Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 008, folder 07: Bartley Edward Hale

[inserted] 82 1713 [end inserted] HALE, Bartley Edward Ga 32

[inserted] 507

Mostly aftewars stories Attach toward [illegible] at 1500 Boys with ammo get house from Freud Faines sign receipt "Uncle Sam"

Box 8, #7

[inserted] GA-32 Marietta, GA AB-E BLUE- from [illegible] a suburb) [end inserted]

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 MIDNGIHT JUNE 6, 1944. IF YOU WERE ONE OF THEM, PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

What is your full name? Bartley Edward Hale What was your unit and division? 507th Parachute Infantry, 82nd Airborne Division Where do you arrive in Normandy, and at what time? Between St. Mere Eglise and Volognes. About 0200. What was your rank on June 6, 1944? 2nd Lt. What was your age on June 6, 1944? 31 Were you married at that time? No What is your wife's name? Anneil Jones Hale Did you have any children at that time? No

What do you do now? I retired from the army in 1956 and am now a student at the Univeristy of Georgia. When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? My unit went to a marshalling area in England six days before D day and started briefing 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? Our flight of C 47's got airborne about 2230 hours. I don't know anything about the route but I do Know they flew us on a round about course and flew over the Guernsey and Jersey Islands where some anti aircraft fire was encountered. When they got on true course they flew only about 100 feet above the channel. There was little conversation in flight. Everyone was loaded with equipment that it was impossible to move around in the plane and, too, all the men had taken motion sickness pills and were drowsy. I do remember St. McCarroll saying just before we hit the French Coast, that if he were home now his favorite "hot spot" would be infull swing.

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). Of course there was no time on the plane for rumors to start but in the marshalling area "Axis Sally" was talking to the boys over the radio telling them what a "warm reception" awaited them. It had no effect at all except it was food for a laugh and she played good music.

- for Cornelius Ryan 2 - Your name Bartley Edward Hale

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. Lt. Patterson was killed just after the jump and several others that I learned about later.

Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties? We had just cross the Merdareth River and were attacking toward Amferville at about 1500 D day and was hled up temporarily. A boy (I can't remember his name now) stated that he wanted to get his damn war over with in hurry and get back and help his dad in the trucking business. Just as we started to advance again, a German 88 just about tore him to pieces.

Were you wounded? No. Not in Normandy. I was later wounded in the Battle of the Bulge. Do you remember what it was like--that is, do you remember whether you felt any pain or were so surprised that you felt nothing?

Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it may not have seemed funny at the tinme?

I remember two boys in one of the mortar squads, being burdened down with ammunition(we had no transportation of course), securing a horse that the Germans had left behind, obtaining a cart and harness from a protesting French farmer, consoling him with a receipt written on a messag blank, signed "Uncle Sam".

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic or simple memorable, which struck you more than anything else?

Yes. At about dusk on D day while enroite to Anferville, we were cuaght in an apple orchard with an extremely artillery barrage. Little cover was available and we suffered heavy casuaulties. A medical officer (Capt.) (I think his was PHieffer) from another battalion immediately started attending to the wounded before the firing ceased. I thought that was one of the bravest thigns I saw throughout the war.

- for Cornelius Ryan 3 - Your name Bartley Edward Hale

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 from D-day?

When we jumped into Normandy every man had 1 Gammon grenade. This grenade is powerful enough to stop a light tank. The telephone poles on the highway between St. Mere Eglise and Volognes were made of concrete. I thought that to cut communications would be a good way to expend my grenade. When daylight came, I saw that about everyone had had the same idea- just about all the poles had been knocked down by Gammon grenades.

Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? In flight. Possibly over the Jersey or Guernsey Islands. Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? In an apple orchard between the Merdareth River and Amferville.

Do you know of anybody else who landed within the 24 hours of D-day, June 6, as infantry, glider or airborne troops, or who took part in the air and sea operations, whom we should write to?

Maj. John A. Hughes 4204 So. 7th Rd. Arlington,4, Va.

Mr. Bob Bearden 803 Carrie Killeen, Texas

Dr. Thomas P. Woodward 926 S. Ironwood Drive South Bend 16, Ind.

Mr. Gordon Nagel 1115 S. 149 East Ave. Tulsa, Okla.

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 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

2nd Lt. Bartley E. Hale, 31, of the 82nd Airborne Div. says:

I remember two boys in one of the mortar [crossed out][illegible][end crossed out] squads being burdened down with ammunition (we had no transportation of course), securing a horse that the Germans had left behind, obtaining a cart and harness from a protesting French farmer, consoling him with a receipt written on a message blank, signed "Uncle Sam".