Page 3

- for Cornelius Ryan 2 -

Your name James J . Coyle

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?
1st Lieutenant Roper Peddicord, a find officer who was Platoon Leader
of the 3rd Platoon of E Company, was killed sometime after landing by
a German sniper.

Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they
became casualties ? Just after the briefing, before we boarded the planes
in England he and I had made a bet resulting from the detailed plan he
had made for his platoon in accomplishing their initial objectives.
I held that it was better to wait until we were on the ground to see
what men and weapons were available to us, how close we landed to our
objectives and the strength and position of the enemy, before giving
detailed assignments to each squad. We had bet five pounds on whether
or not he would be able to use the plan he had worked out on the map
in England. As it turned out, he and the men in his plans landed quite
a distance from the company and his objective, and he was killed while
leading his own men to rejoin E Company. I wish I had lost that bet.

Were you wounded? I was wounded on June 7.

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 remember very well that it was like a terrific kick in the
seat of the pants which should give you a general idea of where I
was shot.

Do you remember seeing or or hearing anything that seems funny now, even
though it did not, of course, seem amusing at the time ?
Our combat suits had been especially impregnated for this one
operation with a chemical to resist gas attack. It had a strong odor
and wel all smelled to high heaven. In addition we had been issued one
item of equipment to signal each other while assembling after the
jump. It was similar to the toy kids used to get in a crackerjack
box which made a noise like a cricket when it was pressed and released
rapidly. Between the smell of the suits and the buzzing of those
"crickets" on the DZ I'm sure that the Germans thought they were
being attacked by an army of locusts.

Do you recall any incident , sad or heroic, or simply memorable, which struck
you more than anything else?
See attached sheet.