Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 011, folder 32: Claude Grant Red

ERD, Claude Grant Lexington Ky 10

Dead

For Cornelius Ryan Book about D-Day

THOUSANDS OF MEN, ON LAND AND SEA AND IN THE AIR, PARTICIPATED IN THE INVASION OF NORMANDY BETWEEN MIDNIGHT JUNE 5, 1944 AND MIDNIGHT JUNE 6, 1944. IF YOU WERE ONE OF THEM, PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS.

What is your full name? CLAUIE GRANT ERD What was your unit and division? 103d AAA Battalion (Sep) lst Infantry Division Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time? Omaha (Red) 0400 hrs on morning of 6 June 44

What was your rank on June 6, 1944? Chief Warrant Officer What was your age on June 6, 1944? 25 years of age Were you married at that time? Yes What is your wife's name? Julia Ann Erd Did you have any children at that time? No What do you do now? Sergeant Major of Setachments #6, United States Army ROTC Instrictor Group, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky (Rank: Master Sargent)

When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? Approximately 3 days prior to Invasion, since no one knew exactly when it was to happen, except SHAEF Headquarters in London. 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? Trip across the channel was on an LST. Uneventful until actually hitting the beaches. Conversation, if I remember correctly, was similar to any conversation prior to a landing. This was my 3rd landing (Africa and Sicily before). Talk ran to subjects of whether would make it this time or not. Mostly talk of home and when we would get back, if ever. Quite a bit of joking, as always among a bunch of GI's. Fear is normally covered up by a lot of jokes I have found out, and I think every man was fearful of the outcome of this particular jump off. What were the rumors on board the boat, ship or plane in which you made the crossing? (Some people remember scuttlebut to the effect that the Germans had poured gasoline on the water and planned to set it afire when the troops came in). On my particular LST we heard no rumor to the extent that gasoline was put on the water by the Germans. I cannot remember too much about rumors. Our conversations were more along the lines of what I put into the preceding paragraph.

- for Cornelius Ryan 2 - Your name CLAUDE GRANT ERD Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? NO, diaries as such, were against current Division policy at that time, since information, if you were captured, such as a diary could give too much to Germans. Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or during the day? Some were but I cannot remember names. Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casual ties? No. Were you wounded? No 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? N/A Do you remember seeing or hearing anything that seems funny now, even though it did not, of course, seem amusing at the time? The only thing that now canes to mind is the fact that I had to get my supply trucks de-gunked and I had a strip map of the area into which I was to go. Since it was dark I couldn't read the map because I couldn't possibly light a match or use any other light; I had ten trucks and my drivers and I floundered around trying to get into this pre-described area, not knowing whether we would run into the enemy or our own troops, but somehow I ran into my Executive Officer right smack in the middle of the area. He had assumed that we would have trouble getting to this area and planted himself in the middle of it to direct us. I can remember him saysing in a real low voice "Erd, is that you?" and all I remember is saying: "Who did you expect, Clepatra." (I'm not trying to be humorous now, but I was then). Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic; or simply memorable, which struck you more than anything else? Yes. We had five men killed simply because they decided to dig a fox-hole deep enough am large enough to hold all five of them so they could play cards when they weren't doing anything. A shell came in, hit this enlarged hole in the ground, was a dud (didn't explode) and caved their hole right in on them. They didn't have a scratch on them but were suffocated. See they had logs and sand bags over top of the hole and it was completely dark inside and they could use a candle to play cards, go to sleep, or what ever they wanted to do. They thought this kind of hole would be the ideal way to pass a little spare time. It proved to be their undoing.

- for Cornelius Ryan 3 - Your name CLAUDE GRANT ERD 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? Yes, I had an Italian driver that would invariably get under our Jeep when we were being bombed or strafed by enemy air craft, which was one of the worst places he could possibly get. It never occurred to him that the jeep was one of the objects of enemy fire. I told him a hundred times to head tor a ditch when being attacked but it never sank in, evidently. He never got a scratch, however. I, luckily, bad four jeeps knocked out during the course of the War e.nd each time they were hit my driver and myself happened to be out of them. This, in later years, amazed me but at the tine I didn't think much about it. I have told my wife several times that it was a good thing I was young during WW II simply because death and other things doesn't seem to enter your mind much when you are young as it does when you get older. This is human and average I suppose. Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? On board the LST crossing the Channel Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? Probably in a bivouac area someplace close to the beach at Omaha (Red) asleep. I believe we moved in about a mile or so that first day, couldn't have been much farther than that. Do you know of anybody else who landed within those 24 hours (midnight June 5 to midnight June 6) as infantry, glider or airborne troops, or who took part in the air and sea operations, whom we should write to? I know hundreds of people, some in, some out of service now, but I do not know their addresses.

PLEASE LET US HAVE THIS QUESTIONAIRE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, SO THAT WE CAN INCLUDE YOUR EXPERIENCES IN THE BOOK. WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE YOUR STORY ON SEPERATE SHEETS IF WE HAVE NOT LEFT SUFFICENT 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. Everything that I have listed above is as I can possibly remember it. I have flowered nothing up to make a story. Thank you for this opportunity. I will be looking forward to reading this book. Good luck.

Claude G Erd

Cornelius Ryan Frances Ward Research, The Readers Digest

May 29, 1958 M/Sgt Claude G. Erd c/o Commander, Detachment #6 2156-6 AU, University of Kentucky Lexington, Kentucky

Dear Sgt. Erd:

A history of D-Day, June 6, 1944, to coincide with the 15th anniversary of the Normandy invasion next year is being written by Cornelius Ryan for publication in the Reader's Digest and in book form. It is being written with the complete cooperation and assistance of the Department of the Army and the Department of Defense. This will not be another strategic history of invasion day, but a story of the twenty-four hours of D-Day as people lived them and remembered them. For this, we can only go to the men who were there and, if they are willing, invade their memories. Having learned of the part which you played in the invasion, we hope very much that you will be interested in the project and agree to help us.

During the next few months, both in this country and in Europe, Mr. Ryan will be interviewing many of the D-Day participants who agree to contribute to the book. Very probably, he will wish to talk with you during that period. In the meantime, since we are dealing with literally hundreds of people, we have found it necessary to develop an individual file on each person who agrees to help us. Therefore, we hope that if you are interested in the project, you will complete the enclosed record and return it to me at your earliest convenience. We truly believe that these questions will serve you, as well as us, if they can help to crystallize some hazy memories and to indicate the sort of information which we are seeking.

I should be most grateful to know as soon as possible when and if you will be available for interview. We want very much to tell the story of your unit, and in order to do that we need the personal accounts of the men who were there. We particularly look forward to your reply. Sincerely yours, Frances Ward Research Department FW:LL Enclosure