Together with the family of Tim Maton I visited the Commonwealth Cemetery at Hermanville sur Mer. We went to remember Royal Marine G.A. Precious aged 19yrs who was killed on SWORD Beach on D-Day.

Tim’s father, Oswald Maton, was a Lieutenant in the Royal Marines. On D-Day he commanded Landing Craft 1216. His mission was to bring ashore troops of the East Yorkshire Battalion in the second wave landing at 07.45hrs. Oswald Maton battled with the high tide and swell, and struggled through the beach obstacles and mines before landing on Queen Red Sector of SWORD Beach. The landing craft broached and ran aground. The crew struggled for an hour to free her.

At 09.00hrs LCA 1216 hit a mine and began to sink, she hit a second mine and foundered. Oswald was wounded, and rescued. Marines Precious and Fox were killed.

Oswald Maton never forgot the young men under his command who did not survive. He visited Geoffrey’s grave on D-Day anniversaries.

Oswald has now died, but on this the 80th year since the D-Day landings, his family wished to carry on the tradition of visiting Geoffrey’s grave and make sure that this young man is not forgotten.