THE BRIEFING ORDERS

The radio operators were told what frequencies to use in case of emergencies and warned to maintain radio silence unless absolutely necessary to break it The Intelligence officers briefed us on security and told us how to act if we were forced down in enemy territory They also told us how to contact the French Underground to help us escape If captured we were told to give only our name rank and serial number nothing else We were given a general view of the whole operation escape kits and French currency

Our next move was to the supply room for flak suits helmets extra supplies guns and ammunition We carried all this back to the planes and placed it where we could get at it easily The paratroopers arrived in trucks with their equipment and the crew chiefs helped them place it in the individual bucket seats A final check was made to see that everything was at hand so there would be no mix up once we got into the air

Trucks then took us to chow and then back to Squadron Engineering to sweat out the word to go Minute after minute passed then when it seemed our nerves were about to snap the invasion was called off for 24 hours due to bad weather Talk about a letdown The flight crews spent an uneasy night and a restless day As soon as we got back to the barracks the inevitable poker game started A few fellows sat on their sacks to write more letters and the rest tried to read or sleep We expected to be called at any time so we spent our time in the barracks or on the line giving the planes a last minute check We held our usual Engineering Meeting but most of the guys were too preoccupied to pay much attention to the usual everyday things Most of the crew chiefs told their assistants what to do with their personal stuff if they didn't make it back

Then at ten o'clock we were ordered to the flight line for an eleven thirty takeoff on June 5 th We checked the equipment once more and the ground crew wished us well Then they all walked to the end of the runway to watch us takeoff As we finished our preflight check the paratroopers arrived for the second time We handed their chutes out the door and helped them adjust the straps and hook on their equipment They were as quiet as we were and just as nervous They looked grotesque in the half light with their blackened faces and loaded down with all kinds of deadly weapons Around their belts were bags of hand grenades revolvers ammunition first aid kits knapsacks and knives Their helmets were covered with nets with twigs and leaves stuck in them for camouflage

There was time for a last cigarette before the pilots arrived They climbed aboard and I helped each paratrooper up the three little metal steps into the plane They were so loaded that I had to pull with all my strength to haul them through the door I went up to my spot between the pilots and gave the instruments one last check Then in another minute we moved down the taxi strip behind the lead squadron As soon as they got airborne we moved onto the runway and I looked back to see if the last ship had moved into position When it was I tapped the pilot on the shoulder to let him know we were all in place for our take off at our assigned time As we started our take off roll I could see the ground crews waving us good luck and I thought to myself that we were sure going to need it

GETTING THE GROUP TOGETHER

We circled the field several times to get the whole 314 th Group together and then headed out on our planned course for our drop zone near Saint Mere Eglise The planes jockeyed around until they were in position and we settled down for the long ride to the South coast of England The moon was shining brightly so we could easily see all the planes in the big formation

Bombers were flying high over our heads and we could also see other Troop Carrier Groups heading with us toward the coast I went back into the cabin several times to speak to the jumpmaster and say a few words of encouragement to the troopers They had all signed their names on the white field of the blue star on the side of the plane

Our air cover started to pick us up as we left England and the fighters were weaving back and forth above us all the way to the drop zone We flew over surface ships of all kinds all headed in the same direction we were More bombers overhead in a seemingly never ending stream We made a turn around the city of Cherbourg between two islands that were known to be flak positions Our bombers had done a good job of taking them out because we were not fired on

As our squadron passed between these two islands we were alerted by light signals to prepare for the drop I went to my station near the door put on my headset and checked communications with the pilot The formation made a slow swing and headed in toward the southern coastline of the Cherbourg Peninsula I then helped the troopers hook up to the static line and check their equipment before going back to my station by the door and plugging in my headset and microphone As we passed over the coastline the pilot called and told me to tell the jump master that we were over the coastline and so far had not run into any flak As I leaned over to tell him I looked out the door and down at the coastline I could see the black surf beating on the white beach sand As I repeated the message we both leaned out to see better

The ground seemed to catch fire and the thunder of guns and exploding shells filled the air all around us The rank odor of cordite filled the plane as a shower of shrapnel banged against the side The unexpected flash of the guns and the rattle of metal against the thin skin startled both the jumpmaster and me and we both jumped back away from the door and landed in a heap on top of some life rafts We both looked sheepishly at the other and went back to our positions at the door I had to plug the earphones and the microphone back in since I had torn them loose

Right after this we ran into a cloudbank and the planes scattered like a bunch of hens It is hard to fly tight formation when you can't see The red warning light had been on for a few minutes and as we came out of the cloudbank the green jump light came on and the pilot yelled at me to get the troopers out The jumpmaster looked ghastly in the green light as I tapped him on the shoulder to let him know that it was time to jump He gave a yell and sprang out the door followed by his screaming yelling men The eighth or ninth trooper with too much equipment got stuck in the door He couldn't get through by himself and so I kicked him out As soon as the last one was out I thumbed the mike yelled all clear and pulled in the static lines

All hell was breaking loose outside the roar of exploding shells was deafening Our plane lurched and headed toward the ground as the pilot made a steep turn and lowered the nose to get flying speed At first I thought we had been hit and I was ready to jump out but with full power at very low altitude we recovered and started out of there We could see an awful lot of fighting going on the ground as we flew toward the English Channel As we came to the beachhead we started to climb The beach was all confusion and damaged Troop Carrier planes were limping from their drop zones to crash land in the shallow water just offshore

The radio was filled with calls for help and the water was filled with rescue boats going to the aid of the stricken planes Our formation had broken up so that it consisted of only six planes as we swung out over the channel to avoid the antiaircraft batteries that lined the coast of the Cherbourg Peninsula A couple did open fire on us but they fell short Then a few minutes later a flak ship tried to find us with its searchlights but didn't have much luck They were probably just as confused as we were The route back was long and tiresome and our nerves were all shot to pieces About half way back to the English coast we spotted a long string of C 47s pulling CG 4A and Horsa gliders toward the landing zones on the continent We were relieved to be headed home rather than flying in their direction into action

The white cliffs of Dover looked very peaceful as we flew over them and we could relax from our harrowing experience It was a long dull flight back to Saltby but we were all anxious to get there to find out the total damage to the Squadron and the Group We landed OK checked out the plane rather hurriedly and reported our experiences to the Intelligence officer Joe Epstein and drank our hooker of Old Overholt rye to settle our nerves We had a quick meal and then to the barracks for some well deserved rest We slept all day while our assistants readied the planes for the next night's mission We found out later that we had dropped our troopers right on the nose Sad to say not all could say that

June 7 1944 Resupply

During the day a bunch of combat supply men loaded the planes for a resupply mission Mine was loaded with six bundles in the parabuckets and carried six bundles in the cabin These bundles were packed with bazookas bazooka ammunition high explosives and medical supplies Other planes were variously loaded with food ammunition and guns We checked the load manifest and then were called to another briefing This time it was a much quieter bunch of men that waited for the lectures to start Three planes were missing from our squadron and the other squadrons had taken an even worse beating

We received much the same talks that we had received before but this time when they reported on the lightness of the expected flak there were quite a few raspberries given to show that we thought it was a bunch of bunk On this run we took off at 4 30PM after a special meal We taxied to the end of the field for takeoff From there we could see that a wall of fog and haze was moving in to cover the takeoff end of the runway

We took off toward the clear end and then circled in long sweeps to close up the formation Planes were immediately blotted out when we ran into the haze and fog at the opposite end of the field We continued on our slow sweep and soon broke into the clear at the other end of the field Our wingmen were still in place but the rest of the squadron was not even close to our lead plane We made one more turn of the field then the pilot decided that he would take out on course and let the rest of the planes pick us up later on It was too dangerous to chance a mid air collision Every time we ran into the fog end of the field everything was blotted out We flew for quite some time in the fog and through the clear patches I could see that our wingmen were still in place

Down near the coastline we ran into a clear pocket about fifteen miles in circumference so while the radio operator sent out coded messages giving our position to the rest of the squadron we made a slow circle of the clear space After a half hour of slow circling we had picked up six other planes so continued on our flight This time instead of cutting down the southern shore of the peninsula we flew down the north side to make a run straight into our DZ then make a turn and head out over the same course The radio operator and the radar man were to help me toss out the bundles because the combat supply man had not shown by takeoff After we reached the water we arranged the bundles near the door so we could get them out as fast as possible The air was full of fighters so we had plenty of air cover As we flew along our projected route more and more transports caught up with us and joined the formation By the time we were ready to make the run in over the beachhead there were fifteen planes in our formation

OUT GO THE BUNDLES

Our route took us just far enough out from the French coast so that the shore batteries and the anti aircraft guns couldn't reach us At times the hulls of smoldering wrecks could be seen jutting out of the shallow water lining the shore Inland fires and smoke showed where the front lines were locked in battle In a few moments we were over Omaha Beach The radio operator radar man and I went to the rear of the plane and took up the positions we had arranged The planes turned in over the beachhead and headed for the DZ My position was to the right of the door where I could trip the switches that released the bundles in the parapacks and at the same time throw out the first awkward bundle The first bundle was about five feet long weighed about one hundred and fifty pounds and contained a bazooka and ammunition I figured I'd have a rough job getting that bulky thing out the door and that I probably would have to use both hands and risk falling out myself

As we passed over the beachhead I could see the terrible destruction We were flying at four hundred feet and this time it was daylight so I could easily see the ground Equipment was scattered all over the sand Landing craft were shuttling back and forth between the ships and shore bringing more stuff to add to the huge stockpiles We went over so fast that I couldn't tell what was wreckage and what was good but I do know that there was plenty of stuff piled on that short stretch of beach We got a few quick waves from the men laboring below then we were gone out over the countryside From here on things get rather confused Events happened so thick and fast

I can't really remember anything coherently It was just a jumbled mess of quick action and snatches of pictures some of which I remembered later and a lot that I forgot as soon as I saw it I remember most vividly the incongruousness of the situation on the ground This was the infamous hedgerow country of France so each field from our point of view was an individual square The first square contained a small house and barn In the next square a horse and two cows were peacefully grazing In the shadow of the hedge of the next hedgerow a couple of tanks and a couple of trucks were partially camouflaged In the next square a bunch of men were firing at each other Right next to them in an open field a French family was industriously hoeing in their garden   What a war!