Cornelius Ryan WWII papers, box 022, folder 39: Douglas Ritchie

RITCHIE, Douglas SHAEF, Broadcast over BBC Box 22, #39

British civilian London Interview with Douglas Ritchie, Old School Cottage, Mickleham, nr. Dorking, Surrey. Telephone Leatherhead 3175 Ritchie was 38 on D-Day and he was known as "Colonel Britain" because he was the official voice of SHAEF, who read messages in English each evening to Europe over the BBC. At the end of the long list of messages which were sent out each day over the BBC the broadcast would end with the following words "Now here is the voice of the English member of the Supreme Commander's staff whose voice authenticates this message." Ritchie, who suffered a stroke in 1949, is almost unable to speak at all today. Thus the interview was not a success. However, he and his wife lived close by to Broadaasting House and between them I gather that Ritchie had to be in the Broadcasting Studio before dawn every morning for the early morning message. On June 5 Ritchie was up all night because he had been told there would be an important message to read before 5.30 that morning. He had no idea that it was the Invasion message but like everybody else he knew that the time was close and he half suspected that the message would have something to do with the forthcoming assault. It will be remembered that the 5th June was the original date but was postponed. So that on the morning of June 5 he read out the following: "Today, Monday June 5th, the Supreme Commander directs me to say this. In due course instructions of great importance will be given to you through this channel but it will not be possible always to give them at a previously announced time; therefore you must get into the habit, either personally or by arrangement with your friends, of listening at all hours." The following morning June 6 which is really D-Day, he read the "urgent" message about a "new phase in our air attack" having begun ( see attached scripts). The procedure was as follows: In referring to the scripts he read first the"Statement by a Member of the Staff of the Supreme Commander" down to "lead out, etc.". Then the message was read in French, Belgian, Dutch Danish and Norwegian. At the end of each language section the message would be authenticated by Ritchie reading in English a further paragraph which for example in the case of June 6 was: "Today, Tuesday June 6th, I bring.... kilometres of the coast." It was a little after 5 that morning when he read this message. [WRITTEN AT END OF TYPE:] Handsome man, looks like British officer, (speaks in beautifully modulated voice) about 5'.8" at D-Day was dark-haired slender, light complexioned