ryan_box023-tld_f50_02v

There was a moment of panic, I think that's the word,
when due to all equipment and one man getting stuck at
the door, only half the stick (18 men) got out before the
red light flashed on. However, the excellent Sgt-Pilot we
had made another perfect pass over the DZ. and the
rest of us got out (I was 17th in stick). Unfortunately
I drifted into a large elm tree backwords and got
hung up so. Routine of tearing chute loose,
trying to reach branch that could stand
my weight, finally made rope of rigging
[crossed out] [?cords?] [end crossed out] lines but in attempting to get out of chute
made error and found self hanging by arms length
from [? the ?] straps - realized I would eventually drop so
dropped. Tried to swing into small tree below but
missed, landed hard - stood up knowing of broken rt.
wrist and found I couldn't walk - fell flat! Instructed
batman Adams, to carry equipment to rendezvous and
waited till morning.
Wondered how others reacted - expecting to be
frightened and not sure even now if I was
really afraid at any time, conscious of uncertainty
and keyed up - waiting for fear that never really came.
Morning was picked up by group, whom I saw
coming of 6th airbourne field ambulance who were to
set up our R.A.P. close by. Scared the pants off them by
shouting & they all hit the dirt. They picked up our
3 wounded. and while tending us [crossed out] they [end crossed out] we were bombed
by R.A.F. - bomb landed about 50 ft away - all the
group hit the ditch - leaving us out - no one hurt. Capt
Nielson the RAMC M.O. in charge - "So Sorry But, old boy
self preservation you know !" I was given morphine
then & slept. I awoke with a German patrol in the process
of dropping guns into sacks and lining up everybody to
be on the march. The RAMC boys got a lattice & carried
me cross country until they found a cannister dropped by
our planes containing stretcher (folding) and carried me
the balance of the way. Another RAMC surgeon also captured
from 6th Airbourne - gave me pentothal & set wrist.
Slept then till about 1600 hrs. when we arrived on the
outskirts of Troarn when British + Germans were
fighting, Germans finally held Troarn and we