Box 025, folder 20: Robert Woodward Stanley

STANLEY, Robert Woodward Canadian 1st Canadian

Box 25, #20

[inserted] 1st Can/3rd Brig [end inserted] [inserted] Excerpt [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? STANLEY, Robert Woodward

What was your squadron, station, unit? 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion

Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time? near (Caen) time aprox. 23.30 June 5, 1944 not sure of spelling [inserted] Pathfinder? [end inserted]

What was your rank on June 6, 1944? PTE.

What was your age on June 6, 1944? 22

Were you married at that time? no

What is your wife's name? -----

Did you have any children at that time? -----

What do you do now? Metal work. RCAF At 406 'City of Saskatoon' Auxiliary SQN.

When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? after we were airborne

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? Very quiet, as we were not very long in the air, and still wondering if it was the real thing.

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 time for rumors, and we were all singing

Your name Woodward

Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? Include any impressions from it. no

Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during landing or during the day? [inserted]*[end inserted] My Brother taken Prisoner first Day.

Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties?: We were in speperate aircraft as I left with the first 30 men. as a Kind of advance Party, we planed meeting at H.Q. next day. But we never met again untill back in Canada.

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?

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic or simply memorable, which struck you more than anything else? our company Commander was Killed in the first 8 hrs and [crossed out][illegible][end crossed out] our platoon Sgt, a couple weeks later.

Did you encounter any enemy aircraft or flak? Was your aircraft demaged?

Your name Woodward

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? Yes on time we were dug in and some German tanks were going By at appox 150 yrd, I don't believe they knew we were there, untill one machine Gunner opened up with a vickers on the [crossed out]tak[end crossed out] tank, the tank soon finish him off.

Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? in France near Caen

Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? appx, the same place surrounded on all sides

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? My Brother whoes address I don't know at Present.

PLEASE LET US HAVE THIS QUESTIONNAIRE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, SO THAT WE CAN INCLUDE YOUB EXPERIENCES IN THE BOOK. WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE YOUR STORY ON SEPARATE SHEETS IF WE HAVE NOT LEFT SUFFICIENT ROOM. FULL ACKNOWLEDGMENT 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.

Brother back to back with brothers on landing craft