The inaugural COPP 2 was in October 1943 'spun off' to form the 712th Landing Craft Personnel (Survey) Flotilla. In that guise, they carried out hydrographic surveys off the Normandy invasion beaches, focusing on the sites for the Mulberry harbours.
This short bit of silent footage was taken off the coast of Normandy the day after D-Day, 7 June 1944. It shows one of their landing craft - originally a Landing Craft Personnel (Large) or LCP(L) - that has been converted to carry out hydrographic surveys.
This particular craft - LCP(SY) 177 - had in December 1943 been involved in Operation Bellpush Able and Operation Bellpush Baker. These were operations involving a number of the 712th's landing craft to carry out hydrographic surveys at the site of one of the Mulberry harbours.
However, one of the landing craft also took across COPP 6's Donald Amer and Peter Wild. The intention had been for Amer and Wild to launch a canoe so that they could carry out a beach reconnaissance while the 712th were carrying out their survey. However, conditions meant they were worried about being unable to regain the landing craft afterwards so the canoe wasn't launched.
www.coppsurvey.uk/december-1943/#bellpush
On 31 December 1943 COPP did land on one of the Normandy beaches during Operation KJH and it was two landing craft like this from the 712th that took the COPP team across the Channel. This operation gathered beach intelligence for what became the very eastern end of Gold Beach near Ver-sur-Mer.
Although the craft in this footage didn't take part in Operation KJH, on the far side of the bridge (without a cap) is Lieutenant Nisbet Glen, one of the 712th’s men who was involved.
www.coppsurvey.uk/december-1943/#kjh
Footage © IWM ADM 1234A
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