Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 007, folder 39: Neal W. Beaver

Beaver, Neal Ottawa Rubber Co,. Box 634 Toledo - 3rd Bn, 508th, 82nd AB Box 7, #39 508

82nd AB [?] Toledo Ohio For Cornelius Ryan Sothern Rubber Co Box 634 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 ? Neal W. Beaver What was your unit and division? 3rd Bn -508th- 82nd Div Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time ? ??- 1:30 to 2:00 AM June 6th About 3 miles south of Chef Du Pont What was your rank on June 6, 1944? 2nd Lt What was your age on June 6, 1944? 20 Were you married at that time? yes What is your wife * s name ? Ruth Did you have any children at that time ? yes What do you do how? cost accountant When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? winter- 1944 What was the trip like during the crossing of the- Channel ? for example, any conversations you had or remember, or how you passed the time? Urinating

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).

- for Cornelius Ryan - Your name Neal W.Beaver

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? yes

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

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? I was standing in the door of the plane and was hit in the chin- that plane was going low & fast - as was being hit w/ m.g. fire

Do you remember seeing- or bearing anything that seems funny now, even though it did not, cf course, seem amusing at the time? all we wanted to do was get out and on the ground- our element so to speak I landed exactly in front of a pill box I took a look at that dark opening and froze -I then slowly waved one hand - and when nothing happened got up - the handwaving was sort of superflous eh?

Do you recall any incident, sad or simply memorable, which struck you more than anything else? The fact that we and the air corp crew were so "hopped up" with training esprit etc. that we nearly went crazy transferring equipement and men to another [illegible] returned to start I often wonder now How in Hell the army had us up so "high" [?so?] trying to get killed.

- for Cornelius Ryan 3 - Your name Neal W. Beaver

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?

Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? In the air over the channel Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? At a large farm house which had been converted to a hospital by the remains of a glider medical detachment

Do you katfow 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? MAJOR- MALCOLM D. BRANNEN U.S. ARMY PLEASE DON'T MISS HIS STORY.

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 HOT LEFT SUFFICIENT ROOM. FULL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT WILL BE GIVEN HI 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

(by DK)

NEAL BEAVER - 2nd Lt. Mortar Platoon Leader 3rd Battalion 508

Beaver described D-Day as "the day I grew up". Beaver was 20 and it was his first combat but he and the boys in his platoon (3 plane loads) were very eager. While waiting to load at 1100, plane motor conked out. The platoon rushed for a spare plane. They ran across the airfield practically in tears for fear they would not get to go, dragging their heavy bundles behind them. Few of the bundles broke and had to be left behind. Because of this last minute shift in plane Beaver’s group did not rendezvous with the rest of the striking forces, they went in all alone. The only jump planes they saw was the planes that had carried the 101s and were now coming back. Nelson, the pilot, made a sterling attempt to put the boys on their drop zone. He made two tries, each time came back in through AA fire over the beach. When the plane was hit the pilot or co-pilot was hit in the foot. Beaver standing in the door had spotted the rivers in the drop zone but they dropped three to four miles south and east where they were supposed to go. While standing in the door Beaver was hit in the chin by a tracer and jumped out in a hurry. They dropped from 300 ft. but the plane was going fast. In the doorway Beaver’s man had jammed up and Beaver had decided he had to hold them back. They dropped down into the postage stamp fields near a chateau outside of either Chef-du-Pont or Eitienville. All the men from the 3 planes dropped close together. Beaver had hit hard so hard he said he was jarred for half an hour. He had landed in front of a pillbox. He waved his hands gently to see if anything would happen there was no one in the pillbox so he lay there cussing the War Dept. and Washington and everyone else who was responsible for getting him there. Said he never felt so alone in his life. So he ran on to a bunker which was empty - the gun was still there and the gun was still hot and he likes to believe that this is the gun that hit him in the chin. There was plenty of fire around so Beaver yelled out and gathered up practically all of his men plus some men from the 101st. By this time