蜜芽传媒

Letter from C. F. Ireland to his wife following D-Day landing 6th June, 1944

11th June, 1944

14648374 Driver Ireland C.F.

Hello Darling,

I know you will be waiting to hear from me and hope it won鈥檛 be too long before you receive this. No doubt, in common with thousands of others, you have been worried, but up to the time of going to press I am quite fit and well. So much has happened to me since I last saw you, and I鈥檝e been 鈥渂usting鈥� to tell you all about it, but I鈥檓 afraid Security will necessitate caution on my part in describing it all, but what I tell is already old news and will probably be aged by the time you receive this.

My last letter to you was written whilst we were in very close confinement. After a few days of this we moved out silently one night and boarded ship. This was to be our home for a further few days. There seemed to be thousands of ships around us. At last came the fateful word. We sailed out, and then as you know, the weather turned against us and this meant another night as a sailor.

However the next day we took off and this time for the real thing. The Broadcast description could never give a complete picture of that scene. The sea as far as the eye could see all round was carpeted with ships, ships of all types and not camouflaged as one would imagine, but painted defiantly in Red White and Blue. If Drake could only have seen this Armada I doubt whether he would have been so completely stunned and absorbed as I was.

The further we sailed so we seemed to add to our already formidable appearance and then, when our Escort joined us, they were a picture that can only be described as Majestic. They sailed Port and Starboard of us. It was a magnificent sight; one could not help feeling confident sailing in such company. You have heard all the names of Battleships, Cruisers etc. that took us over, and of the Air Force that circled over all through the journey. There was so much to marvel at that the fact that I was to land in almost the first wave did not appear to trouble me in the least.

However came the dawn and we eventually stood off shore whilst the Navy and Air Force carried out their next assignment and what a job they made of it. Jerry must have thought the world was coming to an end and then it was the turn of the Army and the job was carried out equally well. Of the few casualties in ships that we did incur, the craft on which I sailed had to be one of them. It was only a very small ship. I鈥檓 afraid we were sunk, but again the Navy came to the rescue and in the nick of time took us ashore. That was the only time I had any real qualms about the whole operation. Don鈥檛 think I鈥檓 glorifying war Darling I don鈥檛 think I鈥檒l ever make an aggressive soldier, but, I was honestly proud that the job I was given made me part of that first Landing.

I did say that it was the proudest moment of my life, but, as someone pointed out that, as I was married with two children, it was probably the fourth time I鈥檇 said that. Anyhow, if this is going to mean a speedy return to our own lives it will all be worth it.

Well Darling, of what we are doing here etc. will have to be a later story perhaps, but the countryside here is as different from our own, in fact, the more one sees, the more comparisons one can make.

How are you all at home?

It seems years since I saw you all. Dates and days mean nothing to me at this moment. This will all mean a lot of hard work for everyone, but the spirit of confidence that prevails all round is rather wonderful and I鈥檓 sure it won鈥檛 be long before we give this bloke Adolph his marching orders.

Tell Mother that I鈥檓 perfectly O.K. and Pa that one of these days I鈥檒l be writing to him. There鈥檒l be plenty to interest him about this job. His old Unit are already doing good work.

Well Darling, I could go on for a long time but even the Censor is busy and won鈥檛 thank me for adding to his tasks. So keep your chin up and don鈥檛 be worried. Just keep thinking of what it all means to us. Soon things will get ship-shape and I鈥檒l resume my regular service of letters, so kiss the children for me and all my love to you Darling.

Always yours.
Cecil

Signed. C.L. Edgson (Censor)

Addendum written June 2004

Attached is a copy of a letter I wrote to my wife sixty years ago, on the 11th June 1944. I have the original, written in pencil from a hole in the ground! Because of security & the Censor (whose signature is on the letter) it was necessary to avoid elaboration and worrying those at home.

I was a member of HQ Platoon 69 Field Coy. RE 鈥� part of the 6th.HQ Army Troops. I was a driver/radio operator.

In the letter I mention that we were in an L.C.T. which was sunk by shells from Shore Battery. Being a small flat-bottomed boat designed to run on to the beach, she settled on the sea bed, with all our possessions, my radio and our means of transport 鈥� a Half Track. We, the C.O., myself, Recce Officer & the driver, were left sitting on deck. Eventually the Navy took us off, in very choppy seas, & dropped us fairly near shore 鈥� in what I imagined to be knee-deep water was actually up to our armpits! As we waded to shore we were surrounded by dead & wounded bodies & the noise of gun-fire was indescribable. I confess I shouted to God to help but it was doubtful if even He could hear me!

As we got on the beach the driver & I ran like mad to the top, avoiding casualties littering the sand. Strangely enough I remember that they were mostly from the Hampshire Regiment Commandos.

The C.O. & Recce went to 鈥榬endezvous鈥� with our Sappers further up the beach. The driver & I took shelter under one of our tanks that had been destroyed & from there I watched the Beach Master doing an amazing job organising everybody. I saw some remarkable vehicles coming ashore and DUKWS for the first time, racing up & down the beach, in & out of the water, bringing in huge amounts of stores from our supply ships off-shore.

By this time the first German prisoners were being brought down. The tide had receded and the driver was able to wade out to the boat & bring off our vehicle. The C.O. & Recce joined us & we set off to get on with our assignment. As we left the beach we drove through a field full of vehicles, cows & one VERY nonplussed French farmer.

I never returned to the Beach and we were always close to the advance. Removing obstacles and building bridges was our main task. We built bridges over the Seine, Nymengen and the Rhine and finished close to the Elbe where the surrender took place.

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