World War II D-Day Accounts from the Cornelius Ryan Collection

7/3 in morning. At daybreak lowered into small ships Lost all officers on D Day. lost gun anti- (When landed, destroyed last letter in W. when I thought back was with me J. 50 men 300 Btn. Left once bunkers was taken. Feel very down, but you are with other men, you're "soldiers"- you've got to go on. On beaches under fire - not heavy, but still enough, spasmatic- prevent display from rockets. Blind faith - command - excitement whole way through trained to do - job. 30 is in over deck wrote letter. "How rough it would be for her" _ Happy - go lucky mood swept through. Felt very despondent when writing his breif letter. Ipp endearments - what to do. wife geting wages. what to do in case I dont get back. get in touch with union rep. at office while you To do rest. Additional of F but last thought with you [illegible] a lot of thoughts back - England to a split second. Wake up to reality. Actually, stand by. take mind off things. Forces letter. Put it with AR64. Always had understanding with you should lead life as she wanted it. Evelyn noticed I was on D-Day. [inserted]Didn't know where we were landing.[end inserted] where he back over [illegible] going to land [illegible]. Heavens above knows lets ask the Captain [crossed out]Wasn't until[end crossed out] Didn't know until saw sign [illegible] "Oustrehem seu Mer" _ But I knew the water tower on the canal etc. know going in or [illegible] but no place [illegible] wanted vols to help in officer's galley we hought eat; so helped galley. Used to bring out [illegible]dishes baked [crossed out]here[end crossed out] jam roll give it to the boys. Quite a game took our minds off things. on Glenam. Under discipline parade etc on boat. Some played cards. [illegible]. that also same [illegible] bought France. Saw got in with a shiny light hard [illegible] who was [illegible] a [illegible], [illegible] after to flip the [illegible]a wonderful job of it

Raff, Edson D. Col 0 19 261 G-1 Sec., Hq. VII Corps AG APO 107 N.Y. N.Y. DD form 14, 1 APR 56

The role of 1st Suffolk on D day was: 1st to capture a Battery of guns covering beach 2nd To clear the village of Coalville 3rd To capture strong point "Hillman"

First two were easy, but "Hillman" proved difficult nut to crack, & was finally taken about 7 PM "D" day. The slowness has been the subject of severe criticism in the Book (forgotten name!) concerning the whole campaign in N.W. Europe. When I visited "Hillman" last year, (most of the concrete works remain) I pondered over the problem again, and realised what a tough egg it was.

Contrary to reports that our slowness was holding up reserve formations moving up in our flanks, this is entirely untrue, as the defenders of Hillman were far too busy to give any attention to troops trying to move forward wide on the flanks. To my mind, reserve troops were hindered by bicycles with which they were equipped, with the object of cycling into Caen!

Ack 20/5/58 THE ASSAULT LANDINGS IN NORMANDY D DAY: MIDNIGHT JUNE 5 — MIDNIGHT JUNE 6

What is your full name ? Jonathan William Grimble What is your present address? 5 Overstrand Rd Cromer Norfolk Telephone number: What was your unit, division, corps? 556 Special Field Coy RE R. Force

Where did you land and at what time? Jig Beach -due to land at 7 AM but held up 100 yds from beach for 2 hrs by mined LCTs What was your rank and age on June 6, 1944? L/Sgt 29 years Were you married at that time? yes What is your wife's name? Terrie Did you have any children at that time? 2

When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? 3 months previously

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 conversation on our ship was devoted mainly to good humoured wagering on my little party's chances of drowning when going ashore I carried the lightest pack of the 10 and mine was over 1 cwt

Where 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.) none that I remember

Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? our units were not allowed any written diaries or records

2. 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 out- of-place? Turning to check my party before dashing ashore I found one of them had calmly removed his boots rolled up his trousers and tied his boots round his neck He might have been at Southend instead of Arromanches

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, that struck you more than anything else? An elderly Pioneer calmly repairing the road oblivious to the enemy "pockets of resistance" firing away around him A Flail Tank smashing its way through the minefield reaching the other side and the driver getting out and brewing tea whether brave or stupid I do not know but I often wished I had stopped and found out

3. 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? The whole of Tig Beach was held up for a long while by a large gun position that even the ships guns could not silence but a solitary man with a Piat mortar crept behind and put them out of action with one bomb through the thin rear wall. 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? I know one or two but unless the RE Old Comrades Assoc have their present addresses I cannot help

What do you do now? I run a one-man business making hand made furniture

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 Wow." Cornelius Ryan Joan 0. Isaacs The Reader * s Digest As far as I know our party was the only one of several lucky enough to get all the equipment ashore and rig up a dummy landing strip to decoy the German bombers at night from the actual landing lanes We had 3 1000 lb bombs and several sticks of anti personel bombs to prove we succeeded

Overstrand Road Cromer May 12th 1958

E Extract ??? Q-S 14/5

Jack Grimble Hand Made Furniture 14MAY1958

Dear Sir,

Re your enquiry in News of the World yesterday. I landed in Normandy on the morning of D. Day with a small Deception Squad designed to draw enemy bombing from the real night landing points. If I can help you in any way with information, I will, if I am not breaking any "Official secretcs act etc."

Yours sincerely Jack Grimble

GUNNING, Hugh SWORD -- 3rd British Inf observ. D Day [illegible] Int Release Box 21, #8

SWORD Finished

THE ASSAULT LANDINGS IN NORMANDY D DAY: MIDNIGHT JUNE 5 — MIDNIGHT JUNE 6 What is your full name? Hugh Gunning 65 Turney Road,Dulwich Village, London, S.E. 21. What is your present address? Telephone number: BRixton 3731 or FLEet Street 5000 What was your unit, division, corps? 3rd British Infantry Division Where did you land and at what time? near Ouistreham (Caen area) at 1300 hours What was your rank and age on June 6, 1944? Captain ; aged forty. Were you married at that time? Yes What is your wife's name? Doris Benson Gunning Did you nave any children at that time? No When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? April 1944 [crossed out] yes [end crossed out] 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? See "Borderers in Battle" by Hugh Gunning (published by MartinTs, Berwick-on-Tweed (15s). Copies available from Depot, K.O.S.B., Berwick-on-Tweed. See pp 81-91 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 Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? Forbidden to keep a diary in case I was taken prisoner. This applied to all officers on this Operation.

2. Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or during the day? Yes: killed and wounded Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties? Nothing to say . The probability of being killed or woudAtd was felt by all but expressed by none is my hearing. Can put you in touch with a Brigadier who was severely wounded and has made fine T" recovery. Lives in Scotland. 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? No 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? See "Borderers in Battle" PP 81-91 Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, that struck you more than anything else? See attached clipping of article by me on Major C.K. ("Banger") King, DSO. This officer, who was killed near the end of the campaign in NW Europe is worth a chapter to himself. Sisters live near London. Mrs Dapjme Harris, Bell Inn, Aston Clinton, is elder sister. King's mother and father still alive.