Legion of Honour recipient Frank Porter reflects this Remembrance Day

Resthaven Onkaparinga Community Services client Mr Francis (Frank) Porter, 100, remembers clearly his part in the D Day landings at Normandy – actions that led to him receiving the Legion of Honour.

It was June 1944, and Frank was a signalman on board the Royal Navy’s Tank Landing Craft 898. He and the crew were ordered to Gilkicker Point in Portsmouth harbour to take on tanks and army trucks. The lead ship, they were ordered to set sail, and Frank was kept busy sending and receiving messages.

‘It became clear that we were about to start the second front offensive in France that everyone had been waiting for,’ Frank says. ‘It was very windy, and the sea was rough, but there was so much activity around that it didn’t bother us too much.

‘Ahead, it looked as if hell was breaking loose. Every fighting ship imaginable seemed to be bombarding the coast we were heading for.’

When other landing craft accidentally came too close to their vessel, Frank’s ship was forced into evasive action, and they changed course to land at a different beach than originally intended.

‘As we hit the beach and lowered our bow ramp, the tanks and lorries made their departure as quick as they could,’ Frank says.

‘While this was going on, the small crafts were being strafed by German guns that had not been knocked out and were being blown up one after the other.’

Frank remembers seeing crewmen killed in the action near the shore, and suddenly, there was a loud explosion on the starboard bow. A shell had hit one of the anti-aircraft rockets and had blown a hole in the deck where the winch was housed. The ship then sustained two more hits. Three of the crew died in the attacks and two men were injured.

Damage to the ship also meant the four-and-a-half-ton concrete ramp could not be raised, significantly slowing the speed at which the landing craft was able to return to Portsmouth. Frank tried to summon help from other ships but without success. They eventually came across a hospital ship and signalled their request for a doctor to help with the injured.

As the day turned to night, slowly but surely the ship approached Portsmouth, where it was reunited with the hundreds of ships that were there to reload.

‘Suddenly there was the loud sound of horns and sirens, and all the ships hoisted our colours and welcomed us back with cheers,’ Frank says.

‘They thought we had been sunk! A tug came out and took us into a dry dock, and to our amazement, we were home for the night. I was very proud to think that I had been among the first to land on French soil in such a huge operation.’

In 2016, Frank’s actions were recognised when he and others from Tank Landing Craft 898 received the Chevalier de l’Ordre National de la Legion d’Honneur (the Legion of Honour – the highest decoration in France) for their services while under fire.

Frank turned 100 on 18 June and says that there is no secret to his longevity – it’s mostly just luck of the draw (and keeping active and enjoying life).

We are proud to share your story, Frank.

Various Resthaven sites hold Remembrance Day acknowledgements and services on 11 November.

On this day, Resthaven remembers the fallen and those who have served our country. We thank them for their service.