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1st KOSB WAR DIARIES

SUNDAY

09 January 1944

149 DAYS TO D-DAY

PREPARING FOR D-DAY

WD CHECKED ✓

LOCATION

Muir of Ord / Fortrose

SCOTLAND

WAR DIARY, 1st KOSB

At midday Coys. practised the move from the concentration area which will be carried out after landing.


Afternoon spent in rehearsing the splitting into craft loads.


The Bn. moved off finally at 1830hrs. in craft loads to march to the embarkation hards (hardstandings?) in FORT ROSE. Arrival at 2215hrs.


From Ross-Shire Journal "Kept secret at the time were a series of exercises designed to prepare troops for the D-Day landings in Normandy.

It had been found that the coastline, beaches and road structure from Nairn to Burghead were similar to those at Ouistreham in Normandy, sometimes also referred to as Sword beach.

The exercises involved driving tanks across the Black Isle to Fortrose where they were loaded onto amphibious craft moored to buoys on the Ness of Fortrose before sailing across the Moray Firth."

UNDER WAY

EXERCISE GRAB

Assault landing on the Moray coast · 9–11 Jan 1944

Courtesy of Google Maps 2026

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