D-Day 80 The Last Veterans: Ken Benbow

Ken Benbow, Age: 98, Royal Navy

Interviewed 21 February 2024

A crewman on board HMS Crane which had picked up troops at Chatham Dockyard, Mr Benbow found out they were to take part in D-Day while moored off the Isle of Wight. 

"We had been called in and put in Chatham dockyard because we were a Chatham rating but had never been there before.

"We went into the Thames and picked up troops, then the invasion was cancelled for 24 hours."

Crane was a heavily armed sloop with quick-firing guns called in to provide cover for the troops and search for U-Boats. 

Mr Benbow said: "It was dark when we left and light when we arrived. And we were firing our guns.

"We had six four inch guns and about ten ack ack guns, we were that well armed. Also we were patrolling.

"Often we didn’t know where we were.

"There were 7000 ships and we had roads, they called them roads and all the ships had to be in a certain road for ‘South’ and another road for them to come back to the UK. We saw ships sunk.

"We went over attached to the Mulberry Harbour. We had to go and fetch and work on the harbour because it had got damaged in the storms. Supplying parts. Bringing, fetching and helping with repairs.

"Mulberry, we didn’t know what it was but were then told all about it.

"We were right by the beaches and the harbour was attracting the enemy. We were under fire but didn’t do any damage to us. It went on for a couple of days.

"I was never worried, thank God. We had to be there for them, to make sure the troops got there."

They continued escorting troops back and forth from Portsmouth and taking part in anti-submarine operations in the Channel.

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