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JOHNSTONE, T. Canadian 6 Armoured Regt. 2 Armoured Brig.
Box 24, #33
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[inserted] NOTHING [end inserted] For Cornelius Ryan Book about D-Day
THOUSANDS OF MEN, ON LAND AND SEA AND IN THE AIR, PARTICIPATED IN THE INVASION OF NORMANDY BETWEEN MIDNIGHT JUNE 5, 1944 AND MIDNIGHT JUNE 6, 1944. IF YOU WERE ONE OF THEM, PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.
What is your full name? S A 192 WO 2 Johnstone T
What was your unit and division? 6 armoured regiment 2nd armoured brigade
Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time? courseulles sur mer approx. seven o'clock
What was your rank on June 6, 1944? sgt.
What was your age on June 6, 1944? 24
Were you married at that time? yes
What is your wife's name? violet
Did you have any children at that time? yes
What do you do now? instructor
When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? Approx. three months before D Day
What was the trip like during the crossing of the Channel? Do you remember, for example, any conversations you had or how you passed the time? The evening was calm and towards morning it got rough Busy working on our tank and equipment and trying to figure out what part of the coast we were going to land on.
What were the rumors on board the boat, ship or plane in which you made the crossing? (Some people remember scuttlebut to the effect that the Germans had poured gasoline on the water and planned to set it afire when the troops came in). The only rumors were the ones going about where we might be landing.
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for Cornelius Ryan 2 - Your name
Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? No
Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during landing or during the day? Yes
Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties: Not on D Day
Were you wounded? No
Do you remember what it was like--that is, do you remember whether you felt any pain or were so surprised that you felt nothing?
Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it may not have seemed funny at the time?
Yes, our co-driver was giving us a running com entary about the action on the beach .and describing it as if he was a radio announcer.
Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic or simply memorable, which struck you more than anything else?
As it was the first time these people had been in action, the way they went about their jobs and adapted themselves to the tasks they were alloted (blowing sea wall, filling in tank ditch, and clearing the mine fields into town) this to me will always be a heroic and memorable sight.
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- for Cornelius Ryan 3 - Your name
In times of great crisis, people generally show either great ingenuity or self-reliance; others do incredbily stupid things. Do you remember any examples of either from D-Day? On landings of this type men are trained to the upmost therefore I did not see any signs of stupid things being done as if there had have been this landing would not have been a success.
Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? On the English Channel aboard a landing craft tank.
Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? In a field somewhere between Courseulles sur mer and Caen
Do you know of anybody else who landed within the 24 hours of D-Day, June 6, as infantry, glider or airborne troops, or who took part in the air and sea operations, whom we should write to?
Contact personel of the 3rd division as they were landing during this period.
PLEASE LET US HAVE THIS QUESTIONNAIRE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, SO THAT WE CAN INCLUDE YOUR EXPERIENCES IN THE BOOK. WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE YOUR STORY ON SEPARATE SHEETS IF WE HAVE NOT LEFT SUFFICIENT ROOM. FULL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT WILL BE GIVEN IN A CHAPTER CALLED "WHERE ARE THEY NOW;" YOUR NAME AND VOCATION OR OCCUPATION WILL BE LISTED.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP.
W.A.Milroy Lt-Col Director of Public Relations (Army) Cartier Square Ottawa, Ontario