Volume Twelve - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - further aspects - A History of Penarth Dock by Roy Thorne . . .

The dock was rendered useless for the "Tirpitz” and was not repaired until 1952, but there was a loss of many brave men of the force of 256 all ranks. Five won the Victoria Cross ; Commander Ryder, Lt. Commander S. H. Beattie and Lt. Col. Newman who survived, and two V.C's were awarded posthumously, one to Able Seaman William Savage and the other to Sergeant Durrant.

The force lost 169 men killed, and many were taken prisoner. Bill Pritchard did not return to see the cliffs at Penarth.

In 1942 most of the exports form the dock went to supply the North Africa Campaign.

The Royal Engineers set up a training base here in 1942 for dock operating units. Men were trained to operate damaged docks when invasions were to take place and improvisations would have to be made. They were trained to work under difficult conditions and to make docks quickly operational.

The training equipment on the south quay had derricks and winches and a large cargo vessel with four adjacent lighters. Men were trained in the loading and unloading of cargoes between the ship and the lighters. 5,000 men went through the course.

In 1943 exports of war supplies continued. Part of the many deceptions used in war time was practiced here when dummy cargoes were loaded into large vessels as decoys for enemy aircraft on photographic reconnaissance.

Then a United States Navy Base was established at Penarth Dock on 26th October 1943 and commissioned on 13th January 1944 under the command of Amphibious Bases, United Kingdom, 11th Amphibious Forces. The officer commanding the Americans was Capt. A. Winfield Chapin. His war service included command of the U.S. Naval Base at Port Everglades, Florida, where his ships performed minesweeping, escort, convoy and patrol duties in 1942 - 43.

In August 1943 he was ordered to the United States Navy's Advanced Amphibious Base, Milford Haven as Executive Officer until February when he became Commanding Officer of the U.S. Naval Advanced Amphibious Base, Penarth.