Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 006, folder 44: William Joseph Phillips

PHILLIPS, William Joseph 29th Inf Div Md 8 [?SECT II?] Release 14 D-Day BOOK BOX 6, #44

Material Relenned 6/29/59 See special folder

9:30 AM. Easy Red

Story about "Arky" killing German motor cyclist with grenade

Release with PG

Run in If I can just get off beach

PHILLIPS, Wm. J. For Cornelius Ryan Book about D-Day WASHINGTON, D.C. (Maryland) except 25 Aug.- 3 Sept O - 1 MD - 8 Sec II

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? William Joseph Phillips

What was your unit and division? Co. E (for EASY) 115th Inf. 29th Inf Div.

Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time? 6 June 1944 at approximately 9:30 AM on Easy Red (Omaha) Beach.

What was your rank on June 6, 1944? Private

What was your age on June 6, 1944? Twenty-one

Were you married at that time? NO

What is your wife's name? Eleonore Maria Josephine Elise Eder Phillips Married in the Netherlands 18 April 45.

Did you have any children at that time? NO

What do you do now? Employed as a "Trouble" Dispatcher on the Trouble Desk of the Potomac Electric Power Co. Washington D.C.

When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? On or about 28-29 May 44 in a "staging area" in a field In Cornwall or Devonshire (about 30 miles from the Raleigh Barracks in Plymouth where we were to embark for the 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? Rough sea. Travelled on an LCI (Landing Craft Infantry) Capable of carrying one rifle company. Very shallow draft. Passed time w/calesthenics, equipment checking and rechecking, and a lot of BS sessions. ? "This outfit (29th) will never see combat. We've been in England so GD long that our job won't start til after the war is over. They are going to have us wipe the bluebird shit off the"White Cliffs of Dover." From USCG personnel on ship "Another dry run. Kee-rist, we've been doing this for the last 3 months- always going out and coming back". However when we showed them the 200 Francs "Invasion Money" each EM was issued, they sort of changed their tune. (Their knees began shaking too)

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). The ONLY rumor on the vessel was that after postponing the landings a time or two previously, due to unfavorable weather, that they might call the whole thing off (we hoped).

- for Cornelius Ryan 2 -

Your name PHILLIPS Wm. J.

Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? -NO -

Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or during the day? Several

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

Were you wounded? Not on 6 June (10 June 44)

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? Was too scared at the time to realize what had happened. Felt like someone had hit me in the abdomen with a club, about 1/2 hour later.

Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it did not, of course, seem amusing at the time? [crossed out] Definitely not [end crossed out] I was armed with an M-1 w/[crossed out] grnande [end crossed out][inserted] grenade [end inserted] launcher. To be able to fire this weapon, you must have a blank cartridge in the chamber - not a "live" round, and it occured to me how simple I must be-with the Krauts throwing everything but the proverbial kitchen sink at us and there I was with a BLANK cartridge in my rifle- what in the hell would I do if Herman the German jumped up in my face suddenly??

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, which struck you more than anything else? a) our 1st casualty was a married man with 4 childre n. Had his right leg blown off by a booby trap on the beach.

b) how a man who was such an unmitigated SOB all the time we were in England could turn out to be such an excellent officer in combat. (our battalion CO, Lt. Col. Ed Warfield) KIA 10 June 44.

c) Remark of Pvt Chas Profitt of platoon all the way from England to the beach. "I'll never make it off the beach. I just have that feeling- I'll never get off that beach". He did but was KIA 10 June. "If I can just get off that beach, I'll be alright."

d) How the battalion was able to march right up to the hedgerows where a K[crossed out]ra[end crossed out][inserted]ra[end inserted]ut Panzer outfit was digging in (we could hear them talking and digging their foxholes) do an about face, and get away [crossed out] undet [end crossed out] undetected. (This happened after darkness had fallen)

e) How little noise the wounded made.

- for Cornelius Ryan 3 - Your name PHILLIPS. Wm. J.

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? Not what you'd call "stupid" maybe "excitable" A GI in the Co. from Arkansas (naturally he was dubbed "Arky") who carried an M-1 with a grenade launcher. To fire this grenade, or rather to arm this grenade you must pull the safety pin out before you fire it. It is fired with a blank cartridge. A Kraut motorcycle was seen approaching containing a driver and an officer in the side-car. Arky got so damned excited when he saw them [crossed out] comi [end crossed out] coming that he fired the grenade without removing the safety pin. It struck the driver and took the lower part of his face off, ricocheted off him, struck the officer in the head, practically decapitiating him, ricocheted off the latter and stuck in a low stone wall at the side of the road. Further examination showed that the only thing wrong with the grenade was that the shaft (which fits over the launcher) was bent a little. Naturally, it did not explode, as the safety pin had not been removed. b) if you contact any other members of Co.E 115th, they will be able to verify this.

Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? [crossed out] S [end crossed out] Aboard an LCI (#408 or 409, I think), in the English Channel.

Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? Southeast of St.Laurent sur-Mer.

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? Truthfully, I know of no one at this time who would be satisfied to give a factual account of any operations they may have taken part in.

If there is some way that you could notify me a little in advance, I will be available for an interview practically any time. Just need a few days to, rearrange my work schedule, which can be accompolished without any touble. Most of my work is shift work from 4PM to Midnight or Midnight to 8AM. However I will not be available on ANY Wednesday AM. The last week of August I shall be at a cabin in Westmoreland State Park (Virginia) about 20 miles below Colonial Beach on the Chesapeake Bay. If Mr. Ryan would feel like "getting away from it all" for a few days, he and his family will be welcome. (25 Aug to 3 Sept 58)

I have omitted several things I know of, but as you can see from the errors in this letter, I am not very adept at being an ameteur story-teller. Probably do much better just talking.

Very Truly Yours Wm. J. Phillips

PLEASE LET US HAVE THIS QUESTIONNAIRE AS SNON 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

3902 Queensbury Road Hyattsville, Maryland 28 May 58

Miss Frances Ward Reader's Digest 230 Park Avenue New York, N.Y.

Miss Ward: I am writing this in reply to a paragraph I read in the June issue of the American Legion Magazine referring to persons who landed in the Normandy Invasion. On the 6th June 1944 I landed on Easy-Red Beach (Omaha) as a rifle grenadier ( the 11th man in the 3rd squad of the 3rd platoon of Company "E" 115th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division. I remained with "E" Company until after the fall of St.Lo. Subsequently was transferred to Regimental Headquarters Company of the 115th and finished the war with them. I will be glad to answer any questions that you may have- if I am able to - with no "enlarging" of the details - Iassure you. Even including my 6 Korean campaigns, I think that the Normandy operation will always remain in my mind as the "biggest" (and the most scared) time of my life.

Very Truly Yours William J. Phillips William J. Phillips #2

PS Am enclosing a photostaic copy of my form 53-55 to authenticate the above.