Box 025, folder 08: Desmond Wm. Piers

PIERS, Desmond Wm.

Canadian Royal Can. Navy

BOX 25, #8

For Cornelius Ryan Book About D-Day

THOUSANDS OF MEN, ONLAND 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? [inserted] (HOW) COMMODORE [end inserted] DESMOND WILLIAM PIERS, DSC, CD, ADC, RCN.

What was your unit and division? COMMANDING OFFICER OF THE CANADIAN DESTROYER, H.M.C.S. "ALGONQUIN"

Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time? DAYLIGHT, 6 JUNE, OFF SHORE AT ST. AUBIN SUR MER

What was your rank on June 6, 1944? LIEUTENANT COMMANDER, R.C.N.

What was your age on June 6, 1944? 30

Were you married at that time? YES

What is your wife's name? JANET (MACNEILL) PIERS OF HALIFAX, N.S.

Did you have any children at that time? ONE STEP-DAUGHTER AGED 9.

What do you do now and what is your address? STILL IN RCN (SINCE 1932). AM NOW A COMMODORE, AND COMMANDANT OF THE ROYAL MILITARY COLLEGE OF CANADA, KINGSTON, ONTARIO

When did you know that you were going to be a part of the invasion? ONE MONTH IN ADVANCE

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? SEE OFFICIAL REPORT ATTACHED I WAS ON BRIDGE THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT, KEEPING STATION ON OUR HEADQUARTERS SHIP. TIME PASSED VERY QUICKLY.

What were the rumors on board the boat, ship or plane in which you made the crossing? (Some people remember scuttlebutt to the effect that the Germans had poured gasoline on the water and planned to set it afire when the troops came in.) AS C.O. I HEARD NO RUMOURS. I HAD FULLY BRIEFED MY SHIPS COMPANY AT 6.30 PM ON 5 JUNE, AS SOON AS WE HAD WEIGHED ANCHOR FOR NORMANDY.

for Cornelius Ryan - 2 Your name D. W. PIERS

Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? YES - AN OFFICIAL REPORT WHICH IS ATTACHED.

Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during landing or during the day? ONLY ARMY FRIENDS ASSAULTING BEACHES.

Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties?

Were you wounded that day? 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? SEPARATE REPORT ATTACHED

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

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? NOT ESPECIALLY. OUR JOB WAS COMPARATIVELY SIMPLE, AND ALL HANDS REMAINED IN EXCELLENT GOOD HUMOUR

for Cornelius Ryan - 3 Your Name D. W. PIERS

Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? ALMOST ACROSS THE CHANNEL.

Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? AT ANCHOR OFF THE BEACHES.

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? SEE "FAR DISTANT SHIPS" PAGE 452 ET SEQ.

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.

Cornelius Ryan Frances Ward The Reader's Digest

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ON PAGE 2 OF QUESTIONNAIRE

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

Answer: Three amusing incidents come to my memory.

(a) While bombarding selected targets on the beaches at first light, the Air Force laid down a tremendous bombing barrage, obliterating our assigned targets with dense smoke. The Gunnery Drill Officer was then heard to mutter in a loud voice: "God damn Air Force is messing up our target again." Between "Algonquin" and the Air Force, we managed to carry out our assigned task!

(b) At about 7.30 a.m. on the morning of D Day, while quietly waiting for the allocation of the bombardment target ashore, the ship's Engineering Officer, Lieutenant John E. Lloyd, RCN (R), an irrepressible character if ever there was one, came up to the bridge from the engine room, and facetiously enquired of me why I was not getting on with my job of killing Germans. As we were only one mile off shore, he pointed out a rather fine looking building on the shore line and said: "I'll bet there are a bunch of bloody Germans in there having breakfast. Why don't you shake them up?" After making sure that no Allied troops were in the vicinity, I obliged the whim of my Engineering Officer, turned the guns on this building, and brought it to the ground with about five well-aimed broadsides.

(c) At 8 a.m. on the morning of D Day, still being without an assigned bombardment target, I ordered my breakfast to be brought up on the bridge, and also had a portable radio brought up to hear the 8 a.m. BBC news. The flawless accent of the BBC announcer briefly admitted that the invasion of Europe had commenced on the beaches of Normandy. On this news report I also heard how the battle was going on the other sectors of the assault area.

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

Answer: Again, three interesting points come to mind.

(a) On the way across the channel we escorted landing craft containing assault troops of the Royal Marines. In the choppy sea conditions these landing craft were tossing about wildly, and I can remember the deep concern of everybody aboard "Algonquin" for these poor Royal Marines and the thousands of other troops who must have been desperately sea sick.

(b) As "Algonquin" was one of the closest ships to the beach, we were the first ship to receive many British soldiers who had become injured by mortar fire at about [crossed out] 9 [end crossed out] [inserted] 11 [end inserted]a.m. on D Day. Our medical staff did what they could for these men, and I visited them. Being under sedation and drugs, they all seemed fairly cheerful and would not appear to be in a dangerous condition. I was amazed about an hour later on a second visit to find that most of these men had died quite suddenly after the shock effect had set in.

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