Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 019, folder 33: Sidney John Thomas Beck

June 6th contd

- 3 -

The R.E. detachment on board rolled out the roly-poly (a long hessian carpet strengthened with iron bars to form a firm base for the vehicles and prevent them cutting deep grooves in the sand) and the Sappers waded ashore. [They were a Beach Maintenance Party and we did not see them again]. Our S-P guns had a short distance to run through the water, dragging behind them flat "porpoises" containing 25 pdr. ammo.

We joined the single line traffic making for the only exit from the beach. [Lt. Dorey, our Battery C.P. officer, already a foot on the beach waved us along in the right direction]. The beach was by now a narrow strip between high water mark and tide, crammed with boats and vehicles and men in seeming confusion. Rolling clouds of smoke from burning buildings and grass formed a fitting background. The first German prisoners standing dazed and bewildered amid all the activity were a centre of interest. One P.O.W. lifted a wounded Tommy out of the path of vehicles.

The road leading from the beaches passed a deep anti-tank ditch. [I cannot remember now whether the R.E.'s had bridged it or bull-dozed it, to make a good passageway].

I was ordered to deploy my guns alongside the knocked out casements of the Mount Fleury Battery of Coastal defence guns, only recently captured. Great slabs of masonry and concrete had been unrooted by the heavy bombardment and bombing. Our Command Post was established in a bomb crater. [We learnt later that some German gunners were still underground and remained there for about two days after D-day]. Three Centaur tanks, manned by Royal Marines, joined us on this site and for the first and last time in the campaign my Troop had 7 guns. As soon as I reported that my guns were in action, the other half of my battery (A Troop) who had been firing from the beach itself, were brought up and put into action alongside my Troop. [A few bursts of a rifle suggested there was a sniper around, but we did not see him]

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D-Day continued

We soon got orders to move forward to an area just north of Ver-sur-Mer and on this move forward we saw our first dead German soldiers, lying in the cornfields, almost hidden from sight. By 12.30 hours we were well-establish[ed] in time to give artillery support to the flying column of infantry pushing ahead. A bridge into CREULLY was held by one enemy platoon and the guns of B-troop were called in to support a swift attack by the Green Howards to capture the bridge. At about 1400 hrs. we were called upon to fire at a German 88 mm SP gun which was forced to withdraw from Creully.

Fire support was given to this flying column of infantry all the afternoon x [footnote below] on orders from our Forward O.P. officers. Our guns were not able to move further forward that day and remained on the outskirts of Ver-sur-Mer. Many snipers were hiding in the woods just behind the Battery position and on one occasion shells from British Sherman tanks engaging the snipers landed in the Battery area, fortunately without damage. We remained in that position for the night. All night long the rattle of A.A. guns from the beaches and the moving patterns of the tracer shells told their story of the desperate enemy air attacks on the beaches and shipping. We thought of the R.E.’s beach company who had landed with us and thanked our stars they were on the beach and not us.

[footnote] [x Between 1600 hrs. and 1700 hrs. we were engaging 88 mm SP guns and infantry. Between 1800 hrs and dusk we were firing on some fortified farm buildings housing what was known to be a radar station and which was directing fire on to our leading infantry. Acting on orders from our F.U.O. Capt. Perry, our shells landed on the roofs of these buildings and silenced the enemy fire. At dusk, the leading infantry battalion formed a pivot on high ground west of Coulomb and fire from our guns was maintained to cover the withdrawal and no more was heard from the farm buildings until the next day].

Beck

19/May/1958.

50th Div GOLD

0845

La Riviere Good beach description No

Finished

I hereby agree that Mr. Cornelius Ryan has all rights whatsoever in the questionnaire and letter from me regarding D-Day.

SIGNED SJ Beck DATE 13 July 1958

14 May 1958.

16MAY1958 Interview

50 Clarence Rd. St. Albans Herts

Tele. 55390 St.A. Q.S. 16th

Dear Advertiser I was a Lt. in the 341 Field Battery, 86th Hertfordshire Yeomanry, supporting 50 Div in the D-Day landings. We were engaged in firing our 25 pounders over the heads of the leading infantry to support the run-in, and ourselves landed at H + 30. Let me know if I can be of any assistance.

Yours truly

Sidney Beck S.J.BECK

GOLD Extract

20th May, 1958.

Dear Mr. Beck,

Thank you very much for sending me the completed questionnaire and for giving me such a detailed account of your D-Day experiences.

I shall be getting in touch with you again as soon as Mr. Ryan returns to London.

Yours sincerely,

(Joan Ogle Isaacs) Research Editor