World War II D-Day Accounts from the Cornelius Ryan Collection

7/3 in morning. At daybreak lowered into small ships Lost all officers on D Day. lost gun anti- (When landed, destroyed last letter in W. when I thought back was with me J. 50 men 300 Btn. Left once bunkers was taken. Feel very down, but you are with other men, you're "soldiers"- you've got to go on. On beaches under fire - not heavy, but still enough, spasmatic- prevent display from rockets. Blind faith - command - excitement whole way through trained to do - job. 30 is in over deck wrote letter. "How rough it would be for her" _ Happy - go lucky mood swept through. Felt very despondent when writing his breif letter. Ipp endearments - what to do. wife geting wages. what to do in case I dont get back. get in touch with union rep. at office while you To do rest. Additional of F but last thought with you [illegible] a lot of thoughts back - England to a split second. Wake up to reality. Actually, stand by. take mind off things. Forces letter. Put it with AR64. Always had understanding with you should lead life as she wanted it. Evelyn noticed I was on D-Day. [inserted]Didn't know where we were landing.[end inserted] where he back over [illegible] going to land [illegible]. Heavens above knows lets ask the Captain [crossed out]Wasn't until[end crossed out] Didn't know until saw sign [illegible] "Oustrehem seu Mer" _ But I knew the water tower on the canal etc. know going in or [illegible] but no place [illegible] wanted vols to help in officer's galley we hought eat; so helped galley. Used to bring out [illegible]dishes baked [crossed out]here[end crossed out] jam roll give it to the boys. Quite a game took our minds off things. on Glenam. Under discipline parade etc on boat. Some played cards. [illegible]. that also same [illegible] bought France. Saw got in with a shiny light hard [illegible] who was [illegible] a [illegible], [illegible] after to flip the [illegible]a wonderful job of it

Raff, Edson D. Col 0 19 261 G-1 Sec., Hq. VII Corps AG APO 107 N.Y. N.Y. DD form 14, 1 APR 56

The role of 1st Suffolk on D day was: 1st to capture a Battery of guns covering beach 2nd To clear the village of Coalville 3rd To capture strong point "Hillman"

First two were easy, but "Hillman" proved difficult nut to crack, & was finally taken about 7 PM "D" day. The slowness has been the subject of severe criticism in the Book (forgotten name!) concerning the whole campaign in N.W. Europe. When I visited "Hillman" last year, (most of the concrete works remain) I pondered over the problem again, and realised what a tough egg it was.

Contrary to reports that our slowness was holding up reserve formations moving up in our flanks, this is entirely untrue, as the defenders of Hillman were far too busy to give any attention to troops trying to move forward wide on the flanks. To my mind, reserve troops were hindered by bicycles with which they were equipped, with the object of cycling into Caen!

Overstrand Road Cromer May 12th 1958

E Extract ??? Q-S 14/5

Jack Grimble Hand Made Furniture 14MAY1958

Dear Sir,

Re your enquiry in News of the World yesterday. I landed in Normandy on the morning of D. Day with a small Deception Squad designed to draw enemy bombing from the real night landing points. If I can help you in any way with information, I will, if I am not breaking any "Official secretcs act etc."

Yours sincerely Jack Grimble

GUNNING, Hugh SWORD -- 3rd British Inf observ. D Day [illegible] Int Release Box 21, #8

SWORD Finished

THE ASSAULT LANDINGS IN NORMANDY D DAY: MIDNIGHT JUNE 5 — MIDNIGHT JUNE 6 What is your full name? Hugh Gunning 65 Turney Road,Dulwich Village, London, S.E. 21. What is your present address? Telephone number: BRixton 3731 or FLEet Street 5000 What was your unit, division, corps? 3rd British Infantry Division Where did you land and at what time? near Ouistreham (Caen area) at 1300 hours What was your rank and age on June 6, 1944? Captain ; aged forty. Were you married at that time? Yes What is your wife's name? Doris Benson Gunning Did you nave any children at that time? No When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? April 1944 [crossed out] yes [end crossed out] 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? See "Borderers in Battle" by Hugh Gunning (published by MartinTs, Berwick-on-Tweed (15s). Copies available from Depot, K.O.S.B., Berwick-on-Tweed. See pp 81-91 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 .) No Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? Forbidden to keep a diary in case I was taken prisoner. This applied to all officers on this Operation.

2. Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or during the day? Yes: killed and wounded Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties? Nothing to say . The probability of being killed or woudAtd was felt by all but expressed by none is my hearing. Can put you in touch with a Brigadier who was severely wounded and has made fine T" recovery. Lives in Scotland. 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? No 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? See "Borderers in Battle" PP 81-91 Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, that struck you more than anything else? See attached clipping of article by me on Major C.K. ("Banger") King, DSO. This officer, who was killed near the end of the campaign in NW Europe is worth a chapter to himself. Sisters live near London. Mrs Dapjme Harris, Bell Inn, Aston Clinton, is elder sister. King's mother and father still alive.

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? Yes ; numerous. 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? Yes, but I should wish to have their permission before giving their names. Commander of assault brigade is avalible; lives in Yorkshire. What do you do now? Syndication Manager, Daily News Ltd., Bouverie Street, London, E.C.4. Hugh Gunning May 14, 1950 Please let us have this questionnaire as soon as possible, so that we an include your experiences in the book. We hope that you will continue your story on seperate sheets if we have not left sufficent room. Full ackowledgement will be given in a chapter called "Where They Are Now."

Cornelius Ryan Joan O. Isaacs The Reader’ s Digest

BR Banya King Story E Sword Captain Hugh Gunning- Offical War Office observer with 3rd British Infantry 39 on D-Day, living in Dulwich, London- no children. Short, rotound, quiet spoken Scottish accent. Nice sense of humour keen army man. [Crossed out] Mil [end crossed out]

Gunning landed at Ouistreham at 1300 D-Day. On the way over he found himself beside a Captain Basil Spence. He asked him what he was doing on "this job". Spence told him that he intended to blow up a fleet of rubber model battleships which would then be floated down the Channel. Gunning at first thought that his leg was being pulled. But he later discovered that it was quite true. Spence had a Group with him who were part of this deception plan and that their job "to inflate rubber battleships when the wind was right” was an actual fact. Besides their other gear he noticed that they carried large air compression tanks. Apparently the idea was to give the Germans the impression that there was another fleet. That day Gunning saw a German officer who had been taken prisoner and as he was led down to the beach this officer caught his first sight of the invasion fleet. Quite audibly but under his breath Gunning heard him say as he sadly shook his head "And Hitler told us they had no ships left.” At that moment Gunning felt rather sorry for the German's disillusionment; the time was about 7 p.m. Gunning=wants us to include specially a mention of his good friend Major C.K "Banger” King who as he went in with the first wave read from Shakespeare’s "HenryV” out loud to his men the following line ”We would not die in that man's company That fears his fellowship to die with us” and "He that outlives this day and comes safe home Will stand a tip-toe when this day is named” ”Banger” King - News Chronicle extract description King read these lines to him men over a loud hailer. Gunning remembers a few days before D-Day being at a luncheon with Field Marshal Montgomery and the Commanding Officer and members of his staff of the Royal Ulster Rifles - part of the 3rd Division- who were to go in on the initial assault some of them in the Airborne units some of them in the other units. Montgomery asked if they had any problem and Gunning remembers the CO saying "We do, Sir, - one. We can’t very well go into battle with an English padre Sir, now can we? My men would like an Irish one.” Montgomery turned to his aide and said, ”See that there is an Irish padre here by tomorrow morning.” The following day, Gunning found that there was not only one Irish padre kicking his heels, but three.

Gunning, Capt Hugh Officer Observer 3rd Bn Infantry

Basil Spence, Capt Deception plan-inflatable battleships London- telephone book Daily Mail profile about 4 years ago

On way over Hugh asked Spence what he did Spence told him that he was part of a deception plan - to inflate rubber "battleships" and when the wind was right float them down