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[inserted]ACK 21/5/58
THE ASSAULT LANDINGS IN NORMANDY D DAY: MIDNIGHT JUNE 5 — MIDNIGHT JUNE 6
What is your full name ? George Charles Stunell What is your present address? 36 ELGAR ROAD SHOLING SO'TON Telephone number: NONE
What was your unit, division, corps? 1ST BN THE HAMPSHIRE REGT.
Where did you land and at what time? ARROMANCHES What was your rank and age on June 6, 1944? PRIVATE 28 YRS. Were you married at that time? YES What is your wife's name? RITA JOYCE Did you nave any children at that time? YES 1 DAUGHTER.
When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? WE WERE SENT HOME FROM MIDDLE EAST & ITALY IN NOV & DEC 1943 AFTER INVADING SICILY ETC. To do THIS LANDING. 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? Trip fairly Rough? already postponed 24 Hrs. Been loaded on invasion craft already [illegiable]-6 days. [illegiable] on the normal [illegiable] of day rations with tin soup that had the warming up material in the centre. Were there any rumours aboard ship? (Some people remember hearing that the Germans had poured gasoline on the water and planned to set it afire when the troops came in.) No Roumers, everyone eager to get there.
Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? NO.
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2. Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or during the day? YES Several drowned Several wounded.
Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties? No cannot receolect
Were you wounded? YES
How were you wounded? Burst of Fire
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? First it was Hot, then went numb & Stiff.
Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it may not have seemed amusing at the time? Or anything unexpected or out- of-place? No.
Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, that struck you more than anything else? Young French girl who volunteered to do nursing for all of our wounded lads.
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3.
In times of great crisis, people generally show either great ingenuity or self-reliances others do incredibly strange or stupid things. Do you remember any examples of either ? No
Do you know of anybody else who landed within the 24 hours ( midnight 5 June to midnight 6 June) either as infantry, glider or airborne troops, whom we should write to? P. HAINES. 177 BUTTS ROAD SHOLING SO'TON M. McCAARTHY. 73 BROADLANDS ROAD. SO'TON L BUCKINGHAM 36 FAIRLEY PARK RINGWOOD. SGT A HUNTER WINCHISTER CITY, POLICE. I will forward you a few more when I meet them & know their address. You may mention my name to them. What do you do now? Story on spare page.
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." Cornelius Ryan Joan O. Isaacs The Reader ’s Digest
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Approx 4 AM as we neared the coast our planes were bombing & the navy was shelling as a "softening up" process. Many of our navy crews were young & inexperienced, the landing craft drew about 3'6" of water & although each crew had sounding rods I think their one [crossed out][illegiable][end crossed out] ambition was to get unloaded & get away. I saw a number of pals have to go off in anything up to 6' to 7' of water, consequently what with kit & equipment & wireless sets etc, no need to know or ask the result -- DROWNED. We reached shore approx 6-7 oclock AM. Beach strewn with dead Frogmen who had been there all previous night doing Mine clearance.
I was BN D.R. with my Bike on a Bren Carrier. I cannot remember who the driver was but anyhow he was scared to drive ashore so naturely I drove it for him ups the beach & through the Wire until we reached a road that [crossed out][illegiable][end crossed out] run parralel with the beach - maybe 100 yds inland. After unloading my M/C our Carrier driver was more Confident & happy & away he went. My first job was to pump up Tyre before getting under way. There was a number of houses between the Road & beach & after going about 40 yds there was a sniper having a go at a Sherman Tant.? This tank fired a shell & knocked the house down next door -- back came a single shot. Shell two richocheyed 1/2 way between Tank & Sniper - back came a single shot. It took that Tank 3 Shells & a direct Hit before that Sniper was quietened. I thought that tank would make good cover for me by these houses. so I keeped on the near side of him for about 200 yds until a sharp Left Turn loomed in front. As I thought it was fairly quiet & did not want to be