Went to Tobruk from Toulon on one and returned during mid 60's run by merchant navy and a lot of chinese depending which engineer was on we got to swim in the bow section. Not if the scots engineer was on as he had the hump due he got nowhere with his ''see you jimmy '' as we were all either Scots Greys or Black Watch. No tanks just soft skins and armoured cars plus our 2 choppers. Also used in Aden but that was a short trip up the coast that was everything and Carriers big flag waving exercise

Mornin' John,
For floating out the LCTs!
This later version had a big ramp over the bow (no bow doors) and a floodable well deck for LCTs, LCPs and LCACs (known as 'LCacks'!).
A huge hole right through about 2/3s of the ship 😲
Was awesome to behold, once I'd stopped meself falling into it!
Tanks and trucks over the bow ramp, assault troops via LCPs and LCacks out of the blunt end!

We fitted VHF/UHF/HF COMMS and datalink systems.
When the Brazilian Navy carrier NaeL Minas Gerais, see pic (ex Colossus class HMS Vengeance) was finally scrapped the radios and digital intercom system we had fitted to her in the 90s was transferred to one of these Newport class LSTs.
2nd pic shows her in Rio de Janeiro harbour,Guanabara Bay, where I worked on her. Behind her are three Niteroi class frigates (Vosper MK10s) which we also fitted with HF/VHF/UHF COMMS and Digital intercom. Good times!😉 3rd pic shows her sad end on a scrapping beach in india, the last of the WW2 RN Colossus class😭
Abraços, Doug 😎

Good morning Doug. Forgot to say that in the photo of 368 unloading at Anzio, my father is the taller of the two figures with white cap covers standing on the ramp. This photo was the front cover of a magazine, I think it was called Defence published in 1944?
Cheers, Nerys

Hi Nerys, I think that was only scratching the surface.
I found that lot in about 10 to 15 minutes.
But then I've been used to trawling the WWW for specific info for as long as it's been possible. Gave me the 'Edge' I needed in my job.
Don't want these skills to rust in retirement, and I never could resist a challenge anyway. 😉
Plus I was moved by your story and found it worth following up.
If I can help again please let me know.

Know just what you mean about too many projects 🤔
My Danish fish cutter restoration and conversion from static to RC has got bogged down until I solve the problem of getting the drive right down next to the keel, my PTB restoration and conversion to Kennedy's PT109 is shelved for the duration, re-shafting / re-propping Graf Spee and HMS Belfast, upgrading my Southampton tug are gathering dust🤔
Materials gathered for 1/350 Plastic Magic conversions of KGV (thanks Colin) and PoW battleships, HMS Hood, HMS Ark Royal, T45 Daring class (witnessed the building of the lead ship! Stitching the modules together was fascinating😊), USS Enterprise CVN65, RMS Titanic, etc etc!!! kits for a 1/96 HMS Manxman and a 1/100 Akula 2 submarine are lurking in the cellar as well.
Not to mention the 1/24 De Havilland Mosquito as a memorial to my Dad.

Whichever ship you decide to do for your Pa if I can help in any way I'd be very happy to. Maybe you can decipher from his personal records which ship was closest to his sailor's heart!?
I'd love and be honoured to be able to see some of your Dad's drawings and cartoons.
Bon chance with your current projects, All the best, Doug 😎

Thanks very much Doug for that wealth of information which I hadn't found. I never knew there was so much information available and am extremely grateful to you for bringing it to my attention. I will also pass it on to my sister who has all his personal records, published writings, drawings and cartoons etc. As a matter of interest, there is a drawing of LST 368 on a beach somewhere, by my father, in the D Day museum in Southsea. An LST is on my list of future builds, but at the moment I have a Dutch coaster, a Thames barge and the restoration of a pond yacht on the stocks. I feel I owe it to my father to build an LST, but equally should I also build one of his previous commands?, a tramp Ship, S.S. Ashbury or the last ship on which he served?, the training ship Arethusa, perhaps in her original guise as the four masted barque 'Peking'
Fair winds, Nerys.

Hi Doug What was the Well deck on a LST for?👍

Hi again Nerys,
Attached a list of Commanders of LST 368 and a link to a site looking for more info on them.
https://uboat.net/allies/commanders/9336.html
Your chance to make your Dad immortal!? 😉
Your choice of course,
Best regards, Doug 😎

Good evening Nerys,
Take a shufti here, there's 'undreds!!! 😉
https://www.google.com/search?q=LST+plans&client=firefox-b&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=VilY5a4R3ax8cM%253A%252CIsDc3rWPhx_NjM%252C_&usg=AI4_-kRAX7XSZiE4c0sAoZChjECmqj9XEw&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjK4-TDs7HeAhVJzqQKHdEtBpgQ9QEwA3oECAIQCg#imgrc=VilY5a4R3ax8cM:
Great motivation👍 Looking forward to your build blog.
All the best, Doug 😎
PS; in the nineties I worked on a COMMS system upgrade on one of these Newport class LSTs sold to the Brazilian Navy.
Great fun, I came out of a gangway from the COMMS Office a bit too quick and damn nearly fell into the well deck. A huge 'swimming pool in the middle of the ship 😲
Follow up re LST 368 😉
https://www.navsource.org/archives/10/16/160368.htm
Pic 1; Newport class
Pic 2; your Dad's ship at Normandy,
Pic 4; Loading for Anzio,
Pic 3; Unloading at Anzio.
Photo loading on the site is messing me about!😡