Beachmasters at Normandy on D-Day?

Question

Could someone please clarify for me what the job of a beachmaster was on the beaches at Normandy during the D-Day Invasion?

I have a pretty firm grasp on what other people were doing, be it piloting the landing crafts or using Bangalore mines to blow sections of wire or hauling around the flamethrowers, but I cannot seem to find a description of a beachmaster's duties.

They are referred to frequently in the book I am currently reading, and in other books I have read about the invasion, but I cannot find information on exactly what they were doing that day.

Any explanation or clarification you can give me will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your consideration of my question.

(Just so you know, this is not homework or related to any kind of assignment. It is an effort to expand my understanding of what I am currently reading.)

Answer 1

Like traffic cops, they had to keep the traffic rolling on their part of the landing zone. They landed early to keep order. They "marshalled" the landing troops off the beach via established demined "lanes" indicated by tape.

If you ever saw "The Longest Day", that Royal Marine on Juno Beach with his buldog, shouting "The war's over there!", who "repaired" the armored vehicle by hitting it with his swagger stick, was Beachmaster Colin Maude (played by Kenneth More).

"Junior officers were beachmasters and assistant beachmasters. Much like the captain of a ship, during a landing a beachmaster had the final word on operations and outranked any officer who crossed his beach."

"Royal Navy Commandos in World War II" : http://www.historynet.com/magazines/world_war_2/3033561.html

" "Beach Masters own the beach," explained Constructionman Justin Jardenaux. "We are the experts, and we run the show from the three fathom mark to the high-water mark." "

"'United We Land' - Beachmasters Own the Beach" : http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_pnav/is_200302/ai_3411170115

Answer 2

Joe D is correct - - - a man with a highly proficient brain who could ignore the chaos and toss commands with crisp precision.

Here is a Canadian Website that explains things in crisp terms.
http://www.rafbeachunits.info/html/beach_organisation.html
"""Beach Organisation for the Invasion of Normandy, 1944

To control and facilitate the landing, assembly and onward dispatch of personnel, stores and equipment across the invasion beaches, the British and Canadian sectors were organised into three Beach Sub Areas. 101 Beach Sub Area covered the SWORD assault area, 102 Beach Sub Area covered the JUNO area and 104 Beach Sub Area covered the GOLD area.

These Beach Sub Area organisations were responsible for setting up Beach Maintenance Areas in which there were dumps to hold the petrol, ammunition, rations etc. that were being landed, and assembly areas for the arriving personnel and their vehicles. Also to be organised was traffic in the opposite direction, i.e. the removal to the U.K. of casualties, prisoners of war and salvaged equipment.

To achieve all this, a large organisation was required composed of specialists from all three of the armed services. The units selected for this work, apart from their own technical training, all received Combined Operations training and practised alongside each other in the months preceding the invasion.

Each Beach Sub Area organisation was composed of Royal Navy Beach Commando units, Army Beach Groups, an R.A.F. Beach Squadron and an R.A.F. Beach Balloon Squadron. These units were under the overall command of an Army Colonel supported by a Beach Sub Area Headquarters.

The Royal Navy Beach Commandos controlled the arrival and departure of vessels that were landing their cargoes on the beaches. In each R.N. Beach Commando was a Principal Beachmaster (P.B.M.), an Assistant Principal Beachmaster and two or three beach parties each consisting of a Beachmaster, two Assistant Beachmasters and about 20 seamen""

Peace

Answer 3

The beachmasters were responsible for directing traffic on the beach. After the initial invasion was finished and a beachhead was established there was a lot of traffic coming onto the beach. To ensure that the beaches didn't get clogged with people and equipment the beachmastes were given lists of where everything and everyone was supposed to go to quickly move them off the beach

Answer 4

Each of the Five invasion beaches was divided into sectors ,starting with the west end of Utah with A and running through the alphabet to the last sector on Sword beach at the Eastern end of the invasion beaches.
Each of these alphabetical sectors were further divided into sub sectors by colour.
So Dog Green was a part of Omaha beach and Jig White was a part of Gold beach.
This was so the boats coming in could be easilydirected to where they should be in the heat of battle.
This was the job of the beachmaster and he was also responsible for getting equipment and men off the beach and into action so there would be no hold up with further boats coming in.

Answer 5

Traffic cops. They made sure that things got landed and moved across the beach to the right place as efficiently as possible.