Denis W. Garrod
Denis Garrod, was a British citizen at the time when he joined Britain's Royal Navy in 1943 at 17 years of age. He received his basic training at Skegness, Devonport, Portsmouth and Southmapton, England.
He was posted to a Landing Craft Tank, LCT980, which was in Northern Scotland’s Firth of Cromarty, servin as an electrician. (see article written by Dennis at https://www.combinedops.com/LCT_980.htm).
On D-Day, June 6, 1944, he served on a landing tank craft, transferring men, vehicles and equipment early (about 0810 hrs) onto Sword Beach providing the necessary support for the invasion of Normandy. He completed further supply runs after his ship was repaired from damage sustained during D-Day. He was only 18 at the time.
In November 1944, Denis was part of a squadron responsible for taking the Royal Marines into Walcheren Island in the River Schedlt estuary to silence the big gun emplacements at Westkapelle and Domburg. It was reported in a London newspaper that we went in with 200 vessels and camp out with 40!
Denis returned to England and was then posted to Port Glasgow Scotland, where he worked on readying landing craft for service against Japan. It was from Port Glasglow that Denis received his discharge papers from the Navy in 1946.
In 2018, Denis was recognized for his service being presented the French Legion Medal of Honour, the equivalent to the Order of Canada.
We Will Remember Them
