Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 020, folder 08: Arthur Barton Cheesman

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THE ASSAULT LANDINGS IN NORMANDY D DAY: MIDNIGHT JUNE 5 —MIDNIGHT JUNE 6

What is your full name? ARTHUR BARTON CHEESMAN

What is your present address? 27C HAVELOCK ROAD, HASTINGS, SUSSEX.

Telephone number: -

What was your unit, division, corps? 310th Support Squadron Eastern Flank (L.C.S(L) 254)

Where did you land and at what time? Close support of first wave of troops in Juno area off Courseulles at 4:30 a.m.

What was your rank and age on June 6, 1944? Sub-Lieutenant RN.V.R 27 yrs.

Were you married at that time? YES.

What is your wife's name? Marion Alice.

Did you have any children at that time? YES. One.

When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? A fortnight before June 6th

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? Very easy trip. Sea moderate. Much of the conversation was whether the opposition would be big or small. All my time passed [?conning?] the ship.

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.) I heard of no rumours aboard my ship.

Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? Not a personal one. The ships log was written up, but I have not got it in my possession.

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Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or during the day? NO.

Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties? -

Were you wounded? NO.

How were you wounded? -

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? -

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 outof-place? We were surprised that the Germans had fixed traverse machine guns on the beach, & were also surprised at the lack of any serious opposition on the beach head. Whilst taking on board of Canadian headquarters staff from [?either?] H.M.C.S. 'Sioux' or 'Algonquin' my ship bumped against her transom slightly bending my [illegible] gun. This happened after the initial assault at about 10 AM. It was not funny at the time but we laughed about it afterwards.

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, that struck you more than anything else? A company of the Winniped Rifles whilst landing from an L.C.I(s). where practically wiped out by machine gun fire whilst they were walking down the ramp onto the beach. Out of about 93 men only about 27 reached the beach alive.

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

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?

What do you do now? I am a Manager of a Ragstone Quarry in Kent.

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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27' Havelock Rd Hastings Sussex 19/5/58 Ack 21/5/58 Dear Miss Isaacs, Herewith questionnaire completed as far as I can As you can see I was in the R.N.V.R. commanding a Landing Craft Support (large) LCS (L) So I sisn actually land although we supported the first wave of troops in that is close cuppoer All C.O.s of ships were briefed for D-Day at H.M.S. Vectis at Caves a fortnight beforehand There is not much else I can say except that we were very surprised at the lack of opposition on the beach + also that I would very much like to meet Mr Ryan as there are little odd things that come to my mind from time to time which I can tell him better than I can write them Wishing you much success in your project yours sincerely A. B. Cheesman My office telephone number is Willesborough 206 between 8AM + 5 PM AC

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