Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 007, folder 06: David E. Silva

SILVA, Rev. David E. D Day 29th Div Release 0 2 Released to PG Box 7, #6

Co. D 116th Dog Green Sunk landing craft clogged rifles wound story Finished

For Cornelius Ryan Akron LL Book about D-Day O-2

THOUSANDS OF MEN, OH 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 YfERE ONE OF THEM, PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS. "What is your full name? Rev. David E. Silva

What was your unit and division? 116th Infantry Regiment

Where did you arrive in 'Normandy, and at what time? At Vierville -sur- mere at H hour plus 20 minutes What was your rank on June 6, 1944? Private What was your age on June 6, 1944? 19 yrs Were you married at that time? No What is your wife!s name? Did you have any children at that time? What do you do now? I am a Catholic Priest doing parish work When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? About a month before the actual invasion Rumor had it long before this however

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 trip was uneventful but tense The men knew that this was the real thing, not just a dry run Conversation turned unrealistically to thoughts of beach-head + then retirement to England to train troops for combat

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). It was no rumor that if the enemy hot our ship after it had crossed into the danger zone that we would have to manage for ourselves as none of the invasion fleet would turn back to pick up survivors

- for Cornelius Ryan 2 - Your name David Silva 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 the landing or during the day? Yes Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties? No Were you wounded? Yes Do you remember what it was like- -that is, do you remember whether you felt any pain or were you so surprised that you felt nothing? I only remember being bit but experienced no pain

Do you remember seeing* or bearing anything that seems funny now, even though it did not, of course, seem amusing at the time? When the ramp on our landing craft went down we were dumped into chest deep water We became water logged + our heavy burden of ammunition + supplies became unbearable Many men dropped weapons + ammo into the ocean Except for our personal weapons such as rifles + pistols once we reached the beach most had nothing to use effectively as the enemy Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, you more than anything else? It was like being a sitting duck at a trap shoot Our own weapons failed to fire clogged as they were with sand + salt The only weapon that we could use was our bayonet I thank God I didnt have to resort to its use The enemy must have been as confused as we On D-Day I received direct fire from a German machine gun in a pill box from the

The bullet or bullets ripped across by back felt a sharp pain --then as some thing hot entering my right leg at the calf I was hit but not seriously + continued moving (crawling through the water) toward shore) I attained the safety of the sea wall + eventually by nightfall entered Vierville + helped set up a defensive position just outside the town When I finally inspected my sack I found that the enemy bullets had torn everything to pieces but myself My raincoat was a sieve; My C-ration can pierced my iron shovel creased , my ---canteen cover + cup damaged my legging torn to shreds + only a piece of shrapnel in my leg Incidentally I didnt know the shrapnel was in my leg until I was examined for shipment back home after the war I received the purple heart at that same time also

- for Cornelius Ryan 3 - Your name David Silva 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?

"Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? On board an American personal carrier some where in the English Channell "Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? Sitting in a defensive position just outside Vierville above the Normandy Do you know of anybody else who landed within those 24 hours(midnight June 5 to midnight June 6) as infantry, glider or airborne troops, or who took part in the air and sea operations, whom we should write to? LL Victor J Crimone 323 Virginia Ave Pittsburg , Penna

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 HOT LEFT SUFFICIENT ROOM, FULL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT WILL BE GIVEN IN A CHAPTER CALLED nWHERE THEY ARE NOW; YOUR NAME AND VOCATION OR OCCUPATION WILL BE LISTED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP, Cornelius Ryan 5/8/58 Frances Ward Research, The Reader's Digest