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WEBBER, Dennis John
British 2nd Regt. 30th Corps
Box 23, #25
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[*Ack 2/6/58*]
THE ASSAULT LANDINGS IN NORMANDY
D DAY: MIDNIGHT JUNE 5 -- MIDNIGHT JUNE 6
What is your full name? Dennis John Webber
What is your present address? 10 Ambleside Avenue Beckenham, Kent.
Telephone number: Beckenham 2244
What was your unit, division, corps? 2 Bn Hertfordshire Regiment No 9 Beach group 30 Corps
Where did you land and at what time? Ver-sur-Mer H + 1 on D. Day
What was your rank and age on June 6, 1944? Lieutenant 20 years 4 months
Were you married at that time? No
What is your wife's name?
Did you have any children at that time?
When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? November 1943
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? Very rough. I travelled in an L.C.T. with my platoon on detachment There was an interesting scramble to get the best accomodation, in vehicles or in any corner which was sheltered. I can rember several incidents which [crossed out]ocuur[end crossed out] occurred, such as when our ship collided with another only to pass a message
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.) Yes, various ideas about what was going to happen, but I did not hear any rumours about pouring gasoline on the water.
Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? No
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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 ? Not until October 4th
How were you wounded? Hand grenade
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? A sudden bang, thereafter [crossed out]no[end crossed out] just relief about getting out with nearly a whole skin.
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? 1. When we were landing, it was a rough sea, I waded in water up to my waist, turned to beckon my chaps to follow me, and slipped into a shell or bomb hole, laden with full kit it was quite a job getting out.
Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, that struck you more than anything else? 1 Watching the tanks lined up on the beach going inland. 2 The first air raids at night and the incredible barrage.
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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?
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? No
What do you do now? Bank clerk.
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
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BEC 2244 10 Ambleside Avenue, Beckenham, Kent
[*Negative 28May1958 Q.S. 28/5/58*]
23.5.58
Dear Sir
With reference to your advertisement in the Evening News, I write to advise you that I landed at H hour + 1 [crossed out]and[end crossed out] on D-Day. I was with the 2 Battalion the Hertfordshire Regiment which largely comprised No 9 Beach Group, and will be pleased to render you any assistance in my power.
Yours faithfully
Dennis J. Webber (Capt.)