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Amityville (L.I.) N.Y. LL NY39 Had 2 sons in Navy toohad been in WWI 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 ? Timothy Gerald Kelly 708-65-78 What was your unit and division? Crew #30- 81st Naval Construction Battalion USNR "Seabees" Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time ? Normandy- Seine Bay- about 12 noon- we were to take the combatant engineers ashore to Utah beach (blue beach) from the LST No. 49
What was your rank on June 6, 1944? Chief Electricians' Mate "C.P.O." What was your age on June 6, 1944? 45 years Were you married at that time? yes What is your wife's name ? Hazel B. Did you have any children at that time? yes-four- "Gerald" 21 in U.S. Navy- aboard U.S.S. Mayo- hit in Anzio- Jan 1943- "June" -18 yes-daughter worked in Grumman Aircraft- 18yrs Timothy Peter- 16yr- enlisted in Navy - on 17th birthday- served aboard USS Smartt attacked by enemy planes- near Gibraltar- shot one day- Kenneh 13 yrs- going to high schoolWhat do you do now? work for New York Telephone Co- 36 years- installer- now a back tap clerk Real Estate Salesman- part time When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? about April- our outfit buildt Naval Hospital at Milford Haven, Wales- also repaired building in London after bombed 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 ? my thoughts went back to first world war- when I enlisted at age 19 so I could be one of first overseas- I said to myself - I finally made. many were reading, playing cards -some sleeping- the sight was a thrill to me- to see so many- I did say prayers- off and on- then thinking of home and my family and my two sons- I felt I lived my life, so it is a chance I will pull through- I made up my mind to be brave- planes were flying overhead- going back to England- a sight I'll never forget.
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 ). we felt and knew we had to win- with out mass of men and ships - as we pulled in and dropped anchor- I got all my crew ready to go over the side of LST #49 down the rope ladder - into our small craft to take us aboard our barge- I lost my carbine rifle the snap came lose and dropped into water just missing coxswain on small (LCUP) Our tug crew was aboard another LST- we tied up and pull out to marry to bow gangway of LST #49 to unload soldiers from LST.
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- for Cornelius Ryan 2 - Your name Timothy G. Kelly
Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? Yes - Small book - breif - small accounts & name of wounded brought back to U.K. Got many names-
Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or during the day? Yes - my shipmate and tug chief he was wounded - when the shell hit his tug - we got them aboard oour barge -
Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties? No
Were you wounded? Yes -
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? Yes, after we were hit with shell - my officer in charge - wanted batteries for flashlight - his orders were to hit beach where they were flashing - to us it looked like the Germans - enemy has same idea - we were nearing beach when hit. It was about 2400 on June 6th 1944 - alot happened too much to write now.
Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it did not, of course, seem amusing at the time? Yes, it seem after we were hit - small crafts - nearing us - wouldn't pull close - we really needed help - we had casualties suffering with their wounds - it was a dreary, long, long night - we all were looking for daybreak - at daybreak - the 722 destroyer came close - we told them we needed help - their skipper sent crafts to take our wounded to hospital ship - I remained aboard - and we hit beach about 0700 - the beach was hot - the soldiers rolled off with their trucks and jeeps - many never making it too far -
[*Post D - day*] Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, which struck you more than anything else? Yes, when we took off our men from the tug - especially my shipmates chief Lutz - and man name Krull from Chicago - they were in bad shape - the latter died in hospital. Another seabee a member of my crew was shot through shoulder, he was walking around, he came to me and I told him - help should be here soon, I was trying to help a soldier who really needed help. He died at hospital too - we tried hard to save our tug - it was sinking fast - we had to let it sink. On the beach our barge was high and dry we repaired our broken ramp - to make more trips to ships - after it was repaired - our officer went off to dig a foxhole, leaving me in charge - everyone wanted to dig a foxhole because - it was real hot on the beachhead - 88's dropping all around us - then over head came (over)
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six or eight Jerry planes - strafing us- I saw two of my crew- young boys one from Maspeth, N.Y. another from Philadelphia -Pa they would of been hit. I told them to jury overboard- they did and a plane was over me I threw myself on a pile of men taking cover and the shells was hitting the deck heavily- one shell hit me near my left leg- making it numb- it felt as though it was gone. I had a young fellow from New Jersey - named Diamond a coxswain he said I'll be leaving chief its to damn hot here. Best of Luck fellows- Im shoving off. finally things calmed down- I went up on the sand hills- my officer - a Texan he had the boys dig a fox hole for him and I- it was like our grave- that was the thought I had in my mind. I figured if a shell broke near our foxhole it was the end- We went to sleep with the shelling- The big ships, The Texas, Arkansas, and other were shelling inlandJune 8th we pulled out for another load of troops- the 88th Division We tied up at Liberty Ship the "Robertson" unloaded their trucks. Here I met a fellow from Freeport , N.Y. I lived in Bellmore, N.Y. a few miles from him- he and I were chatting away and here again we were strafed by Jerry Planes - I jumped off ladder to a Landing Craft tied alongside ship- Many things happened a German Pilot bailed out and was swamped with yanks on the Beachhead Another American Pilot jump from his planes. I think was hit by American Gunners June the 9th we hit beach again and it was so bad we shoved off - and went to get aboard the J.J. Robinson a hospital ship loaded with survivors from ships sunk in Beachheadthis is where I folded up- my concussion got bad and I blacked out- and was sent to sick bay-was there until shipped to England-
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- for Cornelius Ryan 3 - 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? I was told my officer dissappeared and was under the bunks aboard Liberty ship we were tied up to. this was June 8th-1944- the Jerry came over and strafed us and dropped a bomb near ship which - felt we were gone, I went to sleep in hatch-I finally slept in Magazine room - when I was in here in comes one of my crew Zermenter from Chicago - he said "Chief this is hell, I'm afraid - I said, I'm not brave either, I'll say it's hell. We both prayed - Daybreak came and we were a little bit more confident. [*Post D-day*]
Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? [crossed out]Drifting around Utah Beach just after being hit with shell & strafed.[end crossed out] [inserted]Aboard LST #49[end inserted] Ready to go to invasion
Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? Drifting around Seine Bay off Utah Beach, just after being hit with shell and strafed.
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? I have several names in my little diary book I have - if I can find it in my attic.
After released from Hospital July 21, 1944 - I returned with a unit of the 81stleft in [?Falmuth?], England - this time we arrived in Cherbourg, France - wedrove through the shelled towns and villages observed the ruined and cheers from the French natives. Again sleeping in groves - at night it was terrible sleeping - the planes of the enemy keeping us awake - we were alongside the Artillery - shouting commands and yelling then the shooting - I then got my headaches and my blood pressure was very high Aug 4th 1944 I was sent back to England on stretcher to Southampton, Netly Hantz Hospital.
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