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Sword
Ack 2/6/58

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

What is your full name? FRANK COOKSEY

What is your present address? 84 SUMMERFIELD RD
LUTON BEDS.

Telephone number:

What was your unit, division, corps? 875 HEAVY RECOVERY SEC.
No. 9 BEACH GROUP.

Where did you land and at what time? H HOUR PLUS 30 MINS.
KING RED BEACH. LUC - SER - MER'

What was your rank and age on June 6, 1944?
CPL. 24YRS.

Were you married at that time? NO

What is your wife's name?

Did you have any children at that time?

When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion?
I WAS BRIEFED JUST OUTSIDE WINCHESTER IN AN ARMY
CAMP. WE HAD TO STUDY PHOTO'S OF LANDING POINT, BUT [crossed out] [illegible] [end crossed out] NO NAMES.

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?
PLAYED THREE CARD BRAG. ALL NIGHT, OFF NEEDLE'S AT
SOUTHAMPTON. AS FOR THE CROSSING, I WAS JUST
[?ICTHING?] TO GET ON LAND. REASON I WAS AS
SICK AS A DOG. THE L.C.T. ALLMOST BROKE IN HALF.

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.)
CAN'T SAY I CAN REMEMBER ANY RUMOURS PERHAPS
THE ABOVE RUMOUR WAS A [?HANGOVER?] FROM OUR OWN
PRE - INVASION PLANS. BACK DURING THE BATTLE OF BRITIAN.

Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day?
NO, BUT I NOTICED FOR THE TIME ALL THE BLOKES
WITH ME WERE OF THE SAME TYPE REASONALBY
TOUGH NOT WELL EDUCATED. HATERS OF BULL, HAPPY IN
SCRUFFY OVERALLS WORKING ON AWKWARD REC. JOBS.