Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 008, folder 32: Edson Duncan Raff

RAFF, Edson Duncan Ger 3 Box 8, #32

HQ 82nd Came in on Utah Beach

Miss Wood: I am available for interview at anytime. ED Raff 10June58 Germany For Cornelius Ryan Book about D-Day Carrie ashore with 4th Div. leading tanks att. to 82nd P - saw disaster glider operaion of D-Day aft Has 2 other people at VII Corps Hq GER3 THOUSANDS OF MEN, ON LAND AND SEA AND IN THE AIR, PARTICIPATED IN THE INVASION OF NORMANDY BETWEEN MIDNIGH JUNE 5, 1944 AND MIDNIGHT JUNE 6, 1944. IF YOU WERE ONE OF THEM, PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

What is your full name? Edson Duncan Raff

What was your unit and division? Hq 82nd Airborne Division. I was co armored Task Force (w/ mission of breaking through to 82nd AB Div consisting of 1 Co Med Tanks, 1 platoon Armored cars, 1 Co 325th Infantry (airborne) riding tanks

Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time? Utah Beach Between 1200 + 1500 6 June 44

What was your rank on June 6, 1944? Colonel

What was our age on June 6, 1944? 37 years

Were you married at that time? Yes

What is your wife's name? Virginia Chouey

Did you have any children at that time? Son Thomas Duncan Son James Chouey

What do you do now? G-1 Hq VII Corps

When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? May 1944

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? The trip across Channel on British LCT was smooth all the way. Except for burning of 1 landing craft no incidents occurred. Major Raph Ingerson and I spent time on Top deck w/ officers of ship. In conversation I mentioned that this was a hell of a way for a combat paratrooper to make an invasion - by sea. I wished I could be jumping w/ res of trooper

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.) No rumorsreference Germans. Their failure to appear in the air during previous two days Channel marked by flags put out all by Allied mine sweepers gave terrific sense of security from any enemy land or sea opposition.

- for Cornelius Ryan 2 - Your name RAFF

Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? No. Excellent account is given in Top Secret by R. Ingersol of happening of that day Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or during the day? None during D-day.

Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties? No 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? NA Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it did not, of course, seem amusing at the time? On arriving at forward elements of 4th Div with task force I found enemy occupying hill South of Ste Mere Eglise 500 yds away with cannon company [US ?] 4th Div firing across valley which at 2100 would become glider Landing Zone. Gliders which had landed early were strewn about- some of them across the vally on the enemy's wooded hill. It was urgent that the valley be cleared for the glider elements from England. I ordered my tanks to attack. Within an hour at least 3 shermans had been knocked out and set on fire by German [ A?] fire. Despite frantic efforts to warn Gen Williams AF Commander of Troop carrier of the situation on the LZ I knew the glider lift would be on time Colonel Van Fleet Regt'l Co of the 4th Div arrived on reconnaissance at the spot and I pleaded with him to make an attack to drive out

he had reached his forward line for the day. To my horror at 2100 the glider lift came in low over the valley. Every enemy weapon opened fire on the train of C-47s and gliders (some British built gliders and some American). Like watching a movie in which the full plot was known I realized that [crossed out] my [end crossed out] the smoking knocked-out tanks were [crossed out]really [end crossed out] appearing [crossed out] as [end crossed out] LZ markers in the evening light to the pilots in the troop carriers, so unerringly did they release the gliders over that valley. Some troop carrier aircraft then circled slowly around flying over the enemy across the valley on the way back to England. At least two were hit by fire and exploded over the enemy held hill. Gliders were crashing into hedgerows all around the valley. Some even landed in the enemy held woods. The British gliders, made of wood, completely disintegrated in the crashes. Men tumbled out completely ^stunned and inarticulate. It was useless to try to direct them. But out of all this confusion units grew as individuals came together and in the morning of D + 1 a breakthru was effected to the 82nd AB division and reinforcements of

- for Cornelius Ryan 3 - RAFF Your name 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? Glider pilots who had supposedly been trained in infantry tactics were formed in groups as infantry and ordered to participate in the afternoon attack to clear the enemy off the hill. They suddenly discovered that the role of infantry was not easy. This incident caused a decree to be issued afterward that glider pilots would be used in defensive roles only. Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? on English Channel aboard British LCT Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? On beachhead line, south of Ste Mere Eglise, facing what later proved to be a German paratroop bri. Do you know 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 ? Landed on D-Day at 0113--Lt Col. John Joseph Hq VII Corps APO 107 NY NY Landed on D-Day at 0230 -- Capt Savele Reed Hq VII Corps APO 107 NY NY

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 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