3rd County of London Yeomanry, ‘Gosport, third stage of waterproofing being completed’, Operation OVERLORD, 1944....

3rd County of London Yeomanry, ‘Gosport, third stage of waterproofing being completed’, Operation OVERLORD, 1944. Photograph by Major Wilfred Herbert James Sale, 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), 1944. Prior to D-Day, personnel from 3rd County of London Yeomanry waterproofing their Sherman tanks prior to embarkation for Normandy. In the foreground, next to the tank named ‘Bacchus’, can be seen stowage and one of the temporary stacks which were fitted to the tank’s exhaust and air intakes to allow deep water wading. According to the Sharpshooters’ war diary the unit moved to the Marshalling Area at Gosport, on the western side of Portsmouth Harbour, on D-Day, 6 June 1944. The unit crossed the English Channel the following day in LCTs (Landing Craft Tanks) and went ashore off Mont Fleury La Riviere. The war diary records that the deepest wading depth was 4 foot 6 inches. From an album containing 210 photographs compiled by Major W H J Sale, MC, 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), World War Two, North West Europe (1944-1945).