The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1944-06-08
BY LEONARD MoSELY
Representing the Combined
Allied PreSs)


Day-(UP)-I parachuted into Eu-
rope at minutes past a. m. to-
day, six and one-half hours before
seaborne forces began their in
vasion Of France and I have ex-
perienced lot since then.
was near the shore hiding from
q Nazi patrol as I watched the first
Allied forces go ashore from the
sea at 7:15. have seen few
thousand paratroops and glider
borne troops whom I nominate now
as the bravest, most tenacious men
I have ever known hold bridge
head against Hitler's armies for
over 16 hours despite overwhelming
odds. believe the things they have
done are almost solely and COM
pletely responsible for the great sue
cess the invasion has had in this
sector.
There is a helluva battle going on
here as I write and bullets and
mortar bombs, not to mention
couple Of snipers, are producing
| conditions in my vicinity not con-
ducive to consecutive thinking. My
typewriter got bad bashing when
rolled on it after a hard landing
when I parachuted into France
with 1t strapped to my chest.
| Our Job was to silence vital
coastal battery which If still In OPP
eration might have blown our ships
ito bits as they came in to shore.
1--WE silenced 1t. Our other just as
Vital Job was to secure two impor-
tant bridges over canal and river
north Of Caen to prevent their being
Eblown up and to hold them against
fall corners until the main armies
Iarrived.
We're still holding them and
they're still intact.
I came down in an orchard out
eide farmhouse. AS I stood up with
my harness off and wiped sweat off
my brown painted face, I knew
was hopelssly lost. Dare 60 to
the farmhouse? Suddenly there was
| a rip and a tear IN my Tapping
jumping smock and flung myself
10 the ground as machinegun
ratified. There were two more
emashing explosions-hand grenades
this time.
I dived through bunch Of nettles
and fought my way through tangle
of barbed wire into the next field
land Began to run at crouch. Then
suddenly at the other end there were
1.-TWO figures. They were coming to-
ward me and were carrying guns
There was crash Of gun fire and
both men crumpled not 5 yards from
sne. Into the field stealthily came
hive men to challenge me and was
with Our own paratroopers again.
| with a counterattack developing
against this headquarters this Is
kno moment to write too long about
Flwhat followed. For two weary hours
I'VE wandered around the country.
We hid from German patrols In
French barns. We shot UP a Nazi
car speeding down lane. just
kRfter 8 a. m. we made our rendea-
Nous. I dropped my heavy equip
kment and made my way to the
bridges.
l k1CIG JIlC pdOblG kldI1 CChoCua 4OOVAA
che river and canal spans were in
pur hands and firmly held. Only
beyond in the west country could
tracers be seen and the noise Of
Ebattle heard as we beat back Nazi
counter attacks.
| But the situation was grim. There
was no doubt Of that when got to
headquarters. We had taken the
kNazis by surprise but he knew what
twas happening now and we could
Eexpect their tanks at any moment
lat the bridgehead quarters in
Icopse overlooking the river Orne.
At 20 minutes past q. m. every
kparatrooper breathed sigh of relief
as he heard bombers coming in slow,
ktowing gliderS. We watched them
ERinlock and dive steeply for earth.
i've saw one caught by ack-ack
catch fire and fly around for three
ior four minutes a great ball of
kElame. We heard the crunch of
breaking matchwood as gliders
bounced on rocks and careened into
istill undestroyed poles.
1t was hard to restrain an impulse
10 cheer for out of every glider were
Lpouring jeeps and anti-tank guns
land field guns. We knew If the Nazis
came now we could hold.
A glow began to appear in the
eastern sky and there was roaring
that grew to thunderous roll that
never stopped. We knew the climax
Iphase Of the invasion was approach
kang. Here were bombers swarming
like bees to give the Nazi defenses
their last softening. We were about
two miles away but the shudder Of
explosions lifted us from the ground.
As dawn came moved nearer the
coast. Wrecked gliderse Uttered
fields and orchards. I saw a shape
in tree. 1t was man who jumped
before me in our stick but he was
beyond help. The ripped body of a
young Nad nearby showed he hadn't
died unavenged.
Once patrols were a few yards
from us but we lodged them and
reached high ground overlooking
the coast. Under cover of naval
ships, invasion barges were coming
In, firing. We shook hands in
knowledge that the invasion at long
last had begun. Since that time we
have heard little of that invasion
because ours has continued to be
largely private war. The Nad re-
ply to our arrival was inf1ltration
into our positions with armored
cars. mobile guns and hordes of
enipers.
came upon one NaN soldier
groaning from a wound in his stom-
ach. A paratrooper said bitterly:
Hes lucky to be alive. He's one Of
the snipers."
Across the canal bridge SniperS'
bullets were dipping like fireflies
but the risk you took crossing was
negligible compared with what the