Although the regiment trained hard in its new role for the Allied invasion of Normandy, (Operation Overlord), it was not until April 1944 that the first production Churchill AVREs arrived. When D Day arrived, 42nd Assault Rgt was not committed at first, and regimental HQ (RHQ) only landed at Juno Beach with 16, 222 and 617 Sqns on 17 August. 557 Assault Sqn remained at Parham, West Sussex and was expanded to become a training regiment supplying AVRE crews to the units in NW Europe; later it also took over the role of 'F Wing', 1 Assault Bde's experimental unit. For a week after the regiment's arrival in Normandy, the whole of 1st Assault Bde was concentrated at the River Orne for training on the new Class 50/60 tank raft.Doherty, pp. 97–98, 143.Edwards, p. 164.
