Box 024, folder 57: Charles Wesley McLean

McLEAN, Charles W.

Canadian 3rd Can. Div.

Box 24, #57

Can. Army Excerpt RCA

EXCERPT from attached material

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 THEM, PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

What is your full name? Charles Wesley McLean

What was your unit and division? 17th Hussars 3rd Cdn Div

Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time? Bernier. Sur-Mer. June 6- D.Day. H. hour + 40 mins

What was your rank on June 6, 1944? Major

What was your age on June 6, 1944? 27 yrs-

Were you married at that time? no

What is your wife's name? N/A

Did you have any children at that time? N/A

What do you do now? General Sales ManagerDomie Ltd- (Dom Textile Co) Montreal

When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? January 1944

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? See week end copy

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).

- for Cornelius Ryan 2-

Your name Charles W. MacLEAN

Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? see Report. appx A.

Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during landing or during the day? There were 5 Lieutants with me 2 wounded 1 killed

Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties: No.

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? N/A

Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it may not have seemed funny at/the time? see att week-end Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic or simply memorable, which struck you more than anything else?

- for Cornelius Ryan 3-

Your name Charles W. MACLEAN

In times of great crisis, people generally show either great ingenuity or self-reliance; others do incredibly stupid things. Do you remember any examples of either from D-Day?

Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? On board HMCS Prince David at Southhampton

Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? At 3rd Div H.Q. 5 miles in from Bernier-Sur-Mer

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? see names contained in appx. "A"

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 THEY ARE 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

"D" DAY WITH THE BEACH EXIT REC'CE PARTIES

In the History writing of the 17th Duke of York's Royal Canadian Hussars in World War II it would seem very incomplete without this episode as its opening chapter. The story of the ten officers and two other ranks which formed the Beach Rec'ee and traffic control of the Third Canadian Division.

This group was divided into two and attached to two British Beach Groups for training two months before D-Day.

Major C.W. MacLean Lieut K.C. Rowe Lieut O. McKenna Lieut R. Thomson Lieut L. Clarke Tpr R.L. Sarvis

with the Fifth Royal Berkshire Regiment.

Major W.C. Bowen Lieut L.K. Crabtree Lieut T. Brunstrom Lieut N.R. Johnson Lieut H. Banks Tpr R. Wilcox

with Eight Battalion (Irish) King's Own Rifles.

If I were to write this from a personnel point of view and describe the various incidents with few exceptions it would be much the same for each officer who landed on various sectors of the Beach on D-Day.

At about midnight, June 5 1944 the massive assault force weighed anchor and set sail from Southampton when we were all given our maps covering the Beach Area of France between St Aubin sur Mer and Courcelles. The journey across the channel turned out to be very quiet and without incident. Each officer was on a separate ship to land at various points throughout the beach sector. Two Officers from each group to land at H + 20 minutes and the remaining three at H + 45 minutes. H hour set at 0745 hrs June 6 1944.

At 0600 hrs the sea was extremely rough while all the large L.S.I's laid at anchor 10 miles off the French Coast with their small Assault Craft ready to be launched on the signal to start.

At 0630 hrs we were lowered to the sea and started the very rough journey towards land, mixed in with all types of other landing craft. The assaulting Troops were about twenty minutes late due to the rough sea, consequently the second wave were right on their heals.

In the water ahead of us lay thousands of underwater obstacles with teller mines and various types of shells which exploded on contact. Lieut Rowe and Lieut McKenna landed with the Assaulting Troops at St Aubin sur Mer, Major Bowen, Lieut Johnson and Lieut Banks in the second wave a few hundred yards west of Courcelles. Major MacLean Lieut Thomson and Lieut Clarke also in second wave at Berniers sur Mer.

It was the most impressive sight approaching the beaches as the fight was in full swing and later we found the pill boxes still firing at the craft which were hung up on element "C". We all wondered why they didn't lower the ramp and let us cut, but the answer soon came when the craft hit the mines and blew apart and we all dashed through water up to our shoulders to the sea wall.

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