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Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 021, folder 08: Hugh Gunning
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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? Yes ; numerous. 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? Yes, but I should wish to have their permission before giving their names. Commander of assault brigade is avalible; lives in Yorkshire. What do you do now? Syndication Manager, Daily News Ltd., Bouverie Street, London, E.C.4. Hugh Gunning May 14, 1950 Please let us have this questionnaire as soon as possible, so that we an include your experiences in the book. We hope that you will continue your story on seperate sheets if we have not left sufficent room. Full ackowledgement will be given in a chapter called "Where They Are Now."
Cornelius Ryan Joan O. Isaacs The Reader’ s Digest
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BR Banya King Story E Sword Captain Hugh Gunning- Offical War Office observer with 3rd British Infantry 39 on D-Day, living in Dulwich, London- no children. Short, rotound, quiet spoken Scottish accent. Nice sense of humour keen army man. [Crossed out] Mil [end crossed out]
Gunning landed at Ouistreham at 1300 D-Day. On the way over he found himself beside a Captain Basil Spence. He asked him what he was doing on "this job". Spence told him that he intended to blow up a fleet of rubber model battleships which would then be floated down the Channel. Gunning at first thought that his leg was being pulled. But he later discovered that it was quite true. Spence had a Group with him who were part of this deception plan and that their job "to inflate rubber battleships when the wind was right” was an actual fact. Besides their other gear he noticed that they carried large air compression tanks. Apparently the idea was to give the Germans the impression that there was another fleet. That day Gunning saw a German officer who had been taken prisoner and as he was led down to the beach this officer caught his first sight of the invasion fleet. Quite audibly but under his breath Gunning heard him say as he sadly shook his head "And Hitler told us they had no ships left.” At that moment Gunning felt rather sorry for the German's disillusionment; the time was about 7 p.m. Gunning=wants us to include specially a mention of his good friend Major C.K "Banger” King who as he went in with the first wave read from Shakespeare’s "HenryV” out loud to his men the following line ”We would not die in that man's company That fears his fellowship to die with us” and "He that outlives this day and comes safe home Will stand a tip-toe when this day is named” ”Banger” King - News Chronicle extract description King read these lines to him men over a loud hailer. Gunning remembers a few days before D-Day being at a luncheon with Field Marshal Montgomery and the Commanding Officer and members of his staff of the Royal Ulster Rifles - part of the 3rd Division- who were to go in on the initial assault some of them in the Airborne units some of them in the other units. Montgomery asked if they had any problem and Gunning remembers the CO saying "We do, Sir, - one. We can’t very well go into battle with an English padre Sir, now can we? My men would like an Irish one.” Montgomery turned to his aide and said, ”See that there is an Irish padre here by tomorrow morning.” The following day, Gunning found that there was not only one Irish padre kicking his heels, but three.
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Gunning, Capt Hugh Officer Observer 3rd Bn Infantry
Basil Spence, Capt Deception plan-inflatable battleships London- telephone book Daily Mail profile about 4 years ago
On way over Hugh asked Spence what he did Spence told him that he was part of a deception plan - to inflate rubber "battleships" and when the wind was right float them down
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channel to give Gens impression that there was another fleet Hugh noticed that they carried large air compression tanks
Montgomery and the Padre
Gunning was 39 no children lived Dulwich
Peter Cattle now Kensley jumped with AB Div Hugh's opposite number as a mil observer
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Lee Cass ne Banger King- Henry V quote going in
Oustreham there was a get switchboard which was wired to explosives. All he had to do was to press plunger. He did but nothing happened Lovett's commandos serged nerve center early in day - cut wires. The control board was on pier
"Hellman" high ground near Coleville
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"Moonis" on left of road going up from [Coleville?] "[Daimler?]"
[Perier?] [sur?] [le?] [dans?] Ger officer getting his first sight of [illegible] as [illegible] fleet [illegible] audibly but under his breath: "Hitler told us they had no ships left." Lev Capt told Hoph
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2 squadrons 26}- 1 Brg Tanks (1 Reg D&D Tanks) (East Riding Yeomanry) (13th 18th Huzzars) (Staffordshire Yeo)
Maj Gen. Tom Rennie (killed at Rhine crossing in 1945) commanded 3rd Br Div. Captured at St Valerie 1940 escaped traveled through Fr & Sp & got back to Eng.
Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 021, folder 36: Geoffrey John Leach
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Leach, G.J. Box 21, #36 73 Btlt RAM Released D Day Navy Brit Release to PG
GOLD 0700 Medical Corps Arromanches "Saw Arraomanches painted on a little tea shack. Saw [indecipherable] on water - no occupants (body around propellor) No sign of enemy resistence There was absolutely nothing for the Medics to do except unload ammo, stores + vehicles [indecipherable] tanks with rude words painted on Night Took 1 casualty - a lead. seaman - back to Eng. On shore hundres of VIPs waiting for casualties to come in.
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Ack 28/5/58
THE ASSAULT LANDINGS IN NORMANDY D DAY: MIDNIGHT JUNE 5 — MIDNIGHT JUNE 6
What is your full name ? Geoffrey John Leach What is your present address? 35 Birchwood Close, Hatfield, Herts Telephone number:
What was your unit, division, corps? 73 B & H RAMC
Where did you land and at what time? Approx 7 AM Near Arromanches British Sector
What was your rank and age on June 6, 1944? Private 24 yrs
Were you married at that time? no What is your wife' s name? now Joyce Did you have any children at that time? When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? Rough idea about 6 weeks before
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? Rough. Mostly spent keeping out of way of seasick "bods" . 28 hour trip Apart from sleeping time, most of journey spent on TOP DECK
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.) Only rumour I can remember was that for the benefit of the newspaper correspondents we were taking over, the Captain was going to 'bash-in' to the beach & be almost first in.
Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? No