George Simms
Born: Ardwick, Manchester ,1923
Age at signing up: 18
Division:
Rank: Royal Marines
A large Allied amphibious and airborne operation which opened the campaign to liberate Italy from Axis Forces. It began on the night of 9/10 July1943 and ended on 17 August 1943. Strategically, the invasion achieved its objectives, driving Axis air, land and naval forces from the island and opening the Mediterranean sea lanes to Allied merchant ships for the first time since 1941. The Italian leader, Benito Mussolini, was toppled from power and the way was opened for the Allied invasion of Italy
George simms
6th June 1944, DDay; George was only twenty years of age when he took part in the Normandy landings. He was in 41 Royal Marine Commando which landed with the first wave on Sword Beach alongside Major Chaplin, the Officer Commanding Y Troop. He remembered this day vividly for the rest of his life.
sword Beach
5th June; the men of 41 Commando, Royal Marines had been assembled in a “sealed off” marshalling area near Southampton, not been allowed cameras, to make telephone calls nor make any communication with the outside world. This was to preserve the secrecy of the greatest seaborne invasion in history and give the enemy a nasty surprise!
5th June,2130 hrs; 41 RM Commando departed from Warsash on the River Hamble aboard five Landing Craft Infantry LCI(S)s. Their orders were to land on “Queen White” beach at Hermanville-sur-Mer and then move west to Lion-Sur-Mer to link up with their fellow commandos.
6thJune,0300 hrs; The assault on Sword beach began with an aerial and naval bombardment of German coastal defences and artillery sites. The landing was to be concentrated on “Queen Red” and “Queen White” beaches in front of Hermanville-sur-Mer, other approaches being impassable due to shoals.
6thJune, 0725 hrs; Amphibious Duplex Drive (DD) tanks of the 13th/18th Hussars that had “swum” ashore from their landing craft landed on the beach closely followed by soldiers of the 8th Infantry Brigade (South Lancs. and East Lancs. Regt).and Royal Engineers in Armoured Assault Vehicles (AVREs) and other specialiased armoured vehicles. The engineers set to work clearing mines and obstacles under a steady hail of small arms fire and artillery fire from Périers Ridge just south of Hermanville. Resistance on the beach was initially strong, with wrecked vehicles piling up and casualties mounting; however, with most of their armoured vehicles successfully landed, the beach was quickly secured.
6th June 0845 hrs; 41 Commando came ashore and “all hell was let loose” facing heavy fire and loosing many men including their RSM, their Naval Gun Support Officer (NGSO) and 2 I/C, Major Barclay.
6th June 0930 hrs; Engineers had cleared 7 of the 8 exits from the beach, allowing the advance inland to begin. Having fought their way off the beach through the enemy’s defences and seen many of their friends cut down by machine gun fire, George and his comrades marched down the coastal road toward Lion-sur-Mer.
Three Armoured Vehicles from the Royal Engineers, equipped with BESA machine guns were ordered to accompany them. As George’s Y troop approached the town a well-concealed German PAK 50mm anti – tank gun ambushed the tanks destroying all three and stalling the assault.
The Commandos took cover, taking up positions on both sides of the road. Their location now revealed, the Germans fired a ferocious mortar, rocket, and artillery bombardment, but the Commandos were unable to respond as they had expended all their mortar bombs in the initial attack. Facing overwhelming enemy forces and heavy artillery fire, they could only wait for reinforcements and more ammunition.
June 6th,1330 hrs; The Lincolnshire Regt. and Royal Ulster Rifles came ashore then moved up to the Commando’s position bringing with them a replacement NGSO. He immediately radioed urgent fire support instructions to the ships waiting offshore commencing a bombardment which subdued the enemy’s fire but it was too late in the day for the Commandos to launch an effective assault so as the sun set they dug in for the night. Casualties for the day were approximately 140 killed, wounded and missing. Through the darkness they observed German aircraft bombing the beaches and wondered how their comrades were fairing.
When dawn broke the German Artillery fire began again, pinning the Commandos down and supporting the defenders for another two hours. From overhead came the awful drone of three approaching Heinkel bombers followed by a flight of Spitfires racing to intercept them but not before they had rained down anti-personnel bombs on the Marine’s position killing several men including their Forward Artillery Observer and severely wounding their Commanding Officer, Lt Col Gray and others.
George was one of those caught in this air attack, blasted by anti-personnel bombs and peppered with shrapnel, the next thing he remembered was finding himself on a boat heading back to England eventually arriving at a hospital in Hereford after a long journey in an ambulance train. He still has some of the shrapnel in his body.
To this day he is very proud of what he and his fellow Commandos achieved that day. He and his wife visited Normandy several times.
March 2018; Testimonial from Troop Sergeant Major Denis Fawcett MBE.
Secretary of 41 RM Commando Association of Veterans 1942 – 46.
“My earliest recollections of George go back to the winter of 1942. After his recruit training in South Devon he was posted to D Company in which I was a Corporal. He was a quiet lad and perhaps a wee bit shy. He was the sort of chap who got on with things without a lot of fuss. Then he served with me in Y Company”
The family lived in Emma St. Ardwick, Manchester.
His Father, George, had been wounded during World War 1 serving in Mesopotamia (Iraq)
Postwar; he was a driver of a steam traction engine working on the roads. He died around 1963
His Mother, May, died when George was 10 or 11 aged 39.
He had 2 older Sisters, May and Edna.
George was a clever lad – top in English and Maths at his junior school but his schooling was seriously disrupted after the death of his Mother when the three children lived in various homes and with relatives.
George simms
As a teenager George would cycle from Gorton, where he had lived with the Street family, to Levenshulme. He was a butcher’s lad at Dewhurst’s shop on Stockport Road. To this day George still speaks highly of the manager, Jack Phillips and his wife Pansy who were very supportive of him in these difficult times (1937-38) They bought all George’s butchering clothes and equipment.
When delivering parcels of meat on his bike he met with and made friends with the intelligent and talkative Ken Simpkin, another local butcher’s lad. Ken was the brother of the young lady, Connie, who became George’s girlfriend and was to marry in 1945. (Coincidentally, George and Connie’s two Sons, Allan and Brian, both delivered groceries and greengroceries in the same street, some 30 years later)
Before George volunteered to serve his Country, he worked at a Salvation Army Red Shield Club, serving hot food and drinks to the troops as they passed through London’s major railway stations on their way to war. His Sister Edna was also working in London for the Salvation Army at the same time. They met up and lived through the London Blitz during the winter of 1940/41
.
The two of the most significant influences on George during the war years were
1. The Woodfords, a family he was billeted with on the Isle of Wight before DDay
2. Denis Fawcett his Corporal on the DDay landings. Not having seen Denis since Normandy, George’s family manged to track Denis down and they have since met up at Denis’ home in Somerset.
Coincidence; Becky – George’s Granddaughter – trained to be a Nurse in Somerset. As part of her training she made home visits to Denis Fawcett’s wife prior to her death. It was in a casual conversation that they made the connection between George and her husband Denis.
The George and Connie Story – Married for 73 years
For the first couple of years they lived with Connie’s Mum in Ollier Avenue, Levenshulme. Then they moved to Stovell Avenue where they lived until 1987 when George reached retirement age. Eventually they moved into a lovely flat in Poynton, Cheshire. This was near the caravan(s) they had along the Macclesfield canal.
Family;
Allan b.1947 – 4 Children – 3 Grandchildren
Brian b.1949 – 2 Children – 2 Grandchildren
Ken b.1959 – 3 Children – 6 Grandchildren
