The British warship HMS Belfast played a crucial role in the Allied landings in Normandy in June 1944, and almost had to carry Winston Churchill on D-Day. On the evening of June 5, 1944, the crew of the HMS Belfast gathered in their lounges on the crew deck to hear Captain Frederick Parham address them over the loudspeaker. Within two days, the British warship had sailed from the Orkney Islands in the north of Scotland to Portsmouth on the English Channel. Speculation among the marines suggested that the landing in Nazi-occupied France could be imminent. But the exact plans and timing were top secret.
Due to bad weather, D-Day had to be postponed, but Captain Parham later announced that the ship was setting off to liberate Western Europe. Further announcements from the admiral and chaplain ensued, leading to a moment of silence on the crew deck. Marine Bob Shrimpton lightened the mood by suggesting they have a cup of tea. 80 years later, Shrimpton and all the marines who served on the HMS Belfast in June 1944 have passed away, but their memories are captured in audio recordings.
The HMS Belfast is now a popular tourist attraction anchored on the south bank of the Thames in London. It is the only British warship involved in D-Day that can still be visited. As the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings approaches, the ship will play a symbolic role in the commemorations. Countless documentaries and newspaper supplements still emphasize the importance of D-Day in British national consciousness. Oral history projects, like the one focused on the HMS Belfast, will be crucial in preserving the memories of war veterans for future generations.
In 1944, HMS Belfast housed around 850 people, requiring an infrastructure similar to that of a village. The crew did not get much sleep on the night of June 6, 1944, as Captain Parham maneuvered the ship in moonlight past other vessels. The HMS Belfast played a significant role on D-Day by bombarding German bunkers and gun batteries to pave the way for British and Canadian troops to land. Equipped with twelve 152-millimeter cannons, the ship played a critical role in the operation off the central coastal areas of France.
On board, British Admiral Bertram Ramsay commanded the Allied naval forces, who were initially hesitant to have Winston Churchill join them on the HMS Belfast. Eventually, a letter from King George VI convinced Churchill to stay on land. The HMS Belfast was never hit directly during the operation, although it treated injured soldiers from other vessels in its hospital. The ship played a central role in the Allied effort to liberate Western Europe and played a significant part in the events of D-Day.