Box 024, folder 01: Ellis Raymond Cresine

CRESINE, Ellis R. Canadian 3rd Div. Box 24, #1

RCA 203880 Sgt E.R. Cresine

EXCERPT

THOUSANDS OF MEN, ON LAND AND SEA AND IN THE AIR, PARTICIPATED IN THE INVASION OF NORMANDY BETWEEN MIDNIGHT JUNE 5, 1944 AND MIDNIGHT JUNE 6, 1944. IF YOU WERE ONE OF THEM, PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

What is your full name? ELLIS RAYMOND CRESINE

What was your squadron, station, unit? 13th FIELD REGT RCA 3rd DIVISION Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time? GRAYE-SUR-MER [crossed out] 0730 [end crossed out] [inserted] 0700 [end inserted] HRS 6 JUN 44 WITH ADVANCE PARTY "THORNEFORCE" What was your rank en June 6, 1944? GUNNER What was your age on June 6, 1944? 21 YRS OLD Were you married at that time? NO

What is your wife's name?

Did you have any children at that time? NO

What do you do now? RCAF AIRFORCE POLICE

When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? 2300 HRS 5 JUN 44

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? TIME PASSED MOSTLY THROWING-UP THE TRIP WAS VERY ROUGH, PERSONNEL WERE SEA SICK IN LCI AFTER LEAVING SHIP THAT AM, WHICH WAS ANCHORED OFF COAST OF FRANCE. MORALE WAS VERY HIGH A PIPE MAJOR FROM A SCOTTISH REGIMENT PLAYED THE BAG PIPES UNTIL WE HIT THE BEACH What were the rumors on board the boat, ship or plane in which you made the crossing? (Some people remember scuttlebut to the effect that the Germans had poured gasoline on the water and planned to set it afire when the troops came in). I CAN'T RECALL ANY RUMORS, ONLY FACTS, WHICH WE WERE ALL BRIEFED, THE PREVIOUS EVENING. [crossed out] Rum [end crossed out] I WENT IN WITH THE SECOND WAVE, PRACTICALLY ALL PERSONNEL WHICH WENT IN ON THE FIRST WAVE, IN THE LCI WHICH I WENT IN, WERE EITHER WOUNDED AND RETUNED TO THE SHIP OR KILLED. THE WOUNDED [crossed out] WRER [end crossed out] [inserted] WERE [end inserted] REMOVED

[crossed out] PREVIO [end crossed out] JUST PREVIOUSLY TO US BOARDING THE CRAFT [crossed out] WH [end crossed out] THIS MORE OR LESS MADE US A BIT NERVOUS BUT DID NOT EFFECT US TOO MUCH.

Your name ELLIS R. CRESINE

Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? Include any impressions from it. NO. IT WAS FORBIDDEN Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during landing or during the day? YES

Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties?: NO

Were you wounded? NO

Do you remember what it was like—that is, do you remember whether you felt any pain or were so surprised that you felt nothing? N/A

Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it may not have seemed funny at the time?

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic or simply memorable, which struck you more than anything else?

Did you encounter any enemy aircraft or flak? Was your aircraft demaged? N/A

Your name E.R. CRESINE

In times of great crisis, people generally show either great ingenuity or self-reliance; others do incredibly stupid things. Do you remember any examples of either from D-Day? WHEN THE FRONT OF THE LANDING CRAFT DROPPED AND THE ORDER CAME TO MOVE, THE WATER WAS QUITE DEEP. I NOTED MY VERY GOOD FRIEND WHICH WAS ONLY 5'2" TALL. HAVING QUITE A STRUGGLE IN THE WATER,. KEEPING HIS HEAD ABOVE, I GRABBED HIM BY THE COLLAR AND HELPED HIM TO SHORE, HE REMINDED ME NEXT DAY - WHICH I COULD NOT RECAL Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? ANCHORED OFF THE COAST OF FRANCE Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? OPERATING A TANK LISTENING POST BETWEEN THE LINES ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE TOWN OF BANVILLE Do you know of anybody else who landed within the 24 hours of D-Day, June 6, as infantry, glider or airborne troops, or who took part in the air and sea operations, whom we should write to? MR FRANCES BURKE SAMPSONVILLE RICHMOND COUNTY NOVA SCOTIA.

PLEASE LET US HAVE THIS QUESTIONNAIRE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, SO THAT WE CAN INCLUDE YOUE 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;" YOUR NAME AND VOCATION OR OCCUPATION WILL BE LISTED.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP.

W.M. Lee Squadron Leader Director of Public Relations (Air) Air Force Headquarters, Ottawa, Ontario.