Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 021, folder 36: Geoffrey John Leach

Leach, G.J. Box 21, #36 73 Btlt RAM Released D Day Navy Brit Release to PG

GOLD 0700 Medical Corps Arromanches "Saw Arraomanches painted on a little tea shack. Saw [indecipherable] on water - no occupants (body around propellor) No sign of enemy resistence There was absolutely nothing for the Medics to do except unload ammo, stores + vehicles [indecipherable] tanks with rude words painted on Night Took 1 casualty - a lead. seaman - back to Eng. On shore hundres of VIPs waiting for casualties to come in.

Ack 28/5/58

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

What is your full name ? Geoffrey John Leach What is your present address? 35 Birchwood Close, Hatfield, Herts Telephone number:

What was your unit, division, corps? 73 B & H RAMC

Where did you land and at what time? Approx 7 AM Near Arromanches British Sector

What was your rank and age on June 6, 1944? Private 24 yrs

Were you married at that time? no What is your wife' s name? now Joyce Did you have any children at that time? When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? Rough idea about 6 weeks before

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? Rough. Mostly spent keeping out of way of seasick "bods" . 28 hour trip Apart from sleeping time, most of journey spent on TOP DECK

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.) Only rumour I can remember was that for the benefit of the newspaper correspondents we were taking over, the Captain was going to 'bash-in' to the beach & be almost first in.

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

2 . Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or during the day? No

Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties?

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? Yes one of crew of American LST 35 "Snafu Moon II" was detailed for DUKW duty. Was fully armed before leaving ship. His last words before leaving, on viewing his armaments were "when Jerry sees me, its all over. Back tonight boys".

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, that struck you more than anything else? Plenty of DUKW 's floating about empty. Eventually one of the "assault boats" picked up by a troopship and around the propellor was a body. When boat in davit of troopship body only seen from other ships. Eventually removed by shooting off from [last words cut off from page]

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 ? On the boat over to France, all British Troops had American food & drink (coffee), no tea available. Some tank crews scrounged dustbin & filled it with water, stood it on Deck at Stern, & in it put steam hose. after no. of hours it boiled & tea blocks from emergency rations were thrown in & Sergeant Majors' brew was dished out to all & sundry. "IMPROVISATION"

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? Only the lads on the same boat as I was on

What do you do now? Laboratory Assistant Electronics Division Murphy Radio W.G.C.

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 0. Isaacs The Reader's Digest

The LST on which I was on brought back to England the first casualty from France to arrive by sea. A Leading Seaman, in charge of an LCT who was sole survivor when, whilst unloading tanks, one slipped from ramp & killed remainder of LCT crew. I was on duty, Medical, for last part of journey, and when we arrived at Southhampton Yard we were almost invaded by Stretcher - Bearers ready to unload our 'casualties.' The Leading Seaman was the only one we had. Can remember plenty of "Brass" gathered around ashore to watch unloading operations. One of the most thrilling sights for me, was a destoyer, reputed to be Polish, which broke inside Naval ring of boats around French Coast, to fire broadside after broadside at point where machine gun nest reported that had been missed by Commandos. This nest it was said was the one that was emptying the DUKW's before they beached. This destroyer used practically all of her ammunition & when last seen was heading back to England.