Greetings all.

Has anyone seen any photographs of the markings used on the D Day landing beaches that were used to guide the boats in.

Best as I can find out they were flag/banner like things showing some kind of lettering or symbol to help ships locate the correct landing area and would have been erected by the Beach Landing Parties/Beach Master.

Any ideas???

Cheers

Al

Hi Alan

I also know that X-Craft (British Midget Submarines) served as beacons for the first wave.
Once this first wave landed...
My guess is that you should ask the armour guys, I am sure they will know the answer

Skipper

Hi Skipper,

Yip I'll post in the armoured section also, just wondered, I've seen photo's but can't make out the markings and as the RN where incharge of the beach landing areas I just thought I'd ask here first.

Yip, I know about the X craft - Hmmmmm, more posibilities!!! LOL, they were quite close to the beaches if I remember my history correctly - more food for thought.

Cheers

Al

Greetings all,

Here's an up date on what I've found so far. It's a photo of the signage on King beach. Although on some kind of scaffold and probably erected after the beach was secured I'm betting that the canvas type signage was similar. Scroll down to the bottom of the pictures:

http://www.btinternet.com/~keith.oakley/rncommando/rnpic1.htm

This is from the RN Cmdo Assn web site.

I was hoping to find a photo taken from one of the landing ships that might have showed the canvas/cloth signage but nothing so far.

If anyone comes across a photo I'd very much appreciate a look at it to confirm or otherwise my thinking on this.

If you have a look in my gallery under reference pictures you'll see a photo of what I'm talking about. It's the marking on these 'flags/signs' I'm trying to get information on.

Cheers

Al

Hello,
I found this while looking for some info on beach landings,
The OVERLORD Logistical Plan

I didn't get the chance to read it all but I did find references to beach markers.

Hope this helps some,
Bob

Hi Bob,

Thanks very much for that link. A really useful and informative site and a lot of reading there.

Great, from what I've picked up so far it more or less confirms what I was thinking from what I'd already come across. The marking system used the code names allocated to the various beaches under the 'World Wide System' using the Phonetic Alphabet starting with Able at the extreme west. The various beaches were marked with large panels and coloured lights at night which replaces the earlier canvas signage which was mostly destroyed by German Artillery fire. Don't know if there were specific colours used for the different landing areas and whether or not a lettering system was also used ie DG = Dog Green, but time will tell.

Still a hugh amount of information to read through. The information contained in the site is very detailed and will be very useful once I get through it all.

Again many thanks Bob.

Cheers

Al