ryan_box025-tld_f14_02

[inserted] RCA Mayerthorpe, ALBERTA [end inserted]
For Cornelius Ryan
Book about D-day [inserted] Possible E -
not much
however [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 THESE, PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

[inserted] 1. [end inserted]What is your full name? John Erhart Schaupmeyer

[inserted] 2 [end inserted]What was your unit and division? 5th Field Co, RCE (army troop attached to
3rd Div for invasion)

[inserted] 3 [end inserted] Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time? Berni Sur Mer ([inserted] APP. [end inserted] 6.30 AM)
[inserted] assault
wave [end inserted

[inserted] 4 [end inserted] What was your rank on June 6, 1944? Sapper

[inserted] 5 [end inserted] What was your age on June 6, 1944? twenty nine

[inserted] 6 [end inserted] Were you married at that time? no (am married now)

[inserted] 7 [end inserted] What is your wife's name? Francisca Gertrude

[inserted] 8 [end inserted] Did you have any children at that time? no. (Have two boys and one girl now)

[inserted] 9 [end inserted] What do you do now? I am self employed in mixed farming

[inserted] 10 [end inserted] When did you know that you were going to he part of the invasion? Sometime
in the latter part of 1943.

[inserted] 11 [end inserted] 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? One thing I do know for sure we certainly had
a very rough crossing and sea sickness had a good chance
of making us feel miserable. In our unit at the time our
pet pastime was rolling dice.

[inserted] 12 [end inserted] 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).
As far as rumors go we never heard such as
gas being poured on the water. Actually we had a very
rosy picture painted to us and things were actually
rougher for some time than we had expected