BACK TO THE AIRCRAFT

At 2 00PM we turned cautiously back toward the plane We stopped two fields away from it and the co pilot and crew chief were left in hiding while the pilot navigator and the radio operator went ahead using a stone wall bordering the field as partial cover The navigator finally reached the aircraft but except for its tall assembly it was entirely destroyed and we could find no food water or other supplies In the meantime the pilot went to the place where paratrooper 17 had been left the night before He found that a flak suit and a Mae West had been carefully concealed in the bushes during the crew's absence but the trooper had disappeared We assumed that he had been picked up either by French civilians or by our own men so the three other crew members rejoined the co pilot and crew chief two fields away from the aircraft After a discussion we agreed on a scouting trip The navigator went off to the northeast and the pilot went southwest This was at 3 45PM and we agreed to meet again in the same place at or before 5:45PM

The pilot approached a large stone farmhouse which stood some distance on the other side of the plane and observed several French farmers including children who went out to look at the wreck He decided not to communicate with them and he returned to the hiding place The navigator had already returned

The navigator reported a highway about a ten minute walk to the east running generally north and south He also reported that the sound of heavy guns was quite near the highway to the south although he did not observe any emplacements He was afraid to cross this road feeling sure that it was well posted by the enemy so returned to the hideout

The crew remained in the new hideout until about 8 00PM when they heard American voices in the next field The navigator went toward the sound and a few moments later he turned and called for the crew When the rest of us crossed to him he told us that he had met an old school mate in that outfit and that he had arranged for transportation to the beach We began running across the field toward our troops the navigator in the lead when someone on our left front began shooting at us with rifles We hit the dirt and shouted the password The shooting stopped, the navigator got up to continue his course but the firing broke out again and the navigator was hit

He fell to the ground A soldier from the 4th Division came toward us and yelled at the rest to stop firing A first aid crew came over examined the navigator and discovered him to have been lit in the fleshy part of the buttocks There was no exit wound so we did not know if any bones were struck but we didn't think so and did not believe the wound was very serious We were then taken to a major and three lieutenants leaving the navigator to be removed by stretcher These officers apologized for incautious firing by their men We got into a jeep with the major and headed for the beach about 2 1 2 miles away traveling along the road running from the town of Ste Mere Eglise coordinates35.2 97 40.7 03.5 Map reference sheet 6E 3 and 6 E 5 France 1 50,000 3rd edition

The major turned off to the left gave us directions for walking to the beach and left us Along this road our men engaged in digging out snipers and enemy observation posts and French civilians were helping by giving directions warning of mines and offering other aid Tanks are coming up along the road from the shore and our forces from the beach were already in touch with the paratroop and glider forces that had landed farther inland It was approximately 2030 hours on Tuesday 6 June 1944 when the major left us

FINALLY TO THE BEACH

When we arrived on the beach we had trouble making contact with anyone in authority who could help us but finally found a US Navy Commander who was in charge of the sector He put us on a boat and we left the beach about 11 00PM  We reported to the CO of an LCVP lying off shore and after the crew spent some time getting the ship off a shoal we traveled in it about 12 miles to the US Bayfield a headquarters and hospital ship We arrived there about 2 30AM Wednesday 7 June 1944

At 7 30AM we got up having been fed and put to bed in the sick bay of the Bayfield as soon as we arrived About 8 00 8 30AM a colonel arrived with a rescued P 47 pilot and we followed him to the USS Ancon another headquarters ship This craft was the headquarters for all that section of the beach and many generals and admirals were present upon it including General DeGaulle who was observing the action and broadcasting messages to the French from this ship we transferred via another LCVP to LST 75 arriving about 2 00PM on Wednesday afternoon This ship began to unload that night and finished the following morning At about 9 00PM Thursday 8 June 1944 we left for the UK in a convoy of 40 50 ships

We arrived off Portland about 2 00PM Friday and stayed on board until Saturday morning 10 June 1944 We then went through two straggler survivor camps the second at Weymouth At the latter we arrived simultaneously with 206 US glider pilots who had just been brought back from the continent From here we went to Southampton in trucks1 where we arrived about 6 00PM The pilot immediately telephoned our base and spoke to Lt Col Myer who sent Major Falkner and Capt Roush to pick us up at Stonycross Airfield near Southampton about 8 30PM on Saturday 10 June 1944 We arrived at our base about 10 30PM the same evening While we were on the continent we did not observe any engagements with the enemy although we heard much firing We saw some empty gliders in the vicinity of Ste Mere Eglise but we did not see the town itself We did not see any of our glider troops We found that our troops had been instructed to shoot at anyone moving around at night whereas we had been advised to hide during the day and do our traveling at night if we landed in enemy territory Instructions on such matters should be coordinated in order to prevent avoidable injury from our own troops"

HARRISON LOESCH
Captain Air Corps
Intelligence Officer