Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 020, folder 35: Charles Leslie Edgson

EDGSON, Charles Leslie British 2 Army Box 20, #35

Ack 29/5/58

THE ASSAULT LANDINGS IN NORMANDY D DAY: MIDNIGHT JUNE 5 — MIDNIGHT JUNE 6

What is your full name? Charles Leslie Edgson

What is your present address? 2 The Mews, Middleton Hall Lane, Brentwood, Essex

Telephone number: Brentwood 2979

What was your unit, division, corps? 69 Field Coy R.E. 2 Army Troops Where did you land and at what time? About 2 PM This was rather late but we had difficulty in getting ashore Near Bayeux have forgotten name of exact place What was your rank and age on June 6, 1944? Captain 28 yrs 9 1/2 mths Were you married at that time? yes (only since 13 May 1944!)

What is your wife* s name? Margaret

Did you have any children at that time? no

When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? Not Sure Only 2 or 3 weeks before I think perhaps more as I think I already knew when I got married

What was the trip like during the crossing of the Channel? Do you for example, any conversations you had or how you passed the time? I think we were on board about a week before the day at Southhampton Trip eventful apart from transferring to an LSI + then on Assault boat We had great trouble in finding a shot to beach as the enemy still held the part where we were supposed to land this was a trying time!

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.) Cant remember

~ Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? no

2. Were any of your friends filled or wounded either during the landing or during the day? A platoon Sergeant: blown up by mine: we had to build roads across fields

Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties? no

Were you wounded? no How were you wounded?

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? sound of bullets hitting ears of corn: no reason to suppose they were aimed at us Too nervous or frightened to register much!

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, that struck you more than anything else? The actual business of trying to find a place to land was worst As each wave passed we could see impenetrable obstacles - scaffolding I suppose - with mines on top at intervals + we couldnt see any gaps so had to cruise up + down for a bit: eventually we saw quite a large ship beached + followed the course we thought it must have made through the obstacles Even so we stuck on top momentarily with loads of equipment on backs

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? Not really. To the best of my knowledge we did not come under direct attack: we did our job of road making as best we could without interference. We were scared of mines more than anything else.

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? My O.C., Major J. A. [?Fenwick?] & Lt. R. E. Williams (ranks as then, Regular Officers) from the same Company R.E. landed much in advance of main body & had a very uncomfortable time, I believe, both for themselves & in the fate of others - individuals drowning & boats sinking, & powerless to help. I do not know where they are now, but R.E. Records should know.

What do you do now? Schoolmaster. Brentwood School, Essex.

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

2, The Mews, Middleton Hall, Brentwood, Essex 14th May 1958.

16 MAY 1958.

Dear Sir,

I am answering your advertisement on behalf of my husband* [inserted] C.L. EDGSON [end inserted] who took part in the landings, during the time you mention.

He was in the Sappers, rank of Captain, a field company, - mainly bridges.

He teaches at Brentwood School and is very busy just now, - but if there are any specific questions