Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 011, folder 21: Richard Conley

Cornelius Ryan Collection of World War II Papers Mahn Center for Archives and Special Collections Ohio University Libraries

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

What is your full name? RICHARD HOPKINS CONLEY

What was your unit and division? Co. E, 18th INF, 1st INF DIVISION

Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time? EASY RED SECTOR OF OHAHA BEACHHEAD, AT APPROXIMATELY 1130 AM, 6 JUN 44

What was your rank on June 6, 1944? SECOND LIEUTENANT

What was your age on June 6, 1944? 23 YEARS, 3 MOUNTHS

Were you married at that time? YES

What is your wife's name? LOIS GERHARD CONLEY

Did you have any children at that time? YES - ONE BOY BORN 12 MAR 44

What do you do now? CAPTAIN, INFANTRY, US ARMY TEST OFFICER IN USA INFANTRY BOARD, FT BENNING, GA

When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? DURING 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? WATER WAS ROUGH. I SAT IN ON A POKER GAME USING INVASION SCRIPT. WHILE THE STARES WERE SMALL, I WON. FINALLY ONE OFFICER SAID "HELL! IT'S ONLY MONEY! LET'S TAKE THE LIMIT OFF!" (HE HAD BEEN LOSING!). EVERYONE AGREED, AND ABOUT MIDNIGHT, (5JUNE) I HAD ONE AMERICAN CENT LEFT. I FELT ILL, SO WENT UP ON DECK FOR SOME FRESH AIR. IT WAS VERY QUITE ON BOARD.

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). THE ONLY "RUMOR" I RECALL WAS THAT OF CONFIDENCE IT WAS SAID THAT THIS THING (THE INVASION) WAS SO BIG IT JUST COULDN'T FAIL TO SUCCEED. OH - ONE OTHER: MY OUTFIT (ALREADY BATTLE-PROVEN IN NORTH AFRICA AND SICILY) WOULD JUST MAKE THE INITIAL LANDING, FIGHT FOR A FEW DAYS; THEN FRESH, NEW DIVISIONS WOULD PASS THRU US AND WE WOULD REST.

- for Cornelius Ryan 2 - Your name R. H. CONLEY

Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? NO - BUT I HAVE MY NOTEBOOK OF THAT PERIOD.

Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or during the day? NONE KILLED. 9 MEN IN MY PLATOON WERE WOUNDED (AS WERE MANY OTHERS IN THE COMPANY)

Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties? THERE WAS NO TIME FOR CONVERSATION, AS SUCH, DURING THAT DAY. I HELD A FINAL BRIEFING PRIOR TO LOADING INTO LCVP's FROM THE LIBERTY SHIP, AS DID ALL OTHER UNIT LEADERS.

Were you wounded? ABOUT 8:30 PM, 8 JUNE, NEAR MOSLES, FRANCE.

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? IT WAS A MACHINE-GUN BULLET INTO MY LEFT HAND. IT WAS A VERY HARD BLOW, AND DID NOT PAIN ME UNLESS I TRIED TO MOVE MY FINGERS. I JUST CRAWLED BACK BEHIND COVER AND HAD MY RUNNER BANDAGE IT.

Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it did not, of course, seem amusing at the time? ALL INFANTRYMEN ARE TAUGHT THE NECESSITY FOR A SAFE INTERVAL (5 - 10 YARDS) BETWEEN MEN EXPECTING ENEMY FIRE, AND OF COURSE SURVIVAL INSTINCT DICTATES "HITTING THE DIRT" WHEN FIRED UPON. GOING UP THE SLOPE OF THE FIRST [inserted] OVER [end inserted] RIDGE RUNNING PARALLEL WITH THE BEACH WE FOLLOWED IN SINGLE FILE BECAUSE OF HEAVY SATURATION OF ANTIPERSONNEL MINES. WHEN MORTARS AND SHELLS DID COME IN THEN, WE WERE "BUMPER-TO-BUMPER" IN OUR ANXIETY TO GET UP OFF THE BEACH, AND COULD ONLY SQUAT IN PLACE BECAUSE OF THE MINES!

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, which struck yeu more than anything else? AFTER GETTING UP OVER THE RIDGE, MY COMPANY HAD A SHORT HALT TO GET SQUADS AND PLATOONS STRAIGHTERED OUT BEFORE PUSHING ON. THIS MEMORY WILL ALWAYS STAY WITH ME! I WAS SHIVERING UNCONTROLLABLY FROM HEAD TO FOOT, AND WAS ASHAMED (THIS WAS MY FIRST COMBAT). THEN, I LOOKED AROUND AT THE OTHER PLATOON LEADERS IN MY COMPANY, ALL BATTLE-WISE VETERANS FROM PREVIOUS CAMPAIGNS, AND THEY WERE SHIVERING JUST AS BAD AS I WAS! I LOST MY FEELING OF SHAME, AND IMMEDIATELY FELT BETTER ABOUT MYSELF NOT BEING A COWARD!

ANOTHER INCIDENT THAT WAS CERTAINLY NOT FUNNY THEN: BEING THE PLATOON LEADER, I WAS FIRST MAN OFF THE LCVP AS SOON AS THE RAMP LOWERED. MY LCVP GOT IN AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE, BUT WHEN I CAME CHARGING OUT, I WAS IN 2-2 1/2 FEET OF WATER. THE WATER OF COURSE SLOWED MY FEET DOWN - BUT NOT THE REST OF ME! I WENT DOWN FULL LENGHT, THEN RECOVERED AND CRAWLED AND STUMBLED TO DRY BEACH. THE SOAKING DIDN'T MATTER - WE HAD BEEN IN THE LCVP ABOUT 4 1/2 HOURS, AND SPRAY FROM HIGH SEAS HAD SOAKED US ALL.

- for Cornelius Ryan 3 - Your name R. H. CONLEY

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? SORRY, I DO NOT.

Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? ON BOARD A LIBERTY SHIP ENROUTE TO OFF-SHORE DISEMBARKING POINT.

Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? ABOUT ONE MILE INLAND, IN THE VICINITY OF COLLEVILLE - SUR - MUR, FRANCE.

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? 1st LT. STANSON R. JONES, 2575 SHARPE AVE., COLUMBUS, GA. CAPT LEDA. STUMBAUGH, 507 ELM ST., LAWRENCE, KANSAS COL. SIDNEY V. BINGHAM, JR., 023269, c/o THE ADJUTANT GENERAL, WASHINGTON 25, D.C. (PLEASE FORWARD) (NOTE: I DO NOT KNOW COL. BINGHAM'S PRESENT ADDRESS) MAJOR SHRABLE D. WILLIAMS, PO BOX 123, FT BRAGG, N.C.

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 SUFFICIMT 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

US Army Infantry Board Ft Benning, Georgia 9 April 1958

Miss France Ward READERS DIGEST 230 Park Avenue New York, New York

Dear Miss Ward:

At about 2400 hours, 5 June 1944, I got up from a poker game on board a Victory ship and went up on deck for some fresh air. I had one American cent left, the water was rough, and I was leading a rifle platoon of Co "E", 18th Infantry, 1st Infantry Division, ashore on the EASY RED sector of Omaha Beach the next morning.

I still have the notebook I used for the Normandy invasion, containing the names of the men in my platoon and the notes received at the pre-invasion meeting held aboard ship. I can read most of the notes, and would be glad to furnish any information I can, to help you prepare your story.

At any rate, I look forward to reading the finished article!

Very truly yours, Richard H Conley RICHARD H. CONLEY Captain, Infantry