Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 008, folder 22: William J. Meddaugh

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82 AB MEDDAUGH, W. J. NY 14 Box 8, #22

Complete - Chinnock

505

story of friend & his 1st encounter with enemy

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[*AB - E (w/Coyle)

Best stuff yet * on air drop LL NY14*]

1. What is your full name? William J. Meddaugh [*37 Garden St - Hyde Park, N. Y.

2. What was your unit and division ? Co. ”E" - 505th Parachute Infantry Reg’t . 82nd Airborne Division

3. Where [crossed out]was your unit and division[end crossed out] did you arrive in Normandy & at what time? We dropped approximately 0100 hours of 6 June, 1944. My platoon did not hit the planned DZ and we landed about 3 miles east of Ste. Mere Eglise.

4. What was your rank on June 6, 1944? First Lieutenant, Inf.

5. What was your age on June 6, 1944? 24 years old.

6. Were you married at that time? Yes.

7. What is your wife's name? Mavis Tillis (maiden name ) of Columbus, Ga.

8. Did you have any children at that time? No.

What do you do now ? I am a Project Manager, associated with International Business Machines Corporation, at Poughkeepsie, New York

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10. When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? It was obvious that we would be part of the invasion on the mainland when we moved from Italy to North Ireland in November of 1943. We didn't know where or when but we were marked for it. As near as I can remember it was about 1 June, 1944, when we knew our time had run out. It was at this time that we moved to airports and were sealed in. We were soon told that the invasion point was the Normandy area. Our experience in Sicily and Salerno was not going to be written off.

11. What was the trip like during the crossing of the Channel? Do you remember, for example, any conversation you had or how you passed the time ?

[*have [crossed out]Wrote Coyle, no response[end crossed out]*]

The jump had been postponed the night of 5 June, 1944. It was like a last minute reprieve to a condemned man. Although our spirits were high, inside the butterflies were working overtime. It was my recollection that time was my greatest enemy and I had reached the end of the line. We had loaded our equipment bundles that afternoon. We moved out to the aircraft about 2200 hours and struggled into our chutes. There was a last minute flurry of hand shakes and good luck wishes. Lieuts. Jim Coyle and Ted Peterson, my closest friends in "E " Co. , shook hands with me briefly. Our comments, "Good Luck, see you on the ground." I was not to see either one of them again for six weeks or more. Both were wounded and evacu- ated before our paths crossed in Normandy. We took off approximately 2300 hours and settled back for the trip. My plane was loaded with veterans of Italy and Sicily. The butts were broken out -- conversation was slight. I was in command of the "stick". As such, I was the jumpmaster. It was my job to jump first. I can remember spending some time stand- ing in the open door. I could make out the rest of the formation in the hazy light of a half moon. I went back to my seat and relaxed. The crew chief warned me when we were 10 minutes from the DZ. I alerted the men, who immediately hastened last minute preparations, primarily checking their equipment. I stationed myself at the door again so I could see what was going on. We hit some heavy cloud formations and at one time I lost sight of the plane opposite me in the formation. I was a little uneasy, as any threat to a close formation when we jumped could be disastrous. A loose formation would scatter us too far.

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11 cont.

The red light came on and I ordered the men to, "Stand up and hook up." Ordinarily the pilot switches the red warn- ing light on 4 minutes from drop time. The men closed in behind me as I grasped the sides of the open door with each hand. We were over land now, and I could see tracers climbing into the sky towards the head of the formation. I could see flak exploding sporadically through the formation, but no one was hit, as far as I could see. I could feel the pilot throttle back and let down a little. We were flying in a V of V’s (9 planes per company). I was in the lead plane of the three plane group to the right. X X X X X ----- My Plane X X X X

In this position I was able to see the lead 3 plane group and the group to its left, very clearly. Suddenly the 3 plane group at the point of the V banked sharply to the left -- so sharply that the group to its left had to pull up sharply to avoid a mid- air collision. In doing so the 3 planes scattered. I knew at that instant that our company formation was destroyed. With a quick flash, I recalled the jump I made in the Sicilian inva- sion, where I landed 60 miles away from my DZ. "Here we go again, " I said to myself.

At that instant I saw the equipment bundles sweep by under- neath the plane. The pilot had salvoed the load too early. I swore to myself and saw the green light flash on. No time to think -- automatically — "Let 's go!" I stepped out and waited for the opening shock. It came — hard. Our jumping speed was too fast. I hung on and hit hard. I was in France and alive.

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12. 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). Our drop zone has been changed at the last minute, due to intelligence reports which indicated anti-airborne obstacles had been set up there. One of the favorite topics of conversation was whether or not we would be jumping into prepared anti-airborne defenses.

We were most vulnerable upon landing. Any loss of secrecy regarding the DZ to be used would be sure death.

13. Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? No.

14. Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or during the day? Lt. Roper Peddicord, platoon leader of the third platoon was killed on D-day. Roper was a good friend and a great loss. In my memory he stands out, although there were many friends killed and wounded that day.

15. Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties? My last words to Roper were when we wished each other good luck before boarding our planes in England. I didn't know I was never to see him again.

16. Were you wounded? I was not wounded.

18. Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it did not, of course, seem amusing at the time?

This incident is not necessarily amusing, but I feel it is rather unusual. Lt. John Walas, of Hamtramik, Mich., was my assistant platoon leader. I did not see him until after daylight of D-day.

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