The story
0030 - Everyone aboard ship was awakened.
0100 - Breakfast was served to all personnel.
0200 - Men and equipment made ready for the operation.
0230 - Debarkation from the Princess Maud into LCM's began.
0610 - Debarkation completed.
0633 - Eight assault teams of the 299th Engineer Combat Battalion landed on Omaha Beach (Easy Red, Fox Green, Fox Red) with the mission of clearing eight 50-yard gaps in the underwater obstacles. (The 299th Engineer Combat Battalion was the only Engineer unit to land on both beaches D-Day. Companies A and C and Headquarters and Service Company on Omaha and Company B on Utah Beach. Some of our men actually landed before any other American troops had set foot on the beach.)
0715 - Support boats landed. However, the Infantry was pinned down and unable to pass the dune line. By this time, the 299th Engineer Combat Battalion had blown five of the eight gaps. The beach was under heavy, deadly mortar and artillery fire.
0900 - Two missing assault teams of the organization were located.
1000 - The Infantry eliminated the beach defenses and cleared the beach.
Photo: One of eight Bulldozers that all made it onto Omaha Beach. Men of the 299th Combat Engineers were building a new road out of Omaha Beach, Normandy, France. June 7, 1944, D-Day + 1
There's more to discover
You have arrived at just one small part of Back to Normandy — a personal project dedicated to preserving stories, images, music and memories of the Second World War.
Every record is a doorway to a larger story. Explore Back to Normandy to discover more, or visit Fred Vogels' personal website to learn about the person and the projects behind it.