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0600 UTAH USS LST 492
Lt. jg
AT THE BEACH: While offloading off UTAH, we were ordered to OMAHA for a possible evacuation and to assist with the wounded. On arrival, all of ours LCVP's were ordered to the beach to report to the beachmaster. They returned in about an hour on orders from the beachmaster. He told the boat officer: There are no casualties. These men are all dead." MEMORABLE I recall the expert shiphandling of a minesweeper skipper who came alongside to deliver the survivors that he had picked up from a sunk sister ship. He had lost one screw and rudder, but still did an excellent job of shipbuilding. I believe the sunk ship was the Pheasant, and the rescue ship, the Tide.
PROVOST, William B., Jr. 03
Box 16, #5
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OHIO Not much LL read O-3 LL 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? CDR WILLIAM BROCKHOLST PROVOST JR What was your unit and division? USS LST 492 Where did you arrive in Normandy, and at what time? UTAH BEACH 0600 6 JUNE 1944 What was your rank on June 6, 1944? LIEUTENANT (JUNIOR GRADE) What was your age on June 6, 1944? 23 Were you married at that time? NO What is your wife's name? ROSEMWAY Did you have any children at that time? NO What do you do now? EXECUTIVE OFFICER NRPTC UNIT MIAMI UNIVERSITY, OXFORD, OHIO When did you know that you were going to be part of the invasion? DID NOT KNOW POSITIVELY UNTIL A FEW WEEKS BEFORE, BUT HAD SENSED IT FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. 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? I REMEMBER IT WAS A DARK NIGHT FOR THAT TIME OF THE YEAR IN A LATITUDE THAT FAR NORTH. OUR CONVERSATION ON THE BRIDGE CONSISTED OF AN EXPRESSION OF ENVY OF THOSE ON THE LARGER SHIPS (B.B.'s, C.A.'s C.L.'s) WE ALSO SYMPATHIZED WITH THE GLIDER TROOPS AMO PARATROOPERS PASSING OVERHEAD. 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). WE DEFINITELY HAD THE FEELING THAT THE GERMANS WERE NOT EXPECTING US IN THE AREA IN WHICH WE WE DESTINED TO LAND.
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- for Cornelius Ryan 2 - Your name CDR W.B. PROVOST
Did you by any chance keep a diary of what happened to you that day? NO THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN CONTRARY TO REGULATIONS Were any of your friends killed or wounded either during the landing or during the day? NO Do you remember any conversations you had with them before they became casualties? NOT APPLICABLE 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? NOT APPLICABLE
Do you remember seeing* or bearing anything that seems funny now, even though it did not, of course, seem amusing at the time?
Do you recall any incident, sad or heroic, or simply memorable, which struck you more than anything else?
WHILE OFF LOADING OF UTAH BEACH WE WERE ORDERED TO OMAHA BEACH FOR A POSSIBLE EVACUATION AND TO ASSIST WITH THE WOUNDED. ON ARRIVAL ALL OF OUR LCVP'S WERE ORDERED TO THE BEACH TO REPORT TO THE BEACHMASTER. THEY RETURNED IN ABOUT AN HOUR ON ORDERS FROM THE BEACHMASTER. HE TOLD THE BOAT OFFICER -" THERE ARE NOT CASUALTIES THESE MEN ARE ALL DEAD." ANOTHER MEMORABLE INCIDENT WAS THE DEMOLITON OF THE RHINO FERRY IN WHICH HAD JUST OFFLOADED ABOUT 40% OF OUR COMBAT LOAD AND PASSENGERS. WE NEVER DID GET A CASUALTY REPORT FROM IT.
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- for Cornelius Ryan 3 - Your name CDR W.B. PROVOST
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? I RECALL THE EXPERT SHIPHANDLING OF A MINESWEEPER SHIPPER WHO CAME ALONGSIDE TO DELIVER THE SURVIVORS THAT HE HAD PICKED UP FROM A SUNK SISTERSHIP. HE HAD LOST ONE SCREW AND RUDDER, BUT STILL DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF SHIPHANDLING. I BELIEVE THE SUNK SHIP WAS THE PHEASANT AND THE RESCUE SHIP THE TIDE.
Where were you at midnight on June 5, 1944? CROSSING THE CHANNEL Where were you at midnight on June 6, 1944? LYING OFF UTAH BEACH 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 MANY BUT REGRET THAT I DON'T HAVE THEIR CURRENT ADDRESS.
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. Cornelius Ryan Frances Ward Research, The Reader's Digest
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