Box 025, folder 21: Angus Alexander Stewart

STEWART, Angus Alexander

Canadian 3rd Div.

Box 25, #21

EXCERPT For Cornelius Ryan Book about D-Day

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 fall name? Angus Alexander Steward

What was your unit and division? 22 field ambulance 3 Infantry Division But our section around 24 all ranks were attached to North Shore Regiment from New Brunswick we landed with them to look after the wounded

Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time? Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer (Calvados) I think it was around 11 in morning June 6

What was your rank on june 6, 1944? Private

What was your age on june 6, 1944? 25

Were you married at that time? no

What is your wife's name? not married

Did you have any children at that time?

What do you do now? Farming

When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? Guess we new it in 1942 we used to be making assault landings all along up to D-Day But we knew it when we started to get ready to move a few days before D-Day

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 water was very rought we were supposed to land the 5 but they said it was to rought to land the Big boat was very crowded when we were about 8 miles of shore we were loaded into Landing craft Infantry there were 35 of us and all our equipment we could hardly move it was realy rought in [?them?] little Boat most of us were seasick but we soon forget about it when the shells and bombs and mortars started falling we were lucky we made shore without getting hit there was a mortar hit the one next to us

What were the rumors on board the boat, ship or plane in which you made the crossing? (Some people remember scuttlebut to the effetct that the Germans had poured gasoline on the water and planned to set it afire when the troops came in). There were no rumors that I heard of but we were afraid they would use poison gas

- for Cornelius Ryan 2 - Your name A. A. Steward

Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? No we were to busy

Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during landing or during the day? we lost 3 on the Beach we were looking after the wonded a marshall fellow and I But we only got a few scratches and ashaken up the 5 of us were together

Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties? no

Were you wounded? my nose scratched an a black eye

Do you remember what it was llke--that is, do you remember whether you felt any pain or were so surprised that you felt nothing? I thought I was hit bad my nose started to bleed I started to run where the other boys were yelling they got me

Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it may not have seemed funny at the time? An officer with an arm of at the shoulder was sitting up along a wall on the Beach he told one of the boys to open up his pack he had a quart of whiskey and to take some and pass it around he took a drink and passed it to me I was fixing a guy up so I took the bottle and passed it on to the next fellow a few hours after he asked me how did I like the whiskey I said what whiskey I was so exited I didn't look at the bottle. Guess that was the first bottle of whiskey that was passed to me that I didn't take a drink

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic or simply memorable which struck you more than anything else? A tank was coming in from an L.C.T. there were a bunch of wounded Infantry and some not wounded we were fixing up and it was going pretty fast some one yelled to look out so some ous of got out of the way but it ran over 8 guys or more that was how the officer with the whiskey lost his arm the rest were all crushed to pieces and another guy jumped in front of it and was crushed he must of been shellshock

- for Cornelius Ryan 3 - Your name A.A. Steward

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? This officer with arm off was sitting leaning along the wall I didn't think first anything was wrong with him he didn't seem to feel anything

Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? on the big Boat between England and France

Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? up from the shore a few miles The marshall guy an me dug a trench between us the only way we could get into it was lay sideway we were to tired to dig it bigger

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? the Marshall guy but I don't now his address in Ontario Donald MacLead, Glen William Prince Edward Island

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 Research, The Reader's Digest

July 29/58

Miss Francis Ward Research Department

Dear Miss Ward

Was reading the Legionary and seen about the D.Day. Veterains. We went in with the first-wave of troops the early hours of June 6 we were attached to the North Shore Regement from New Brunswick looking after teh wounded we landed in Normandy France town Called Saint-Aubin-sur Mer. (Calvados) our officer won the M.C. John Heaslip from British Columbia, also the R.C. Chaplin father Hicks I think his name was and our Corporal [inserted] McDonald from Halifax [end inserted] won the M.M. He was killed on the beach with a bunch of our section I could tell you more but don't no what to write so will sign off Hope it will be of some good to you. Yours Truly A.A. Stewart Caledonia Prince Edward Island. Canada.