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

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? The very old Frenchman standing at his garden gate waving his arms in the air + shouting "drive en Anglais" seemingly oblivious to the shells which were falling

Do you recall any incident sad or heroic or simply memorable that struck you more than anything else? The comforting sight of one of the many boys holding a rope to assist us wading from ship to shore Being bowled over twice by waves + losing the CO map case + my bicycle The confusion on the beach The utter dejection of two German POW one in great pain from a shoulder wound they were the first persons I saw on the beach The sight of a young calf with a broken leg due to presumably shrapnel of one of my friends asking permission to put it

out of its misery + the speed with which it disappeared into the cooks truck after he had done so

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? The intelligence officer in command of my section Mr J Harrod 70 Ruskin Avenue Lincoln ------------------ What do you do now? Occupation- Engineering draughtsman Spre time- Secretary of local Baptist Church

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 Wow." Cornelius Ryan J oan 0. Isaacs The Reader1 s Digest

O-TE Kempsville VA-15 VIRGINIA

Half- track driver whose machine sunk off LCLWrite officer [illegible] from hometown

For Cornelius Ryan Book about D-Day

THOUSANDS OF MEN, ON LAND AND SEA AND IN THE AIR , PARTICIPATED IN THE INVASION OF NORMANDY BETWEEN MIDNIGHT JUNE 5, 1944 AND MIDNIGHT JUNE 6, 1944. IF YOU WERE ONE OF THEM, PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

What is your full name? Jesse Llewellyn Newcomb Jr

What was your unit and division? Common. CO. 116 Inf - 29th Div.

Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time? About 620 or 20 Min before time on June 6 an Error in timing. We were with the [?engineers?] [illegible] [illegible] the beach -

What was your rank on June 6, 1944? T/5 Half Track Driver

What was your age on June 6, 1944? 29

Were you married at that time? No What is your wife's name?

Did you have any children at that time?

What do you do now? Merchant and Farmer

When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? We knew there was going to be an Invasion about 6 months ahead of time. Only about two weeks ahead of time were we given maps and told where we even going

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 ? We were on and L.C.T. The trip was rough. Our men were calm, Joking and nobody but the navy seemed nervous. There were a lot of planes and this made is feel better and a lot to talk about

What were the rumors on board the boat , ship or plane in which you made the crossing ? ( Some people remember scuttlebut to the effect that the Germans had poured gasoline on the water and planned to set it afire when the troops came in ). There were not many rumors. we had been in England for about 18 months and knew what to look for Aircraft, and E - Boats we spotted a dead German pilot in the Channel We knew the Gasoline rumor was a big Hoax

- for Cornelius Ryan 2 - Your name Jesse Newcomb

Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? No. we were allowed only a bible and map. which come in most useful

Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or during the day? approx. 1/3 killed or wounded out of 7 Ducks 7 Half Tracks and 6-105 guns- we lost 3 guns-4 Ducks And 3 half tracks either sunk or destroyed.

Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties? One is most vivid we were rooting for the Russians hoping they would distract the Germans

The last thing I said to my assistant [?Driver?] and Machine Gunner 50 cal. before the Half track [?track?] [end crossed out] sank. "Bad eye pyath you had better inflate your life preserver. I didn't want to dive off the boat but the officer said the last I saw of him he was holding to an angle iron with a teller mine on it

Were you wounded? No

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? We were hardened to the fact we knew it was coming

Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it did not, of course, seem amusing at the time? The Navy skipper was young. He sent my half track off in deep water and it never did stop sinking. I swam the rest of the way until I was pulled up by an L.C.I. and was put ashore by another smaller boat.

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, which struck you more than anything else? Two men on the LC.I. claimed they had an heart attack. So I took their ammo and guns and went ashore. The L.C.I. was too badly damaged to stay aboard

When I did get ashore- I was with the 1st Div Luckily I met an officer who was a mayor from my home town who gave me valuable information about my outfit Major Charlie Penick SO, Boston-VA

for Cornelius Ryan 3Your name Jesse Newcomb

In times of great crisis , people generally show either great ingenuity or self - reliance; others do incredibly stupid things. Do you remember any examples of either ? The navy skipper got highly excited and put us off in deep water. Which was disaster. Some of the other boats hit mines.

Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? In convoy of Coast of France

Where were you at midnight on June 6 , 1944? Trying to sleep between A Dead German and a stack of ammo. Lost and afraid to move- couldnt find my outfit.

Do you know of anybody else who landed within those 24 hours (midnight June 5 to midnight June 6) as infantry, glider or airborne troops, or who took part in the air and sea operations , whom we should write to? Frank Willis Chase City Va Jimmy Young Clarksville Va Bradley [?Green?] 17 Walnut St. Berea K.Y. Sam P. [?Eudailey?] Keysville Va [?Seph?] S Dye Swords Creek Va There is many from here who made the Invasion. A National Guard Co. If you ever have anyone in this territory I would be glad to point them out for you Major Charlie Penick South Boston Virginia

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; YOUR NAME AND VOCATION OR OCCUPATION WILL BE LISTED.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP.

Cornelius Ryan 5/5/58

Frances Ward Research, The Reader's Digest

Anything else I can do to help you let me know Sincerely Jesse L Newcomb, Jr

June 16, 1958

Mr. Jesse L. Newcomb, Jr. Keysville Virginia

Dear Mr. Newcomb:

A history of D-Day, June 6, 1944, to coincide with the 15th anniversary of the Normandy invasion next year is being prepared by Cornelius Ryan for publication in the Reader's Digest and in book form. It is being written with the complete cooperation and assistance of the Department of the Amy and the Department of Defense. This will not be another strategic history of invasion day, but a story of the twenty-four hours of D-Day as people lived the and remembered them. For this, we can only go to the men who were there and, if they are willing, invade their memories. Having learned of the part which you played in the invasion, we hope very much that you will be interested in the project and agree to help us.

During the next few months, both in this country and in Europe, Mr. Ryan will be interviewing many of the D-Day participants who agree to contribute to the book. Very probably, he will wish to talk with you during that period. In the meantime, since we are dealing with literally hundreds of people, we have found it necessary to develop an individual file on each person who agrees to help us. Therefore, we hope that if you are interested in the pro- ject, you will complete the enclosed record and return it to me at your ear- liest convenience. We truly believe that these questions will serve you, as well as us, if they can help to crystallize some hazy memories and to indicate the sort of information which we are seeking.

I should be most grateful to know as soon as possible when and if you will be available for interview during the next few months. We want very much to tell the story of your unit, and in order to do that we need your personal account. We look forward eagerly to your reply.

Sincerely yours,

Frances Ward Research Department

FW:LL Enclosure

- Purnell 2 -

with bangalore torpedoes. There the dead had fallen in clusters-- many men were shot at the makeshift exits. Beyond the beach and the wall was an area thickly mined and marked with corpses, so that men coming ashore in later waves had to stick [crossed out] close [end crossed out]to the road. And on the road at the Vierville exit an incoming tank had run over a pile of dead men.

Lt. Col. Purnell had crossed the Channel in an LCI with other Hq. personnel. In southern England, the previous summer ( '43) , [inserted] he [end inserted] had had first certainty that 29th would be part of invasion--when a truck from a QM outfit drove in and asked where/to deliver the Mae Wests. Official notice and official briefings came months later--but Mae Wests had told the story; Purnell and other bn. commanders initiated amphibious training immediately. Troops were sent to resort area of Torquay for swimming lessons-- in battle dress, in icy water.

At start of another summer, during first couple of days in June '44, Division Hq. group boarded LCI at Plymouth. Sat until 5 June in Plymouth Harbor, with others of invasion force including Bradley's command ship Augusta, which pulled out late in the afternoon of June [inserted] 4 or [end inserted] 5. All along the southern coast of England, [crossed out] that day [end crossed out] [inserted] on June 4 and 5 [end inserted] as far as could be seen from Plymouth Harbor, came a long line of ships headed for Normandy.

LCI carrying Hq. group of 29th left Plymouth Harbor late in evening of June 5. Part of double row of LCI's following command ship. In the Channel, passed long line of dead ships moving slowly towards

-Purnell 3-

Normandy. Silent, dark in early morning light, but moving under their own power, part of Force Mulberry. Looming British battleship with great tall towers seemed especially strange. (What time was this?) just abour daylight -3-4A.M.

At about 3 am., just at first light, officers gathered on deck of LCI....Lt. Col. Purnell owed Colonel Donovan, Catholic Chaplin of the 29th Division, 8000 francs from a poker game [inserted] paid on Beach [???] [end inserted] (had the game been running [inserted] No [illegible] - since boarding ships. Too busy before then. [end inserted] more or less since the first days of June?).... The Division G-2 was concerned about German buzzbombs, launching sites for which had been identified at Cherbourg. Intelligence code for these was CROSSBOW. Official G-2 estimate was that buzzbombs would be used against invasion force. Officers on deck of LCI thinking about this, thinking "Maybe they're going to fire the CROSSBOW's pretty soon!"....

Preceding vessels had mineswept channels to beaches; there was a big red buoy at the head of each run. Their LCI didn’t arrive off the beach until 9 or 10 am. Day was clear, breeze brisk. From where they were in the water, they could see no German defenders-- only Americans falling as they hit the beach.

By the middle of the day, a hill on Omaha Beach caught fire. There had been great controversy at Supreme Headquarters about whether or not a smokescreen should be laid. By accident, a fire started [crossed out] in front [end crossed out] just West of St. Laurent draw-- [inserted] and created rather heavy smoke screen [end inserted] and that was where the penetration beyond the beach was made [crossed out] . [end crossed out] by the 2nd Bu. 116th Inf.

Their LCI went in part way with those carrying the 26th Regt.of

- Purnell 4 -

the First Division. ( This was a reserve regiment ). Eight or ten [inserted] (maybe dozen) [end inserted] LCI's ran in/to the beach in a neat line. This was at high tide: the troops ran out onto dry beach--and fell, as fire from somewhere off to the flank inflicted many casualties. Fire probably came from 2 guns ( '88's ) located in pillbox at Vierville road.

LCI circling throughout most of day. Sometimes moved in to within two or three hundred yards of shore to take a look ( always using field glasses ). All aboard were very interested in what was happening in the States, but nothing of the homefront reaction came through the ship's open radio. From the beach there was [crossed out] nothing, [end crossed out] very little then only very fragmentary reports. Hq. group knew almost immediately that the 116th had had a very bad time. However, there were few reports from them; information came, rather, from liason officers already ashore.

When Lt. Col. Purnell's group was ready to go ashore, they were transferred from the LCI into an LCM , because loose mines were afloat in the high tide, which covered the beach defenses. The LCM ahead of theirs turned in to the beach--and theirs followed. By then-- four or five in the afternoon--there was no direct fire on the beach except for that of a rifleman here and there. [crossed out] On the beach [end crossed out] In Vierville Lt. Col. Purnell found [crossed out] wooden [end crossed out] cartridges [inserted] with wooden "bullets" in them [end inserted]--mock ammunition scattered during maneuvers of the recently- arrived German 352nd Infantry Division. Coming up from the beach, [inserted] during the night of D-day [end inserted] he broke up a "full-fledged battle" [inserted] in darkness [end inserted] between two elements of the 29th. Which had landed at different times and in different places, Germans were also in the vicinity so that confusion was not unjustified.

This was at the village of St. Laurent. The 115th had gone in from the beach to take the village earlier in the day, and had