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MOFFATT, John Leslie
Canadian R.A.F. 575 Squadron
Box 24, #64
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Possible EXCERPT RCAF
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? JOHN LESLIE MOFFATT
What was your squadron, station, unit? 575 SQN. RAF, BROADWELL ENG.
Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time? CAEN - DROPPING ZONE - 2350 HOURS - 6 JUNE 1944.
What was your rank on June 6, 1944? FLYING OFFICER.
What was your age on June 6, 1944? 22.
Were you married at that time? NO.
What is your wife's name? AVIS MOFFATT
Did you have any children at that time? NO.
What do you do now? SCHOOL TEACHER
When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? MARCH 1944
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 NIGHT WAS CLEAR WITH A BRIGHT MOON THAT GAVE EXCELLENT VISABILITY. OTHER AIRCRAFT IN THE FORMATION WERE EASILY SEEN AS WERE THE THOUSANDS OF SHIPS CROSSING THE CHANNEL BELOW. AS I WAS A CO-PILOT ON THIS TRIP I HAD THE TIME AND OPPORTUNITY TO WATCH THE MANY ACTIVITIES THAT WERE GOING ON, ESPECIALY THE FLAK (TRACERS) COMING UP IN FRONT OF OUR FORMATION. [crossed out]OUR GAS TANKS WERE HIT. SINCE THERE WAS NO FIRE THE MISSION WAS CARRIED OUT.[end crossed out]
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). NO RUMORS.
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Your name JLMoffat
Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? Include any impressions from it.
Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during landing or during the day? MANY FRIENDS WERE SHOT DOWN BY THE ALLIED NAVY BUT I DON'T RECALL ANY NAMES.
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?
Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it may not have seemed funny at the time? ALTHOUGH OUR AIRCRAFT WAS HIT MANY TIMES WE DIDN'T [crossed out]THINK[end crossed out] CREDIT THE NAVY WITH BEING TOO EFFECTIVE. A DAKOTA FLYING AT 600' ON A CLEAR NIGHT MAKES AN IDEAL TARGET ESPECIALY SO WHEN WE WERE FLASHING LIGHTS AND FIRING OFF SIGNALS TO IDENTIFY OURSELVES.
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? VERY HEAVY FLAK WAS EXPERIENCED ON THE LAST FEW MILES ACROSS THE CHANNEL. THIS OBVIOUSLY CAME FROM OUR OWN NAVY WHO HAD BEEN ATTACKED BY GERMAN AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO OUR ARRIVAL. ABOUT 50 DAKOTA AIRCRAFT ON THE RESUPPLY MISSION WERE FLYING IN FORMATION AT 600' ON A BRIGHT MOONLIGHT NIGHT WHEN THE NAVY OPENED FIRE. REPEATED FIRING OF THE COLORS OF THE DAY HAD NO AFFECT ON THE NAVAL BARRAGE. OUR GAS TANKS WERE HIT BUT NO FIRE RESULTED.
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Your name J LMoffatt.
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? A FEW MILES FROM THE NORMANDY COAST A HEAVY BARRAGE OF FLAK DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT CAUSED THE PILOT TO PULL THE HEAVILY LOADED DAKOTA INTO A STEEP CLIMB THAT CAUSED IT TO STALL AND FALL AWAY. UNDOUBTEDLY THIS SHOULD HAVE CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO CRASH AT SUCH A LOW LEVEL, BUT FORTUNATELY IT REMAINED IN THE AIR. I AM SURE THAT THIS UNORTHODOX TACTIC SAVED THE LIVES OF THE CREW AND ENABLED THE AIRCRAFT TO COMPLETE THE MISSION.
Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? REMAINED ON RAF STATION AT BROADWELL
Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? OVER THE DROPPING ZONE IN THE CAEN AREA.
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?
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.M. Lee Squadron Leader Director of Public Relations (Air) Air Force Headquarters, Ottawa, Ontario.
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The heavy naval barrage caused the formation of aircraft to break up and scatter just before reaching the Normandy coast. Consequently the aircraft approached the dropping zone from different directions and altitudes. This resulted in many near collisions with other aircraft and also with [?paniers?] and supplies dropped from aircraft at greater altitudes.