- Wally Bruton : some memories -

 

H187 was a converted LCI (landing craft - infantry) and the LCH (Headquarters) ship during Infatuate. It was used to direct operations because it had a radar system.

 

 

Wally Bruton was on the H187, a "Headquarters" ship, where the commander of the landing forces was stationed. It had a big radar dome. During "Infatuate" he was on the LCH-187. It sailed from Ostende the night before and arrived at dawn. (The whole town of Ostende had been destroyed.) He was at the Westkapelle landings, the ship was about 200 yards from the beach and under constant fire .. He never thought he would get out of there alive: they had terrible losses of men and equipment. One memory is of shells from Warspite destroying some kind of tower that had been firing on the landing craft. He also remembers a huge explosion when a "rocket" ship exploded - it just "vanished" in a sheet of flame while he was watching it through binoculars ..