Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 020, folder 42: Bernard Alfred Flood

FLOOD, Bernard Alfred Sword, 5th Assault Regt Royal Engrs. Release INT. BOX 20, #42

SWORD X TANK MUST

ACK 15/5

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

What is your full name? Bernard Alfred Flood

What is your present address? 38. Banister House Homerton High Street London E. 9.

Telephone number:

What was your unit, division, corps? 79th Assault Squadron R.E. 5th Assault Regt. R.E.

Where did you land and at what time? La Breche near Ouistreham

What was your rank and age on June 6, 1944? sapper 29

Were you married at that time? Yes

What is your wife's name? Stella

Did you have any children at that time? No

When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? Jan 1944

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 crossing was uneventful except for rough seas and resultant sea-sickness. Most of the time was spent dozing, but eventually conversation was centred up on the opposition and our new methods of tank warfare to overcome same

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.) There was no suggestion regarding the above. The only prevalent rumour being that our goal on D. Day was the occupation of Caen.

Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? No (all personal papers (except family photographs) were prohibited)

2.

Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing, or during the day? Yes. (during landing)

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

Were you wounded? Yes

How were you wounded? The assault tank of which I was a member crew, was hit as we touched down. Upon eventual evacuation §I ran towards the side of another stricken tank. There was a violent explosion.

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? I remember nothing but an orange flash and "blacking out"

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 outof-place? Having boarded the tank as we were about to land, the order was given to wear small packs previously stowed in the tank. When my tank was hit, the order to evacuate was given, but this article of apparrel prevented my esc ape through the turret. I retired below in order to remove it in heavy fire. This may leave saved my life

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, that struck you more than anything else? The last thing I recalled as I ran toward the other tank was the captain of our squadron. One moment he was apparently directing the evacuation of his crippled tank, the next moment he slumped dead. Perhaps he was so conspicuous in his [?beve?] overalls?

3.

In times of great crisis, people generally show either great ingenuity or self-reliances; others do incredibly strange or stupid things. Do you remember any examples of either? Having become a casualty so quickly I had no opportunity to witness such actions.

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. H. G. E. Pilgrim 38, Baden Road Ilford Essex.

What do you do now? Supervisor. Eastern Central Dist. Post Office.

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

During periods of intermittent consciousness I found myself lying in a wide ditch with other wounded. In one side [inserted] of me [end inserted] lay a British Soldier and on the other a German. Both were seriously wounded. In the morning following D. Day the British Soldier was dead, the German was in agony. I passed out again. After some two or three days I was returned to the U. K. by hospital ships to Southampton - my wife's home! I spent 9 months in hospital and was re - graded medically from AI to BII. One incident I cannot fathom - I had a pair of wire cutters round my neck when I first gained consciousness - never part of my equipment. B A Flood.