D-day minus 1 (June 5, 1944) during World War 2. U.S. soldiers eat a meal while seated on the deck of a Large Landing Craft Infantry LCI(L) number 88, docked in Weymouth, England. (This ship would be the first LCI(L) to carry troops to the Easy Red landing zone during the second wave of landings at Omaha beach, on D-Day. Among troops landing there would be the 16th Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, with support from 7th Field Artillery Battalion;1st Engineer Combat Battalion; 1st Medical Battalion; 741st Tank Battalion (DD); 62d Armored Field Artillery Battalion; and 20th Engineer Combat Battalion.) A Captain and a field grade officer sit next to each other on the ship's deck. One soldier looks through his binoculars at an English woman standing outside her back door, looking back at him through her binoculars. Wash is drying on her line. The soldier tries to call out to her, but stops, realizing it is futile. Several of his buddies are amused by the whole event. Scene shifts to U.S. Army Air Forces B-26 bombers flying in formation, and then to aerial views from an aircraft, of bombs exploding on the ground in a city below. Next, a formation of B-17 bombers is seen, escorted by P-47 fighters. Scene shifts back to Weymouth harbor again, where American troops attend a Roman Catholic mass on the pier, adminstered by a military chaplain, wearing traditional clerical garb. LCL(L)s number 89 and 93 are seen tied up in the background. Coast Guardsmen gather around one of their ship's officers who briefs them on the operation.
U.S. Coast Guard sailors in England along with women soldiers in uniform, during liberty ashore. They play a game of lawn bowling and the look at swans in a lake. Scenes of sailors loading boxes of rations onto ships. Several soldiers lie, chat, read books and walk on the deck area of landing crafts. An officer looks through a telescope mounted on the ship towards the carrier ships heading towards the beach. Troops loading LCVP crafts and being ferried out to waiting transports. LCI crafts loaded with Infantry soldiers, engineers, and medical corpsmen waiting to move out. Actor dramatization of troops hearing the news that the real invasion is to begin. (World War II period).
Large Landing Craft Infantry LCI(L) docked in Weymouth, England, the day before D-Day, in World War 2. Seen are LCI(L)s numbered: 493, 495, and 491, part of Flotilla 10, operated by the U.S. Coast Guard. Small boat traffic in the channel includes Landing crafts Vehicle, Personnel (LCVPs) and other boats.
American troops of the U.S. Army 1st Infantry Division, eating lunch aboard a Landing Ship Tank docked at Weymouth, England, three days prior to D-Day. As they finish, they rinse their mess kits in hot water. A number of troops seen eating lunch as they sit on deck of large landing craft infantry LCI(L) number 88, which belongs to Flotilla 10, operated by the U.S. Coast Guard. (Note: Slate has wrong month. It is June 3rd)
Four U.S. Coast Guardsmen sit on the deck of a ship docked at Weymouth, England, three days prior to D-Day, in World War 2. One of them hands out cigarettes that they smoke. The sailors take off their hats, simultaneously revealing haircuts that collectively spell the word 'HELL.'
A U.S. Coast Guard gun crew near a 20 mm antiaircraft gun aboard a Landing Craft Infantry LCI(L) docked at Weymouth, England, 3 days before D-Day. U.S. troops ask questions about the gun. (World War II period).