Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 008, folder 46: Jack Tallerday

TALLERDAY, Jack 82 A.B. NC 12 D-DAY BOOK OK Release BOX 8, #46

Release to PG

505

He and his men passed group of Germans right after landing. Each knew other group was enemy - but neither group fired

Dutch [?helmet?] in his outfit

( USA Elm MAAG, Box 7 Navy 150 FPO, S . F. ) FPO, San Francisco

NC 13 Excerpt

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? Jack Tallerday

What was your unit and division? 505th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82 Airborne Division

Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time? Ste Mere Eglise - Approximately 0030, 6 June

What was your rank on June 6, 1944? 1st Lieutenant

What was your age on June 6, 1944? 24

Were you married at that time? No

What is your wife's name? Becky

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

What do you do now? I am a Lt Colonel in the Army stationed in South Vietnam, formerly French Indochina

When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? Several months before the invasion

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 by plane was somewhat uneventful until we hit the coast of France. Most of my men were veterans of our Airborne Assaults in Sicily and Italy. One is always excited or a bit nervous when going into combat, this was no exception, we were well aware of the danger and risk we were taking. A few remarks were passed by the men as to what they would do on our return to England or if we should go on to Paris. Most of the men were silent, thinking about their past experiences, home and perhaps praying they would come through this action safely as our task was not easy.

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). My men had been thoroughly trained and briefed on our mission. Each of the men knew what he was to do and also what his buddie, squad, platoon or company was to accomplish. We had intelligent reports and rumors to the effect that the Germans had erected poles in the open fields with wire strung between them and grenades and explosives attached thereto. Also of other anti-Airborne obstacles to prevent our landing. We were mentally prepared and felt confident, even though we were outnumbered, that we could whip and out fight any of their units. We had met this challenge successfully before. Most of us knew the area we were to land in as well as we knew our home town or countryside. What little scuttlebut we heard was one man’s imagination designed to frighten a few of the replacements, who had not heard a shot fired in anger before.

- for Cornelius Ryan 2 - Your name Jack Tallerday

Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? Diaries were and still are prohibited in combat. One really doesn't need a diary to remember a special event like D-day. A few small details may be forgotten but the general course of events can be recalled.

Were any or your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or during the day ? Yes. Several of my men were killed and wounded. Also a few officers in the Battalion. The first night of June 5-6 was a hit rough but was not the worse day of this campaign.

Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties? Yes. One veteran Sgt. He was mad at himself for not shooting a German instead of trying to take him prisoner as the German shot him. His mind was still concerned about his men and what they should do to kill the German that shot him. He made no mention of home, as most do. He thought he was only slightly wounded. His last remark was "Let me rest, I'll join you later".

Were you wounded ? Yes

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? See attached sheet

Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it may not have seemed funny at the time? See attached sheet

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic or simply memorable, which struck you more than anything else? Just before daybreak on 6 June the gliders started arriving carrying our jeeps, ammunition, light artillery pieces and other equipment. The weather was damp with at slight ground haze. The fields in which the gliders were to land were small and most of them surrounded by hedgerows, previously described. The first elements of these gliders, in coming in for their landing missed judged the size of the fields or were unable to stop the gliders and they hit the hedgerows head-on. If the hedgerows had been just small trees without the mound of earth at the base, the damage and causalities would have been minor. As a result of the sudden stop, equipment in the rear of the glider was torn loose and pinned the crew members in the nose of the glider. The sound of this crash can be described by taking a small wooden box of matches and crushing it in your hand. The sound of splintering wood and the broken or twisted box resembles the apearance of the gliders after impact. The moans of the dieing and injured men, lack of sufficient first aid men and the fact the gliders were being attacked by the Germans as they landed makes this incident one that is hard to forget. Looking back on that first 24 hours one is thankful that he is alive and able to tell about this action 14 years later.

- for Cornelius Ryan 3 - Your name Jack Tallerday

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? There were no doubt examples of all the above but none that stand out in my mind in this action as compared to other battles in which I participated.

Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? Flying from England to France. To the best of my knowledge I had just crossed the coastline of France headed inland at midnight on June 5th.

Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? Fighting down one of the hedgerows with the mission of capturing securing a small bridge and farm house near Ste Mere Eglise.

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? Mr. Gerald Johnson Cincinnati, Ohio

Col William E. Ekman Fort Benning, Georgia

Mr. Gus L. Sanders Springdale, Arkansas

Lt Col Charles Patterson Hq 5th Army Chicago, Ill.

Major Michel A Chester (Believed to be stationed in Panama)

Col T. W. Long 101st Airborne Division Fort Campbell, Ky.

Lt Col Robert M. Piper (Address unknown)

Lt Col William E. Harris (Address unknown)

Col Walter F. Winton 3rd Army Headquarters Fort Mc Pherson, Ga.

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.

Cornelius Ryan

Frances Ward Research, The Reader's Digest

ATTACHED SHEET

Do you remember what is was like--that is, do you remember whether you felt any pain or were so surprised that you felt nothing? I was wounded in the leg. I felt no pain, but all of a sudden I couldn't walk and I noticed my pant leg was stained with blood. It still didn't hurt but it did feel sort of hot. Having been wounded 4 times, it has been my experience, that unless a nerve, bone or a vital part has been hit, a flesh wound is more of a surprise than pain at first. This is especially true in the heat of battle when you are shooting at some one and he is shooting at you.

Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it may not have seemed funny at the time? Shortly after landing I was joined by six or seven or my men and we proceeded down a hedgerow. It was a partial moonlight night and the hedgerow was about 10 feet high, thin foliage with a bank of dirt at the base about 3 feet high. After going a short distance we heard, as well as observed, a group of men approaching from the opposite direction but on the other side of the hedgerow. We stopped and I pinched my "cricket", a cricket is a toy sometimes found in boxes of cracker jack, we used this to indicate our presence to other men in our unit. After I pinched my "cricket" the second time, we heard what we thought to be a reply as the sound was simular. As our two groups of men approached each other, at a distance of about 5 yards, it was quite evident by the configuration of their steel helmets that we were enemies. I believe the Germans realized this too. However, both of us being surprised as well as frightned continued to walk forward. As we passed, neither group spoke, and till this day why neither of our groups didn't shoot or kill the others I don't know. It was like two ships silently passing in the night. We later discovered that the noise of operating the bolt on a German rifle sounds like the noise made by pinching the "cricket". The Germans no doubt assumed we were Germans, however, we Americans had just landed in the midst of their troop area. You can be sure that we were more cautious during the next 4 hours of darkness that night, to the extent that we got into several small fire fights. We shot first and asked questions later.