BackgroundJames Simmons enlisted in the United States Naval Reserve during World War II in Long Beach, Mississippi on June 30, 1942. From there, the young man traveled to train at the US Naval Amphibious Training Base in Solomons, Maryland. Simmons’ service number was 8435477 and held rank as a Petty Officer Second Class. His specialty within the Navy was Motor Machinist’s Mate Second Class, and he served along with his group, USS LCT-5 Flotilla 12.
Naval training |
As previously mentioned, James Simmons completed basic training at the US Naval Amphibious Training Base (NATB). The training curriculum consisted of placing the trainees on transport ships, sailing around for a few days, and then reporting to duty on their assigned ships to await further instruction. The base became stricter on their training technique as the years went by, but this was the general basis for the training in the World War II era.
Pictured above is the US Naval Amphibious Base in Solomons, Maryland.
D-day invasion
On June 6, 1944, troops stormed the beaches of Normandy. Simmons’ LCT (Landing Craft Tank) was number five, and there were drop offs along the coast. Unfortunately, there is no source detailing the whereabouts of the landing of the twelfth flotilla. However, the flotilla’s location is assumed to have landed on one of the five beaches of Normandy. This invasion was not only a major military success for the Allies, but it went down in history for being one of the largest amphibious military assaults in history. A major part of its success can be attributed to the intense planning leading up to the battle. After all, the allies prepared a deception in order to catch the German’s off-guard by leading them to the incorrect invasion location. Without the Battle of Normandy, the war may have lasted much longer in Europe.
Above is a D-Day LCT similar to one James Simmmons' would have been operating.