Box 024, folder 05: Clifford Edgar Dunn

DUNN, Cliford E.

Canadian 3rd. Div.

Box 24, #5

For Cornelius Ryan Book about D-day

THOUSANDS OF MEN, ON LAND AND SEA AHD 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? Clifford Edgar Dunn

What was your unit and division? Royal Canadian Army Service Corps 3rd Canadina Division.

Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time? I forget the name of the village we arrived near but we landed in Normandy around 9.30 P.M.

What was your rank on June 6, 1944? I was a driver (Pte)

What as your age on June 6, 1944? 25 yrs.

Were you married at that time? Yes. (I was married in England)

What is your wife' name? Pauline

Did you have any children at that time? No. We were expecting to have our first child anytime then.

What do you do now? I am a milk receiver. I worj for Silverwood's Dairy Ltd. Peterboro, Ont.

When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? I knew that we were going to be part of the invastion in January. 5 months before.

What was the trip like during the crossing of the Channel? Do you remember, for example, any conversations you hard or how you passed the time? It was calm mostly all the way. We left port (Portsmouth) in the evening of June 5th. I was having a chat with one of our officers as we were leaving. I remember telling him of my wife that I was soon to be a father. I was thinking that maybe I would never see her again but my officer told me to cheer up that everything would turn out alright. We were all issued a vomiting bag in case we got sick with a rough sea but I never used mine. I [crossed out] selpt [end crossed out] slept the most of the night. After a few tossings turnings.

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). In general the men seemed to be silent. Everybody seemed to be keeping their thoughts to themselves.

- for Cornelius Ryan 2 -

Your name Clifford Dunn

Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? No.

Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or during the day? Yes. Some were wounded and died later. And some were killed outright, mostly by land mines on the beach

Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualites? I remember chatting with one of the fellows on the barge (L.S.T.) before landing. He was telling me about his last leave in England and he hoped to go back to the same place again. He gave me a photo of himself taken in England. I never saw him again as he was one of the casualites, who died in a dew days.

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?

Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it may not have seemed funny at the time? I can remember that we were delayed in landing because our barge was stuck on a sand bar and we couldn't get in close enough to land until the tide came up. While waiting, we could see plenty of action on shore. When we did land our Commanding Officer who went in on the first wave, was having the jitters because we were so long coming in as he didn't know the reason for our delay (this was the second wave)

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic or simply memorbale, which struck you more than anything else? It was nearly dusk befire we got to shore (9 30 P.M.) as we were going in, the Germans were bombing our ships. I can remember seeing one ship afire. The air was full of flak from out anti-aircraft guns. In fact I got under one of our trucks for protection. Our trucks were loaded on a big raft from the L.S.T. From the raft we drove our lorries through water, to the beach. We had everything water-proofed about 3 weeks before time. The 3rd Canadian Divison was picked for the spearhead of the invasion. We had the British Army at our left flank and the American Army at our right. We invaded in 3 different waves.

- for Cornelius Ryan 3 - Your name Clifford Dunn

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?

Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? I was on the Landing Ship Tank on my way over

Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? I was inland about a quarter of a mile from the beach of Normandy

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. WILLIAM OPENSHAW TRENT RIVER, ONT. CANADA He was in the "Highland Light Infantry." 3rd Canadian Division

PLEASE LET US HAVE THIS QUESTIONNAIRE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, SO THAT WE CAN INCLUDE YOUR EXPERIENCES IN THE BOOK. WE HOPE ""TEST 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.

Cornelius Ryan Frances Ward Research, The Reader's Digest

I could be interviewed on the Mondays of the 18th or 25th of Aug. as far as I know, because those are my days off work I am home at 6 O'clock in the evenings on the days that I work (over)

Trent River, Ont. Canada July 31st 1958

Miss Frances Ward. Research Dept. The Readers Digest 230 Park Ave New York, 17, New York

Dear Madam,- I read your letter in the Legionary inviting any D-Day veteran to write to you. I was in the Canadian Army during World War II and took part in the invasion of Normandy on June 6th 1944. I served in the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps as a driver. Our unit was attached to the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 3rd Canadian Division. We invaded in three different waves. I took part in the second wave. Our unit was front line transport for 2 1/2 months after the invasion. We were on the ammunition supply line. I will gladly give you any information to the best of my knowledge. Hoping that you will recieve this letter and that I will be of some assistance to you. I remain Yours Truly, Clifford E. Dunn