Box 024, folder 07: Eldon Roland Dutton

Canadian DUTTON, Eldon R. Royal Can. Artillery

Box 24, #7

For Cornelius Ryan Book about D-day [inserted] NOTHING [end inserted]

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? Eldon Roland Dutton

What was your unit and division? F Sec 3rd Div Sigs attached to 13th fld Regt. RCA [inserted] Royal Canadian Artillery [end inserted] Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time? 0800 hrs the ramp jammed and we could not land at D Plus 40 if I remember correctly. Excitement and [?confution?] working in the back of a half track kept me very busy I couldnt find out if it was enemy fire or just a fault of the LCT [inserted] The landing was at a place I think the name was [?Geny-Sue-Naie?] a small town of [?Bauy?] was our first major stop just a few miles strait in from the landing [end inserted] What was your rank on June 6, 1944 ? Signalman

What was your age on June 6, 1944? 27

Were you married at that time? yes What is your wife's name? Dorothy Ruth Did you have any children at that time? one Daughter

What do you do now? Sgt. Cdn. Army. Camp Shilo, Man. When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? It was like so many trial runs but we had a good idea that tis time it was for keeps, we were briefed on the landing on June 4/44 after going aboard LCT on 2 June 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? The crossing was very rough, we played cards, told stories, cooking meals, prayers by the Padre, a wireless silence so we just let the sets be couldnt do any netting or work on them, mostly we watched the vessels , going to and fro all different type forming up in there alotted places, strange floating devices that later were the pipe line and Pre fab. harbour. also rocket ships 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). We were told that the air would be full of air craft when our turn for a run came there was three fighters over our front.

-for Cornelius Ryan 2Your name Dutton

Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? a war diary was kep later by RHQ of 13 fld, but I do not know if it started on 6 June 44 I never did Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during landing or during the day? a Cpl Hawk. was killed on the beach a personal friend

Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties: , He was to go in with the infantry so we were seperated a week before so cant remember any thing special, except, "I'll see you in Paris,. "

Were you wounded? yes. [inserted] 9 June 58 [end inserted]

[crossed out] 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? , very clearly, bullets through the hand and leg, no pain, just like a big fist hitting bad, treatment almost immediately [end crossed out]

Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it may not have seemed funny at the time? in the Fld dressing station I could have sworn that just outside the tent a 25 pdr. was firing, was told it was the Rodney out in the channel engaging targets ahead of the troops

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic or simply memorable, which struck you more than anything else? The linemen in our Sec had a hard job helping communications, and they did a terrific job at Carpriquet Air port.

- for Cornelius Ryan 3 - Your name DUTTON

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? The boys on the whole were very tense but nothing to discredit any of them , a cpl and a D.R. and myself were working together so we started on our first slit trench, had it about three feet deep at dark, our first position was about a mile from the beach, as soon as darkeness came the dive bombers came in on the shiping, fire from the ground looked like a wall of [crossed out] spaks [end crossed out] sparks going up. our slit trench went down so far I thought the boys were going to China and real fast too Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? in a half track in front of two wireless sets. on board an LCT waiting for [inserted] the final word. [end inserted], who would know what daybreak would bring Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? a slit trench with a remote control a mile from the beach. and kinda scared.

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? no.

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 NOW;" YOUR NAME AND VOCATION OR OCCUPATION WILL BE LISTED.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP .

W.A. Milroy Lt.-Col. Director of Public Relations(Army) Cartier Square, Ottawa, Ontario