Landing craft propeller recovered from Omaha Beach

[twkundrat]

I bought this propeller a while back that was recovered off of the Dog Red sector of Omaha Beach. The seller thought it was from an LCVP but it isn't the correct size. It is the correct size to have belonged to a British LCA and they had twin props so it would make sense to have a left hand propeller also.

 

The seller I bought this from is a movie director who made a documentary for the American cemetery in Normandy. He told me he bought the prop from a Frenchman who worked at the cemetery who was a scuba diver also. I contacted the cemetery to see if I could get in touch with him. They verified that the guy who sold it to the seller had found the propeller where I was told but he was no longer working for the cemetery and his health was starting to fail. I was happy to verify the provenance of the item at least. The people at the cemetery also relayed to me that the man who found it said my propeller was likely a spare carried inside of a boat which makes sense for why it was found loose.

 

From the research I have done I haven't been able to come across any other small craft that would have been used in the invasion that used the same size propellers other than the LCA. At first I wasn't sure because the prop was made by Federal Mogul in Detroit and I thought the British LCA props might have been made in England. I wouldn't be at all surprised if some were American made though and I have found some literature from Federal Mogul talking about supplying propellers for our allies during the war.

 

I'm just curious if anyone might be able to share any other information to either verify or contradict my assumptions about this being from an LCA. It is pretty amazing to think that this could have been from one of the landing craft that carried the first wave of Rangers onto Omaha if that was the case.

 

Thanks in advance for any information 

[hink441]

Nice looking prop and from 1942!!

 

I don’t think it was a spare prop. Your prop has been damaged and likely wouldn’t be a spare. 
 

Chris
 

 

[danimal03]

Could it be off an amphibious Sherman tank? they had two propellers. Regardless this is a killer relic.  Congrats on owning a fine piece of history.

[twkundrat]

Yeah it definitely looks like it was used at some point. I just don't know how it wouldn't be still attached to a propeller shaft if it was in use on an LCA or whatever it was on when it sunk.

[twkundrat]

4 hours ago, danimal03 said:

Could it be off an amphibious Sherman tank? they had two propellers. Regardless this is a killer relic.  Congrats on owning a fine piece of history.

I don't think it was from a DD tank. From what I've read they had 28" propellers and mine is a 19". I have a book about the British LCA's and they specify that they had the same 19x14 propeller size as mine. I know there were all sorts of small craft off of the Normandy coast during the invasion but I haven't come across any others that used that specific 19x14 prop especially with dual engines and propellers.