnel and told them: "Here's the dope. We're sailing for France to open the Second Front."
There was no cheering. The news was a relief to most because it had been so long coming. The great event didn't dim anyone's spirits. There were countless jokes about the invasion and about possible mishaps and predicaments.
As we got under way officers and men went to their bunks to catch precious sleep. And, as the night progressed, the sea seemed calmer. The ship's roll was reduced to a slight sway.
About five o'clock the morning of June 6 two columns of black smoke ashore were visible. Bombers could be seen flying in to targets in front of us. The heavy thuds of bombs exploding could be felt right through the ship.
The naval bombardment then opened up in earnest and the ship shuddered gently every few seconds from the concussion of other ships' guns. Spitfires patrolled the skies ceaselessly.
It was seven o'clock when the infantry ships dropped their assault boats for the bobbing trip to the beaches. The water was rough and some were seasick.
The bombardment was still proceeding fiercely and within a half hour of leaving the ships the assault forces were wading up the enemy beaches.
