D-Day Plus 20 years

In February 1963 I was a member of the Royal Marine Detachment on this ship, it was brand new from the makers yard and we were the first crew to have her.
That year we took her to Portsmouth for Navy Days then in August we were tasked to take former American President Dwight Eisenhower across the Channel.

Prior the becoming President he was of course General Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander of all forces on D-Day 70 years ago today. We were to take him across the Channel and steam back and forth off the D-Day beaches while he was describing the battle to the famous reporter Walker Cronkite for a film they were making called "D-Day plus 20" for CBS News, which was to be shown the following following year, on the 6th June 1964

Whilst on passage we had chances to seeing him up close and speaking to him and when we arrived at the beaches he and Cronkite and a camera crew took up position on the port side bridge wing, just above the ships pennant number, and as we sailed back and forward he described the battle. Those of us who were not on essential jobs were allowed to climb on to the roof of the bridge to hear what he was saying. At the end of the day we landed him in Dieppe

|A fascinating little experience to see and hear the man himself describing the battle.