Personal Accounts

Individual Accounts, Allies | Individual Accounts, Axis | Multiple Accounts | Tributes to Soldiers | Other

Individual Accounts, Allies

Herb Epstein, 5th Ranger Battalion. From Drop Zone Virtual Museum's Oral and E-histories.

Jim Wilkins, "D-Day Recollections" (The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada, B Company). The author, another first-wave casualty, narrates his experiences with wry humor.

Leonard Lomell, Second Ranger Battalion, distinguished Service Cross recipient. From The American Experience: D-Day.

Robert Rae. (507th PIR) "Against All Odds." Rae led the daring assault on La Fiere bridge. Drop Zone Virtual Museum's Oral and E-histories.

John J. Dolan, (Company Commander of A Company 505 PIR). Letter includes a "detailed account of A Company's legendary actions at La Fiere Bridge." Drop Zone Virtual Museum's Oral and E-histories.

Marcus Heim, (A Company 505) "La Fiere Bridge: D-Day June 6, 1944"Drop Zone Virtual Museum's Oral and E-histories.

Roy Creek, (507th PIR) "Chef-du-Pont." Another La Fiere bridge account. Drop Zone Virtual Museum's Oral and E-histories.

John C. Ausland, excerpt from Letters Home: a War Memoir. Unlike some others Ausland arrived without much trouble. More information about the book is available here.

Allen W. Stephens, bomber pilot.

I had the surging feeling that I was sitting in on the greatest show ever staged--one that would make world history. As we flew nearer to the target, that feeling increased to exhilaration and excitement, for it was truly a magnificent operation.

Web Archive: Gen. Matthew Ridgeway, "D-Day Minus One: U.S. Paratroopers Leave for France."

Clarence Hughart, H Company 507 PIR. "Unlucky Number 13". This young paratrooper was captured almost immediately. From Drop Zone Virtual Museum's Oral and E-histories.

George Rosie (506 PIR, 101st Airborne Division) "An American POW in Germany," edited by Bill Carrington. Another paratrooper captured shortly after landing. From Drop Zone Virtual Museum's Oral and E-histories.

Joe Bressler, "Fractured". Paratrooper was wounded but avoided capture. From Drop Zone Virtual Museum's Oral and E-histories.

Web Archive: J.G. Burkhalter, an army chaplain.

Web Archive: Congressman Sam M. Gibbons, "June 6, 1944 -- I was There" A long, gripping account. (501st Parachute Infantry, a part of the 101st Airborne Division)

Tom Kent, "D-Day Glider Landing." Short account.

A.L. Corry, a bombardier on a B-26 Marauder. From American Experience: D-Day.

Ralph Jenkins, fighter pilot. From American Experience: D-Day.

Bob Slaughter, in a Higgins-boat. Slaughter's account seems incorrectly truncated. From American Experience: D-Day.

Individual Accounts, Axis

Franz Rachmann, German soldier. Brief excerpt. American Experience: D-Day.

Web Archive: Unknown, "D-Day, A German Private's View June 6, 1944." Short account, unknown source.

Web Archive: "Horror and Defeat: a German's Log of June 18th" Anonymous account from In Desperate Battle: Normandy 1944 (Canadian site).

Multiple Accounts

Eyewitnesses page from Dan van der Vat's webpage in support of his D-Day: The Greatest Invasion - A People's History.

In Desperate Battle: Normandy 1944, Stories. Profiles of Canadian winners of the Victoria Cross, German soldiers and civilians. The length and perspective of the stories vary. Those which include large chunks of personal narration have been included in my own list.

Drop Zone Virtual Museum's Oral and E-histories. Includes a number of Normandy Accounts (included in my list).

Tributes to Soldiers

Web Archive: Page in Honor of Frank Draper, Jr., killed in action on June 6 in Normandy.

Web Archive: WWII Memoirs. Account of the service of E.W. Crosby by his son, Charles Crosby.

Other

Dad's War: Finding and Telling Your Father's World War II Story.

The Turning Point of WWII: Evaluating a D-Day Diary by Kenneth Hoffman, National D-Day Museum. Includes the Diary of Sidney J. Montz and directions on using such sources.

Web Archive: "Norman Civilians-Casualties" Anonymous account of insane asylum casualties highly reminiscent of the "Big Red One" (movie). From In Desperate Battle: Normandy 1944 (Canadian site).