Box 025, folder 33: Edwin Tauno Widenoja

WIDENOJA, Edwin Tauno Canadian Royal Can. Air F. 6 Bomber Group

BOX 25, #33

[inserted] RCAF Port Arthur ONTARIO EXC RCAF GREEN [end of inserted]

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 full name? Edwin Tauno Widenoja

What was your unit and division? 433--Porcupine--Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force #6 Bomber Group

Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time? We bombed a heavy gun emplacement at Houlgate on the eastern flank of the Normandy beach-head, at around 5a.m. June 6th.

What was your rank on June 6, 1944? I was a Flying Officer.

What was your age on June 6, 1944? I was 29.

Were you married at that time? Yes. I got married Jan, 2nd 1944 and went overseas 6 months later.

What is your wife's name? Alma

Did you have any children at that time? no

What do you do now? I am a Pulp and Paper mill tester-for Provincial Paper Ltd. Port Arthur, Ont.

When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? Not until we were over the channel when I saw all the ships on my radar set then looked below and saw the masses of ships part way across the channel.

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? I shall always remember the feeling I had when I saw those invasion ships below, I was first to see them and shouted over the inter-com to the other 6 members of my crew, - "I'ts invasion,i'ts Dday, at last-Hurrah!!" We shouted at each other over the intercome. After all the day and nite fying we had done prior to this and never knowing when and where Dday would be, it was a wonderful feeling to know that it was here at last and that we were in on it. At 15000 feet the weather was clear with not much cloud, the water below looked choppy. There was no enemy a/c over the target area and light flak.I was able to drop our 5 tons of bombs over the emplacement area We watched the slow progress of the ships below us inching towards the beaches. We saw them for perhaps an hour until lost to sight.

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).

We knew that this target was important,as it was stressed at briefing, but we were not told that they would be making a landing in that area that morning. We were kept waiting in full flying clothes beside are bombed and gassed up bomber for three hours.This also meant there was something different going on as in all our previous trips we never had to wait. Believe me in all that waiting time we did a lot of speculating.

- for Cornelius Ryan 2 - Your name Edwin T.Widenoja

Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? I have my flight log book which gives time of take-off, a/c and type and letter, and time in the air, and target.

Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or during the day? No, none of our planes in our station were shot down or crews injured.

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

[crossed out] Were you wounded? No not then but on Aug.5th was seriously injured in our bomber crash

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? I was pretty badly smashed up but this was on Aug. 5th

Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it may not have seemed funny at the time? Seen a lot but this was at a later date.

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic or simply memorable, which struck you more than anything else? My life was saved when I was hauled out of the burning and smashed plane by two ground crew men. This was again on Aug.5th and does not apply to this question. [end of crossed out]

- for Cornelius Ryan 3 - Your name Edwin T. Widenoja

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? We bombed Conde sur Noireau 50 miles south of Caen the nite of June 6th, at 2000 feet and our a/c was shook up by the concussion. The bomber went into a spinning dive and all our inside lites went out. The pilot told us to bail out however we did not, we waited and our faith in our pilot was justified when he pulled the plane up a few hundred feet offthe ground. I remember only having an awful feeling of helplessness. I don't rember being afraid just waiting for somethig to do or happen.

Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? We were waiting in full flying clothes beside our bomber at Skiptonon Swale, Yorkshire, 433-Halifax squadron, ready to take-off at a signal.

Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? We were flying towards France with a bomb load heading for Condesur- Noireau, south of Caen.

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 navigator (Flying Officer) J.Kinder, Preston, Ontario. My W/Op. (Flying Officer)L.Dufresne, Rouym, Quebec. My pilot was killed in the crash on Aug. 5th. My engineer was also killed. The rest of the crew I have never found out where they are. The two above addresses I knew up to 1950.

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

417 Merrill St., Port Arthur, Ont., August 13th.

Miss Frances Ward, Headers Digest Research, New York, I7, N.Y.

Dear Miss Ward:

I read your letter in the July issue of the LEGIONARY. I was a bombing and radar officer in a four engine Halifax bomber, stationed with the Porcupine squadron, at Skipton-on-Swale,Yorkshire,England.I was on operational flying over France and Germany before,during and after D day. I did two trips during the period you specified, in the invasion area. My flight log book shows we took off at I:53a.m. for a gun emplacement on the French coast, Houlgate, on June 6th. The only hint we had that this was D day was the importance the briefingofficers put on our target and that we had been kept waiting in full flying clothes for hours before take-off. The security had been perfect as we knew nothing of the invasion. The first I knew about the landing was that on reaching the channel I saw my radar screen begin to fill up with dark spots.I went into the glass nose of the bomber and looked down and to port and starboard. There was a tremenduos mass of ships all spaced out in rows to the horizon. We were flying at 15000 feet and the vieuw below was thrilling. We knew now that we were taking part in one of the biggest moments in history. I dropped 5 tons of bombs on this gun position to prevent them from shelling the invasion fleet. There wasn't any sleeping on the station that day for we listened to the B.B.C. news and the unfolding drama that was being enacted on the Normandy beaches. Again at II:30 p.m. that nite we were air-borne with 5 tons of bombs for a target called Conde Sur Noireau, fifty miles south of Caen. We were to bomb this target at very low level as it was essential that this town and rail junction should be put out of order quickly. The Germans were bringing up reinforcements along this route, to stop the invasion. The concussion of the bombs bursting below us, the ack-ack, and fires put our bomber in a spinning dive from 6000feet. Our lights went out and for minutes(it seemed ages) we were in danger of being hit and crashing, My pilot however after fighting the controls straightened out the a/c at 2000 feet. We were very fortunate to get back up to a safe height and head for home. Below and behind us the target area was a sea of fire and smoke rose high in the air. On our way in and again on the way back we watched the fires and multi-coloured flares and shelling that was going on around Caen and the beach-head. It was a stirring sight to see this tremenduos coloured spectacle in the darkness far below. We felt good that we had done our bit to help in this gigantic struggle for a foot-hold. We flew many missions after this but you are only concerned with D Day. I hope that some of what I can tell you will be of of help in your book. I will be glad to give all the information I can. The date, times and target are from my flight log book and can be verified I'm sure.The rest I draw from memory and could be elaborated.further. There are only two members of my crew that I had addresses up to I950, my navigator and wireless operator.Our pilot F/O J.R. Harrison and engineer Sgt. D.Whitbread were killed in our bomber crash coming back from a mission,and the rest of [inserted] us [end of inserted]were seriously injured. Should you need to get in touch with the officers of my crew, I can only give you their last known address but I am quite sure they can be reached.