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

FLUNDER, Daniel John Juno - Royal Marines Box 20, #43

Released to PG

JUNO MUST IX 0800 St Auber 48th Royal Marine Commandos

Shot thru map case - didn't know it - troops though he was being cool

Tank was running over wounded. He stopped it - rapped on it with stick - like Vanderwood - it didn't stop. Then he stopped it with a grenade

Maj. being evacu. after being wounded before landing - wouldn't stand for it "Bugger this, I'm going to swim for it." He did, too. He also attempted to save another wounded man swimming in water

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? We were commandos and were nearly all battle experienced The general standard of behavior was thus high and it is difficult to answer this in the way required

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? You presummably have a list of our officers

What do you do now? London manager Dunlop Plantations Ltd

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

a) contd I honestly had no idea I was being shot at until after we landed when I first consulted my map + found the map case had been punctured by a neat little burst of machine gun fire The case had been across my back so the bullets had passed between my arm + my body Apparently everybody else realised we were being sot at + I had received credit for coolness b) The sea was very rough and we grounded some way off the beach the ramps were run down + I waved the troops on starting down the ramp myself A big wave carried the ship on over the bank on which we had grounded spill me off the ramp + passed over me no clear recollections until I was trotting up the beach some minutes later- still carrying my walking stick c) Soon after we were ashore our 3" mortar were firing on German positions when a spitfire came over low One of our mortar bombs blew his tail off we rescued the pilot from under enemy noses but never told him!

Must R/ Ack 2/6/58 JUNO/ H H

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

What is your full name? Daniel John Flunder What is your present address? Business address: Dunlop Plantations Ltd 10-12 King St. St. James's S.W. 1 (available here for interview) Telephone number: Whitehall 3131

What was your unit, division, corps? 48 Commando, Royal Marines Where did you land and at what time? St Aubin 0800 What was your rank and age on June 6, 1944? Captain + Adjutant 22 years

Were you married at that time? No What is your wife*'s name? Did you nave any children at that time? No

When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? Many months before, whilst in Italy, by virtue of position as Adjutant. 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 remember it very well

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. ours was a decent unit! Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? No, but just after the war we published a small book of unit history which give a factual account of the landing!

2. Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or during the day? yes Just before 8 the unuit was 450 strong our first count after setting ashore only produced 220 fit men

Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties? not particularly

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? 3 personal thing a) I as adjutant was in charge of the troops of Cdo HQ occupying the whole of our craft (an LCI (s) ) the troops as we ran into land were mustered behind the superstructure reasonably sheltered from enemy fire I walked about on the foredeck to set an example - contd on spare sheet

Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, that struck you more than anything else? 1. We went rapidly up the beach to the dunes leaving many wounded on the beach Some tanks landing behind us had their turrets closed + were not manoeuvering well they ran over many of our wounded + infuriated us to the extent that I went back on the beach + exploded a grenade on one tank in order to make the crew open up so that this horror could be stopped 2. An officer shot through the thighs went into the sea + rescued another from drowning I went on to the beach + pulled them P.T.Q

ashore In that state + that weather it was the bravest thin I ever saw throughout the war the rescued was major de Stacpoole (later killed in Walchesen The result was Capt Lennard - later severely wounded de Stacpoole had a long swim in full equipment in huge waves + in spite of his wound

truck carrying 4 tank engines sank immediately + completely below water George got out through the door window Waded above + they were brought out again on a DOKW they dived down to their truck attached chains + the DUKW towed them in one by one Singer fell off the Breakdown truck + broke leg in first half hour Got trucks going Civilian were wullen Geo noticed first the smell of explosives and of corpses

Tel No. GIPsy Hill 6544.

'OAKDENE' ELDER ROAD WEST NORWOOD LONDON. S.E.27

21MAY1958 Q.S. 21/5/58

18th May, 1958.

Dear Sir,

With reference to your advertisement in the "Evening News" concerning the Normandy Landings, my husband was one of the many who took part. He embarked on the night of the 5th June from Newhaven and went right through the campaign to Germany. Like most men, however, who took part, he feels that his part was only a tiny share and cannot contribute much to such a detailed account you have in mind, but any account or item of interest he can assist you in, he will be pleased to do so.

Yours faithfully, H. Dale

P.S. He was attached to the 3rd. Inf. Div, and was in R.E.M.E.

Box. 9468.

Int Extract

21st May, 1958.

Dear Mrs. Dale, I m so pleased that you have seen the notice about our D-Day project, and I am most grateful to you for getting in touch with us so promptly.

Our book is to be written by Mr. Cornelius Ryan, a former war correspondent. Mr. Ryan is at present in Paris, interviewing French civilians and resistance workers who were in Normandy during the first hours of the Invasion. He is returning to England shortly, when he hopes to be able to talk to men and women of the British Forces about their D-Day experiences. I am sure Mr. Ryan will be very interested to hear of your husband's own experiences, and I wonder if he would, therefore, very kindly fill in the enclosed questionnaire. A stamped and addressed envelope is attached for his use.

I should like to thank you for your kind co-operation, and I look forward very much to receiving the completed questionnaire.

Yours sincerely, (Joan Ogle Isaacs) Research Editor

Ack 27/5/58

"Oakdene", 57 Elder Road, West Norwood, S. E. 27.

Dear Madam, Thank you for your letter of the 21st May. I have pleasure in returning the questionnaire you send, filled in as far as my husband can remember any details. He feels he cannot recall so much of the actual hours of landing as he can of events that took place during the drive through France. However, we do hope it is of some small help.

I should like to add how interested I was to read your letter, and shall look forward tremendously to reading the book when it is written, because, however small a part, I feel very proud to think that my husband actually was a member of the invasion force, and also because of the fact that I was shorthand typist at the War Office at the time the invasion was being planned.

Yours sincerely, H. Dale

Encl. Miss J. O. Isaacs.