Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 015, folder 28: Bennie Walter Glisson

D-Day - Release USS Corry GLISSON, Bennie Walter Ga 26 ATLANTA

Releases (2) with PG. Box 15, #28

USS CORRY

UTAH

[*Glisson portion read to him on phone 2/12 at 10:30 & OK.*]

[*N-E Macon, GEORGIA LL GA 26 Survivor of the CORRY (sunk on D - day) quite articulate, & was stationed at the radio note record of D - day (attached)*]

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? Bennie Walter Glisson

What was your unit and division? U.S.S. Corry (DD463)

Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time? OMAHA BEACH 0300 6 June 1944

What was your rank on June 6, 1944? R/M 3/C (Radioman 3/C

What was your age on June 6, 1944? 23

[*Benjamin P. Lace East Boston, VA. Va* SHERWOOD 2 - 0261 Telephoned Nov. 6, 1958 C.R. WAL 2-5341 7187*]

Were you married at that tim ? No

What is your wife's name?

Did you have any children at that time? No

What do you do now? Teletype Operator. Robins AFB, Ga.

When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? Rumors were current to that effect even before we left Norfolk, Va. in May 1944, however we didn’t actually know officially until 3 June.

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 the channel was comparative to a funeral procession. June 4th we were served a turkey dinner with all the trimmings. When I got off watch and went to chow the mess hall was as silent as a tomb and I remarked, "You guys act like you are eating your last meal". I didn’t know it then but for about 32 or 33 of the crew it was the last turkey they ever ate. No one answered me when I made that remark so I shut up and started eating.

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). I don’t recall the rumor about the gasoline but the expression I heard many times was, "The English Channel will flow blood". We also heard about the obstacles on the beach and the guns in the caves which were mounted on railroad tracks which the Germans would run out, fire and then draw them back into the caves, making it almost impossible to knock out the guns. We reportedly knocked out three of these guns.

- for Cornelius Ryan 2 - Your name Bennie W. Glisson

Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? No. Diaries were strictly forbidden.

Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or during the day? I don't know. After I was taken to the hospital I never saw any of my shipmates again. I knew a few of the fellows who were killed but none from my division.

Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties? Most of the conversation while on the life rafts was about those lousy gunners on the beach who couldn’t even hit a life raft. They fired at us for about an hour after the ship was sunk and succeeded in hitting one of the rafts killing about three men. We talked about how icy the water was and wondered how long we'd have to stay in it before someone could come in and pick us up.

Were you wounded? Yes. A gash about two inches on my head and a broken knee.

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? Dazed at first but I didn't feel much pain until I was picked up and made more comfortable aboard the U.S.S. Butler. I didn’t have time to think much about being hurt, rather, how much worse I might be hurt before they stopped firing at us. I guess I was so cold I couldn't feel much pain anyway.

Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it did not, of course, seem amusing at the time? A first class baker whose battle station was on the forward torpedo tubes was hurled down on the main deck when we were hit. He stood up spun around about three times and dived head first over the side into the drink. I suppose he was the first man to hit the water. He was picked up by the same ship that picked me up and we were all laughing about how he did but he was so dazed for two or three hours he didn’t even recognize anyone and during that time I don’t think he even spoke to anyone; just walked around in a daze. We also heard that the captain of our ship sent his uniform to the laundry as soon as he was picked up and in 30 minutes he didn't look like he'd ever been wet.

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, which struck you more than anything else? Yes, I believe the saddest was the boy who prayed so hard that he would get back home. he died by drowning because he couldn’t swim. Others were drowned when the cargo net they were climbing to safety aboard a rescue ship broke and they became [crossed out]tangled[end crossed out] [crossed out]in[end crossed out] entangled and couldn’t escape. Lt. Parrot and Lt. Garay went down into the forward engine room to rescue some of the fellows who were trapped there and succeeded in bringing out all who were still alive. They braved live steam, smoke , hot oil and darkness to bring those boys out of there and if there was a man there who didn’t respect them before, I’m sure their esteem for them soared far above expectations. Our shijSs doctor was very heroic that day and for days afterward. He worked until he had to abandon ship and then for two or three days afterward at the Army hospital. When they urged him to stop and get some sleep he told them, ’’They are my boys and I should be the one to look after them”.

- for Cornelius Ryan 3 - Your name Bennie W. Glisson

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? Yes. Our gunners showed great ingenuity and initiative by continuing to fire our guns manually after we were hit. All the power was off but those boys continued to load and fire without automatic devices and when we abandoned the ship the gun barrels were burnt black and they fired until they were forced to leave. Another example of good training was the way everyone went to their abandon ship station with a mini- mum of confusion. The fire control crew did a good job in extinguishing the fire which started amidships when we were first hit and no doubt they were responsible for many of us being alive by controlling the fire and preventing its spreading to the magazines. That was one of our greatest fears. A fire in those magazines would have blown us right back to England or worse yet to Cherbourgh.

Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? I was on watch in the Radio Shack from midnight til 4 A.M. We were cruising off Normandy beach waiting for orders to go in.

Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? Aboard the U.S.S. Butler which picked me up after we were sunk. About that time the Butler was under heavy fire in the same position where we were sunk 17 hours earlier.

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? Offhand, no. I know two or three but their addresses I don't know.

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

U.S.S. CORRY DD 463 INVASION OF NORMANDY — FRANCE JUNE 6, 1944

On May 2, 1944 we arrived at Bangor, Co. Down, N. Ireland with an ammunition ship which we were escorting from Norfolk, Va. From there we went to Plymouth, England arriving there May 6th. And for about a month we thought we were a Ferry Boat. We were escorting various types of ships to and From Bangor, Ireland, Milford Haven and Torbay, England.

All that time was very boring to the crew because we knew we were waiting for The Big Job, the Invasion of France. Finally, on the morning of June 3rd, we pulled out and the Captain, Lieut. Commander George Dewey Hoffman U. S. N. , announced over the public address system very briefly, "WE ARE ON OUR WAY".

Later in the day he addressed us again over the P.A. system and told us in detail our plan of attack.

We were to steam slowly down the English Channel, keeping near the coast of England until the morning of the fourth of June and then cut straight across the Channel and head for the coast of France, arriving there the night of the fourth and stand by until daylight; at which time the fireworks were to begin. Our position was between La Havre and Cherbourg. We were to shell shore installations until our ammunition ran out and then return to England to replenish our supply and return to France and con- tinue shelling shore installations until we received further orders.