Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 007, folder 50: James J. Coyle

March 6th Meeting 5 :30 p.m. Mr. Ryan's office

John Coyle: John Keller; Tom McLean; (Tony Demayo (all 82nd AB. (Pathfinder

Landed - set up 7 lights; as soon as heard first noise ducked for cover;

man on radar to keep flashing from moment he set up his unit

No trouble; didn't hear sound; nice night ; nothing in field ; peaceful night in summer; big report ;

2nd battallion went to right place; get on zone ; set up lights; when main body came on; used little tin police whistles

1st night boarding planes said its off; did not know weather was reason for its off.

30 minutes on DZ

Said God help glider boys with those trees.

Tony on DZ slightly north of St. Marie Eglise.

Whole Group in picture - complete stick.

Set up cross of lights; get off field; take cover; to remain there until they hear the first sound of an airplane and turn on lights

Plane overhead and all of sudden mine bag blew up (an equipment bundle of mines blows up )

Tony says - now we're going to get it.

No planes hit.

Hear fellow hollering; the old geronimo! Is that you! They holler across men knew who was in.

Vandervoort's battalion.

Coyle: Saw him sitting down in a ditch, said what are you doing - never said he was hurt; didn't know he was hurt.

Had as a signal - green light on a pole 7 ft.

Is this where the light will be: Van: yes we'11 assemble here.

Coyle: Saw T as plain as day and saw Vandervoort

Tony: 2nd battalion briefed to look for farmhouse and haystick landed right.

Same DZ - Keller tie in Beck

Small field - small pistol; got on a road; first man to run into Carl Beck who was limping - something out of uniform; called pass word - was ready to shoot.

Hey Keller is that you?

Astounded at no sound

Stayed less than an hour - 2:51 roughtly Nothing happened.

1st firing actually started in St. Mere Eglise

Coyle: 3rd battalion took town did not fire a shot

town was taken

Vandervoort 2nd bat. - in its assemblies; well organized; worked like clock work - land on DZ; move into town; take town

Keller: Main artery to the right - kid stopped tank - dead Just outside La Plante Tommy Burke blasted one jerry tailing us down the road - gun ricocheted, threw up hands and gave up.

Tom: Infantry - after town was taken 2 tanks coming down the road and no anti-aircraft, kid in hedgerow - kid went out with a bazooks and stopped tank. He was machine-gunned waist up.

Coyle: St. Mere Eglise - walked through town without a shot If anybody landed and lost he joined 1st outfit he'd meet

Tom: No resistance at all in St. Mere Eglise.

Keller: When Beck was injured, tied up 15 other 15 boys; Beck carrying two boxes of ammo for Pvt. Hable, killed later. insisted on carrying machine gun ammo - comical -came to stream, made his leap - all the boys threw rifles and everything to^ ^get Beck out - he could have drowned.

-330 men full platoon McClean: When hit DZ - squad leaders reported; stayed on DZ and sent men toward battalion assembly and when last came in, he went in - Wore jumping smock Krauses CP in bottom of the hole Krause sent me out to contact seaborne forces about in the morning of D-Day. In St. Mere Eglise have position facing EAST From DZ to assembly about an hour Get in St. Mere Eglise - all quiet Went in last squad in single file - picked up others and deployed outside of town Deployed facing east 82nd - 3rd combat jump - Sicily and Salerno 101st - 1st jump Tom on the EAST of St. Mere Eglise - approx. 50 men; light machine 3 - 60 MM mortars - 3 BAR rifles - no mines - light line - hedgerows with orders to withdraw - stay until daybreak. Go to town and find Krause to the south of the church in the field 7 or 8 a.m. No French Middle of the field against one side Krause - I want you to take your platoon to contact the seaborne forces. Make contact with them and find out where we are going. Asked him if it was to be just an ordinary contact patrol. Take the entire platoon Not to engage in fire just to contact Krause insisted to take whole platoon 3 1/2 miles to contact 4th division

-4Gave instructions to send a runner back Down the main road 17 gliders men under strain - tough time Strictly contact control - travel light - fast Nothing but Sauerkrauts between them and the beach Get to St. M. Dumont - about 11 - took 10 runners No Germans 4th Division - hit the point of their colums waved orange flags - friendly troops Spoke to first guy - where's the commanding officer - pointed back there. Recalls - met scouts - road depressed - hill 7 ft. high on the road troops deployed When left St. Mere Eglise, followed road deployed on either side of the road 82nd AB control of St. Mere Eglise Where was he going His answer - what are they held up for. Why isn't the column going He was proceeding in the same direction One machine gun fired Pick up Turn back to St. Mere Eglise

- 5 - McCloy - 3rd position - southern end of town - form into position afternoon Have 2 platoons Lt. Ted Peterson and he rounded up platoons being foxholed St. Mere Eglise fallen - 2nd battalion moves in / Tony: 1st, 2nd and 3rd bat. - 2nd bat. lead plane 30 minutes waiting Jim: in afternoon got word Turnbull was being clobbered Turnbull young about 21 - tall 6 ft. 185 lbs. dark, black hair half Indian Capt. Clyde Russel sends for Peterson and Coyle Help to get out to cover retreat hear firing (2nd jump for Coyle) Turnbull was beat up - hear all the firing up the road move up the road no troops nothing in La Plante moving up the left Spot a German column coming to the left in back of the town opened fire and stopped held them Sent runner to Turnbull and told him he had permission wounded left he pulled back came back firing as retreated About midday