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Your name F/L VW ELDRIDGE

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 from D-Day? [inserted]D-day?[end inserted]
We made a radar contact shortly after reaching our area near the moving stream of
allied surface vessels. A sighting report was sent by the wireless operator and he was
apparently so nervous that it took him about ten minites before he cleared the message
to base. We homed in on radar and in the dark flew about 500 feet above the water.
I was looking directly below the aircraft when the E Boats fired a brilliant fighter
flare which illuminated five "E" Boats directly below. They were a perfect target
for my four Browning Machine Guns but our instructions were not to fire because even
night tracer would give our exact position away. We climbed to 1000 feet and did a
perfect run in on the E Boats which were in line astern. Just after our bombing
run a German fighter flashed by and we dove. He lost us but a British Navy Plane
called in by our signal to assist was shot down. The two E Boats at the end of the
line were [crossed out] bow [end crossed out] destroyed and [crossed out] t [end crossed out] a third was on fire. The remaining two commenced firing
at us but their fire was erratic. The aircraft captain W/C CG Ruttan was awarded
the DSO for this and other sorties.

Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944?
Protecting the ships moving toward the Normandy beaches.

Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944?
RAF base Bircham Newton

Do you know of anybody else who landed within the 24 hours
of D-Day, June 6, as infantry, glider or airborne troops,
or who took part in the air and sea operations, whom
we should write to?
NO

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.

W.M. Lee Squadron Leader
Director of Public Relations (Air)
Air Force Headquarters,
Ottawa, Ontario.