Volume Four - An Era of Change, Uncertainty, Depression & War - Activity at the dock during World War II . . .

One LST vessel of note was USS LST-157 a 1 Class Landing Ship laid down in June 1942 and launched by October the same year at the Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co., Evansville, IN. She was commissioned in February 1943 and saw action in the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater and participated in the invasion of Normany in June 1944. Later that year she was decommissioned and transferred to the Royal Navy as HM LST-157 and is recorded as being at the Penarth Pontoon Co. during Spring 1945.

After the war Captain Chapin wrote to Penarth Council to thank the people of Penarth for their support:

”Penarth was regarded by the Americans not only one of their best repair establishments, but also one of the very few places in the entire command where L.S.Ts (Landing Ship Tanks) could be taken alongside the dock for repair. The base was transferred in its entirety to the Mediterranean Theatre early in July 1944 and its loss from British waters was seriously felt and soon apparent.”

Clearly the dock, engineering works, slipway and pontoon played a significant role throughout WWII and contributed to “Operation Overlord” the D-Day landings. During the period 1939 to 1945, 9,845 vessels, 2,436,951 tons of coal plus 389,741 tons of general cargo were handled at the Penarth Dock and Ely Tidal Harbour.