On D-Day John Shine was the 21 year old stoker of LCT1123, a 57th Flotilla Royal Navy tank landing craft which carried American troops to Omaha Beach. In the first few hours of the landings... the water’s edge became very congested with so many craft under fire while their skippers did their best to land at the sectors and times in their orders. LCT1123’s ramp was eventually lowered at Fox Red sector of Omaha Beach for the US soldiers on board to disembark with their vehicles. Meanwhile its underside had become jammed on a previously unnoticed submerged obstruction which made it possible to reverse back from the beach. John and his shipmates were subjected to more than two hours of German machine gun fire, and it was only when the tide started to come in that LCT1123 could rise far enough to pull free of the obstruction and leave Omaha beach. In recognition of his contribution to the liberation of France, John Shine was awarded France’s Légion d’honneur in July 2015.