Box 025, folder 35: Joseph Willicombe, Jr.

INS-WAR CAN. JUNO [?corresp?] WILLICOMBE, Joseph, Jr. (EXT) [crossed out] NY 6 [end crossed out] Box 25, #35 See 3rd Can. Army INS-WAR CORR-J-E

J-Ex NY-6 RCA

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? Joseph Willicombe, Jr.

What was your unit and division? International News Service War Correspondent. Landed from LCT with elements of 7th Brigade, Canadian 3rd Division.

Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time? Graye sur Mer - 8:09 A. M.

What was your rank on June 6, 1944?

What was your age on June 6, 1944? 30

Were you married at that time? Yes What is your wife's name? Venice Did you have any children at that time? No

What do you do now? Publicity Director and staff writer, KING FEATURES SYNDICATE

When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? Was advised that I was elected by Kingsbury Smith, INS European General Manager and Pierre J. Huss - Chief of INS Invasion Warcos two weeks before Invasion.

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 crossing was stormy and wet. Our LCT wallowed and slapped its way over. Conversations on the ship were soft, gentle. There was talk of U boats. The storm clouds were low and ominous, [crossed out] [looking] [end crossed out]. Toward dawn the incessant drone of the Allied Air Force could be heard rushing into the beaches. All wondered of course what it would be like in the morning assault. There were several card games. I spent some time talking with a CApt Robinson, of Ottawa, who would go ashore in an armored scout car for reconnaisance purposes. I was told later that he was killed.

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). Lots of rumors - talk of "fire bombs" which would ignite gasoline poured on the waters as the troops came in. Some thought we would be greeted with "low level rockets." These later turned out to be the V Ones that were hurled against London. One recalled Gen. Montgomery's words at the Press briefing at St Paul's School prior to embarkation -"He ( Jerry ) will probably meet us on the beaches and attempt to throw us into the Sea."

- for Cornelius Ryan 2 - Your name

Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? Yes. It was destroyed on June 13th during a German shelling of the Canadian Press CAmp.

Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or during the day? Two. See below [crossed out] [illegible] [end crossed out] about card game.

Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties ? Just good natured kidding about their endless card game.

Were you wounded? Busted portside foot and leg during enemy shelling of Press Camp.

Do you remember what it was like--that is, do you remember whether you felt any pain or were you so surprised that you felt nothing? Plenty of pain, but ran like deer to nearby slit trenches.

Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it did not, of course, seem amusing at the time? At about five hours out from South Hampton, enroute[crossed out]x[end crossed out] to Normandy, the Captain of our LCT, Lt. Wm. A. Moore, a Kent Englishman, called the four officers on our ship to a meeting on the quarter deck. I was included. We assumed this would be the briefing on the landings. Instead Moore talked about the untidy conditions of the Port Head. All officers, he said, should advise the men ( some sixty on our LCT) that the Captain would not tolerate unflushed bowls and tissue strewn about the floor. "If Jerry comes aboard at the landing, we simply would not wish him to find an untidy Head, would we? That is all, gentlemen," he said as he strode to his cabin. Later, at about ten hours out he gave his officers. the briefing: "In the morning," he said, as [crossed out][illegible][end crossed out] though he were discussing a coming picnic, "we shall meet Jerry on the beaches of FRance. I shall do my best to give you a dry landing." He did. He drove his ship high on the beach. No wet feet.

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, which struck you more than anything else? Yes, one that I've never been able to erase from memory. From the sailing at South Hampton, practically all through the 21 hours to Normandy, four Canadian soldiers on our ship played an incessant game of poker; [crossed out][illegible][end crossed out] no time out except for chow. The first ashore from our ship, I watched the four card players coming off our [crossed out] ship [end crossed out] on a BRen gun carrier. They were still fingering the cards. About five yards off the ramp into the beach the left tread of the carrier struck a land mine. The four men were hurled, writhing grotesquely, about 20 feet into the air. They came down to land in sitting positions exactly as they had been seated in the poker game. They were horribly wounded. Their ashen gray faces indicated merciful shock. Much of their clothing had been ripped from their bodies. Two appeared to be beyond medical aid. The other two would be cripped for life/. Some of us wept for them, unashamed.

- for Cornelius Ryan 3 - Your name

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? "Mike Red", the beach on which we landed, had an incredibly stupid Beach Master. The Canadian PRO Chief, Dick Malone, pledged to me back at briefing that upon our landing, the Beach Master would have instructions to allow me to file a brief story on his two way beach radio. I found the Beach Master and his radio allright, but he would allow not one press word to be filed on his two-way radio. It was a simple matter of relaying twenty five or fifty words via his radio to the off shore headquarters ship, which would [crossed out] [illegible] [end crossed out] radio the story to the MOI in London for dispatch to INS in New York. Since, according to official Canadian records, I was the first of any of the Warcos or PROs ashore, this could have been a world scoop. After our exchange of [crossed out] angy [end crossed out] angry words, the Beach Master made a rather good point in refusing my precious copy -- "There's a war going on here, Y'know."

Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? Aboard Canadian LCT No. 1116, kibitzing a poker game.

Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? Sound asleep, between clean white sheets, in the house of the Mayor of Graye sur Mer, France. My room mate was Charles Lynch a Reuters Warco.

Do you know of anybody else who landed within those 24 hours (midnight June 5 to midnight June 6) as infantry, glider or airborne troops, or who took part in the air and sea operations, whom we should write to? Capt. Jack Golding, PRO, Canadian Army. Charlie Lynch -- Reuters Capt. Colin MacDougal -- Photographer, Canadian Army Lt. Frank Dubervill - Photographer, Canadian Army (Last named two Canadian officers scooped world on photos of first waves of assault troops.

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 BF 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

235 EAST 45™ STREET TEL. MURRAY HILL 2-5600 NEW YORK 17, N.Y. CABLE ADDRESS: KINGSYN NEW YORK KING FEATURES SYNDICATE

March 4, 1958

Mr. Cornelius Ryan Overseas Press Club 35 East 39 Street New York, New York

Dear Connie:

I see by the OPC Bulletin that you are presenting a new book on the first twelve hours of the Normandy landings. And I have heard from John de Lorenzi that you want to talk to some of the fellows who made the H hour landings. [inserted]questionnaire[end inserted]

Well, sir, since you are my favorite violinist (the Mischa Elman of the correspondents corp) as well as one of my favorite correspondents, I will be glad to help, if you wish.

Just give me a buzz, and I will try to make the anecdotes flow like that first batch of Calvados we liberated in Courselles.

And I'll even tell the truth about Cornelius himself.

Very best,

Sincerely, (?JWJ?) Joseph Willicombe, Jr. JFW:pb