ryan_box024-tld_f62_03

- for Cornelius Ryan 2-

Your name [underlined] Mc TAVISH [end underlined]

Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to
you that day?
Just the official War Diary

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:
Nothing except our job immediately on landing.
All ranks were remarkably stoic and
single minded.

Were you wounded? Very slightly on the hand.

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?
Too minor to [?recount?] much thinking about it

Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny
now, even though it may not have seemed funny at the time?
I was giving first aid to one of my sergeants who
looked as if he was dying when he whispered to
me to loan him a knife with which to dispatch
a wounded German lying beside him. (The Sgt
did not die)

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic or simply memorable,
which struck you more than anything else?
Several, but one night saddened & sickened me above
all. Small enemy mortars were hailing down on the
beach and when our tanks arrived with turrets open
we called to them to take cover. Most of them
did not close their hatches and one received a
missile clearly down the hatch, setting fire to the
tank with horrible consequences