Posted as we have some very knowledgably people on this forum;
Purchase of my 3HW has lead me to track my Dads movements (mainly 584 Royal Engineers)during WW2.
His stories/memories are coinciding with details I have found - one memory was that be went over on D Day and landed D+1 (confirmed) - on part of the Mulberry B powered by massive outboards, setting out from the Solent.
While trudging through the interweb last week, I found a reference to US designed/built lighters/barges powered by o/boards used by RE from the Solent area - but can i hell find the website again!!!!
Very, very frustrating, but has anyone, any idea what they were called or where the website can be found ???
Rhino Ferries ... also used as causeways by the RE ..#
My dad landed D+1 and his group was involved in joining Mulberry 'B' to the shore using matting/tracking on GOLD beach and possibly used these 'Rhino' units as they were used as beach causeways.
First heard the story when he spent ages telling the curator of the Arromanche museum that the track ways on his Diorama was wrong (he already knew).
They way he told the story was that he embarked in the Solent and went over on one of these things - very poor sea capabilities and like many was prepared to FIGHT ANYTHING BAREHANDED just to get off the thing onto shore!
They also had continuous engine trouble due to water in the fuel (like many) and spent some hours adrift in the channel in danger of being run down by ships (so he must have been low in the water)
