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The Reader's Digest

THE READER'S DIGEST ASSOCIATION LIMITED

TELEPHONE:
CITY 4342

7 OLD BAILEY LONDON E C 4

CABLES:
READIGEST, LONDON

INTERVIEW WITH
MR. DENIS LOVELL

Mr. Denis Lovell was a Marine, 21 1/2 years on D-Day. He
was attached to the Signals Troop, 4th Commando Brigade Headquarters
of the Royal Marines and he landed near Le Hamal on Gold Beach.
This interview supplements the extracts from his diary which we
have. Also they do not include the additional notes which Miss
Isaacs took on the subject, which will be added later.

Lovell was attached to a radio team and he had a special radio
set which was mounted in a jeep. The jeep was not with him; the
jeep was under the control and presumably the protection of a driver.
The whole troop came over in a parent ship called "THE PRINCESS
JOSEPHINE CHARLOTTE", a Belgian ship, and it carried the whole of
the 47th Royal Marine Commando. The night before landing a
Scotsman, who he believes was named Haggis - presumably a nickname,
was sitting beside him on the deck. Lovell turned round at one point
in the conversation and said to him "look at those spots on your
arms; I think you've got the measles". Haggis looked at them and
said "to Hell I have". Haggis did everything to hide the spots,
but without avail. Many others now began to notice his predicament
and he was the subject of quiet ribbing such as "how is it done?",
and "this is a bright way to do it", and "so that's how you get out
of going on an engagement". Anyway, Haggis was not allowed to go
ashore. He was sent back to England.

The marines had options on what weapons they wanted and the
conversation was "what's the best to take". They could take a
rifle or a Bren Gun or a Tommy Gun; whatever was easiest and best
to carry.

There were about 150 to 200 in his particular operation,
according to Lovell. (I later found out there was more than that -

DE WITT WALLACE, U.S.A. LILA BELL WALLACE, U.S.A. LUCIUS F. CRANE T.G.M. HARMAN, MANAGING DIRECTOR.