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14th June Time 03.34am
Another raid occured, not very effective though. Forenoon - enemy tried shelling Nelson. Presumably mobile batteries. Nelson replied. No further fire. Carried out bombardment of enemy strongpoint N.W. of Caen. Forward Observation Officer reported 6 direct hits out of 14. The other eight all within 100yards. Range 11 miles. Some shooting!! Highly commended by shore observer. 17.15 Opened fire on shore battery and then in support of 6th Airborne Division again. 29 shells fired completing X and y turrets ammunition. 21.15 Watch 5 large transport planes go over the 6th Airborne Division and land 100 paratroops 23.00 More raids. None menat for us though several planes passed overhead.

June 15th
An L.S.T. of the U.S.N. just passed by with a large hole in her starboard bow just on the water line. She seems quite seaworthy. I hear we have 98 shells left! When these are done we shall have fired 1000. Afternoon - moved to our original bombardment position and engaged original battery which has brought up new mobile guns. Two direct hits. Two very near misses. 15 within 100 yards. As we moved away 1730 approx, another enemy battery engaged us. Their shells fell very close and we were splattered with fragments of 4.7shells. One signalman received a hit in the leg. He's ok though. We were all cleaning the decks- with our guts! (me anyway.) Went full speed astern quickly and were thankful to be out of range. 32 shells fell very close to Ramillies. Good gunnery. Good Lord! 22.30 Air raid on shore installations and beaches. No attempt to attack ships. One plane caught in S/L's and tons of flack put up. Results not visible.

16th June. Time 03.30am
Air raids again. Not meant for us. 13.30 H.M. The King arrived in H.M.S. Scylla. Carried out bombardment intermittently. 18.30 Still bombarding. Must be near the end of our ammo now. 23.00 Great event. Mail arrived and were we thankful. 23.45 Usual air raid. None looking for us.

17th June
Nothing until 13.30 when we commenced bombardment with 30 H.E. on the mobile battery and Fire Direction installations which were such a trouble the other day. Aircraft reported very good shooting indeed. Two direct hits on casemates. 8 within 50 yards. 15 within 100 yards. This target was the most difficult to engage. It was likened to throwing a ring at a watch which is guarded by a stick. You see these on fairgrounds. Everytime you are on the target you hit the stick!

18th June
Left for Portsmouth, our job reportedly very well done. Altogether 37 different targets bombarded and 1002 - 15" "bricks" fired.

Just a small part in a big do!!

This is the diary of one man's observations as he took part in the D-Day landings in 1944. He was my father, Mr. Edward Francis Wightman serving as a Royal Navy Seaman/Gunner on board H.M.S. Ramillies.

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