"Big Men In a Little
Ship"
Stanley Galik, Ships Cook 2nd Class (SC2) served on the LCI (L) 229, with the
Flotilla Two Staff (Pool), and aboard the LCI (L) 35 during WW II.
Dad crossed the Atlantic with the USS LCI (L) 229 arriving in Tenes,
Algeria as part of Flotilla One Group 3 of Task Force 60 (Task Unit
60.2.4) in the 3rd Landing Craft Convoy. He was reassigned to the Flotilla
Two Staff Pool immediately after arriving in North Africa.
Dad came aboard the LCI (L) 35 on August 17, 1943 and remained until
the ship's decommissioning on Wednesday November 15, 1944.
About This Section
Note: Most of the photos
and other visual materials included in this site begin in July, 1943.
The following story chronicles the journey of the USS LCI (L) 35 during
World War II beginning with the crew coming aboard on January 25,
1943 and ending with the ship's decommissioning on November 15, 1944.
The story begins in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and ends in Sheerness,
England. In between, the LCI 35 sailings from Virginia to North Africa
and its subsequent participation in the invasions of
Sicily, Salerno,
Anzio, and Normandy
will be highlighted with photos, action reports and other related
information.
The information used to tell this story was obtained from Dad's scrapbooks,
the National Archives, other research, and personal conversations
with surviving shipmates. Other US or British LCIs,
LST, LCTs, and other ships that were noted in the LCI 35 Deck
Log, in the War Notes and War Diaries of the Flotilla and Group
Commanders are included to assist visitors to the site with any research
they may want to undertake.
There are separate links to information About
the Landing Craft Infantry (Large) and the
LCI 35 Officers and Crew including photos and other related information.
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