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1 Extract R11/6
THE ASSAULT LANDINGS IN NORMANDY
D DAY: MIDNIGHT JUNE 5 -- MIDNIGHT JUNE 6
What is your full name? ASHOVER. Claude Godfrey
What is your present address? 53 AIRFIELD ESTATE WELLESBOURNE MOUNTFORD WARWICKSHIRE During the week on detatchment Monday untill Friday at BLOCK. 61. RAF. HOSPITAL WOLTON HALL NOCTON LINCS Telephone number: METHERINGHAM 355
What was your unit, division, corps? CHATHAM. SSX18281. ROYAL NAVY. H.M.S. VERSATILE COX'N to ADMIRAL TENANT. C.O. MULBERY HARBOUR
Where did you land and at what time?
What was your rank and age on June 6, 1944? 0459. CANADIAN SECTOR. N.W. ARROMANCHES.
Were you married at that time? NO What is your wife's name? NO Did you have any children at that time? NO
When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? 1200 (NOON) 4TH JUNE ON ARRIVAL FROM GIBRALTAR But for 4 months we had been in training for an invasion in the Middle East.
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? Very nerve racking as we did not know what to expect, most of the time spent in Asdic cabinet on watch. We was leading ship on port side of assualt craft. Most of conversation was would it be like Dieppe and remarks on the queer craft Smokey Joes Navy.
Were there any rumours aboard ship? (Some people remember hearing that the Germans had poured gasoline on the water and planned to set it afire when the troops came in.) YES, but we soon had many, as we came near to the French coast, as we hit a mine field and had to slow the convoy down. Then all kinds of rumours started, and the under water party had to be prepared for all emergencies.
Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happed to you that day? No diary was allowed to be kept in writing. But what happened that day will never be forgotten as it what we had waited for so long to do The training from Dunkirk had been hard and here was revenge.
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.2 . Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or during the day? NO - not on the ship with me at the time of landing. But many latter on after the third day.
Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties? Yes some funny but mostly serious
Were you wounded ? NO
How 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?
Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it may not have seemed amusing at the time? Or anything unexpected or out- of-place?
Yes as the RAF bombers were going in to unload they were like big bats wave after wave over the ships on to the coast. As we were unloading stores by landing craft a mate of mine stood up flashed his torch at them shouting give em Hell etc. Next thing we had a stick of bombs too close to be healthy and he remark they don't won't my light. But latter on we had quite a laugh about it, realising that the bombers were opperating on shore signals by resistance workers.
Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, that struck you more than anything else?
While putting in anchors for lines from the Mulbery harbour we saw two German Tiger Tanks coming along the shore road next thing we noticed was two more making four. They opened up the guns out to sea. In reply the cruisers fired back and some of the shots was going over and some short. Being inbetween the tanks and the water we thought we had bought out lot. But a young signalman started signalling by lamp, the fall of the shots, and latter got killed, but at that time his work saved us.
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3.
In times of great crisis, people generally show either great ingenuity or self-reliance; others do incredibly strange or stupid things. Do you remember any examples of either? During the crossing I had a sick feeling in the stomach and although steady I had a feeling something was going to happen to me. So I did all the things I had been trained to do, by remaining calm the others followed suit. But eventually after 2 months it caused me to have a nervous break-down.
Do you know of anybody else who landed within the 24 hours (midnight 5 June to midnight 6 June) either as infantry, glider or airborne troops, whom we should write to? Mr. A.J. HUBBARD 64 OLD TOWN STREET. DAWLISH DEVON If he is still living he can give you more people who landed that night, as he was the only one to keep in contact with the other lads. Only I have not wrote to him for 8 years and lost contact.
What do you do now? After trying many jobs I joined the R.A.F. last year as a Works Electrician I. for 12 years and then to the age of 55.
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."
Cornelius Ryan Joan O. Isaacs The Reader's Digest
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20 MAY 1958
53 Airfield Estate Wellsbourne Warwickshire
15/5/58
Dear Sir
Re your request in the personnal Column of the News-of-the- world for details of the Normandy landings from midnight June 5th - 6th 1944, my Husband was serving in the Royal Navy at this time and we have a letter he wrote to his Father giving every detail of the happenings he was in the first landing of this operation if you are interested and have not obtained all the information you require we shall be pleased to help all we can and you can contact us at the above address
yours Faithfully Mrs E Ashover