RIP Gaetano R. Benza | 1925-2016
279th Port Company
505th/519th Port Battalion
Gaetano R. Benza’s account of his experience in the Battle of Normandy:
“Attracted to aviation from the age of 14, I trained to become a mechanic. At the time, military aviation belonged to the Army Air Corps. At the age of 18, in 1943, I was called up for my military service. Instead of joining the Army Air Corps, I joined the ranks of the French Army, and it was a bit of a disappointment. I subsequently joined the 279th Port Company, itself belonging to the 505th Port Battalion but temporarily attached to the 519th Port Battalion (until November 1944, editor’s note).
In October 1943, I arrived in South Wales, Great Britain, in preparation for the opening of a second front in Europe. It was then that we learned what would be our role during the launch of this operation was to participate in the unloading of transport ships from DUKW amphibious trucks. At that time, we were particularly concerned about enemy aircraft that could machine-gun us during such a maneuver. Training then began.
At the launch of Operation Overlord in Normandy, we transited through Plymouth and then began the Channel crossing. The swell was impressive, and many soldiers suffered from seasickness. In the early morning of June 6, 1944, we witnessed the bombardment of the beaches: we were off the Normandy coast, halfway between Omaha Beach and Utah Beach.
On June 7, the 279th Port Company began its unloading operations at Omaha Beach. German shells, fired from still-active batteries, continued to rain down on the beach. For protection, we dug holes in the sand for a day or two. We emerged from these trenches to carry out landing operations. supplies: medical supplies, food, ammunition… everything needed to wage this war. The German bombardments intensified in the evening and continued for two weeks: we had protected our trenches with wooden planks that stopped the shell fragments. With the blast of the explosions, we had to regularly put them back in place.”
Back to the 2016 Remembrance wall menu