Embedded Files
Very little is known about Staff Sergeant Goldman, other than whatever information might be gleaned from his little diary.
We have here his jottings and notes from 5th June 1944 when he embarked with his unit for France, as part of Operation Overlord.
The collection of his notes end on 21st June, totalling some sixteen days.
You will note a variety in the length of his entries, starting with fairly detailed descriptions early on in the campaign, tapering off to terse entries of two or three words as the fighting in France intensified.
As you read the jottings and notes in Goldman's diary, ask yourself why his entries became shorter and more brief as the days went on.
Why do you think soldiers such as Staff Sergeant Goldman kept diaries. Was it for himself? or for posterity?
What do his writings tell us about life as a common soldier?
Diary Entries (5 - 21 June)
[Transcript of Page 1]
June 5 - left Cottesmore(?)
about eleven - flew
all over England than [sic]
over Channel came into
france at 0200 - nice
and quiet and lots of smoke
commented that this was
easy. Suddenly tracer &
flack - red and green.
Plane started violent evasive
action. Green light and
went - plane was on its
side and low, about 150
tracer coming up
into chutes. [Slipped?] away
for all I was worth.
One man screaming.
[Transcript of Page 2]
Landed easy and stayed
flat - reason - grazing
fire - terribly scared.
Crawled into hole and
took off equipment. Lots
of firing - C47s still
coming - men still jumping
into hell. One plane
burning, but men bail
out.
Met two jumpers & ............
met 8 more - met 20
more - feel good now - [all?]
kinds of weapons. Now
will seek trouble - tore
down telephone wires.
No Germans.
June 6 - next morning.
Found [assorted?] group of
502 - 506 - 508 - 505 men
and came to farmhouse
produced map and frenchman
show St Mere Eglise to
us. Occasional sniper
fire but inaccurate.
Reached St Mere Eglise about
noon and found that ....
had town taken. Moved
into a long building and
set up hospital.
Gliders had taken a hell
of a beating - crashed all
over countryside. Wounded
pouring in now.
[Transcript of Page 3]
Companies set up town
defence and prepare to
hold town at all costs as
ordered - already we are
surrounded and fighting.
Town being shelled and
mortared. Eighty-eight
artillery tearing hell out
of us - wounded pouring
in now - Hospital hit
separately. Germans
want that town. Getting
dark now - this night will
be pure hell cause we
are all alone and cut off. The
boys are fighting like
cornered ....... Even
advancing. German
wounded in hospital.
Night.
Violent Enemy artillery and
infilterating [sic] attacks - some
Germans enter town. They
don't leave it again - they
are dead. Tanks knocked
out just outside of town by
GIs with grenades. Our
guys are strictly mean
now. They are fighting
mad. Morning and we
still hold town. But
what a price. Hospital
choked with wounded.
Wounded from all over
[Transcript of Page 4]
countryside coming in now.
What a god-damned
mess and still the
bastard beach force
does not relieve us.
Hospital being shelled &
hit repeatedly. Kitchen
blown in. Backyard full
of shell holes - no windows
glass and plaster and bloody
rags and wounded and
dying men all over the
place. Handful of aid
men dog tired. Sleep.
What is that?
June 7. Next morning.
Repeat performance. Artillery
and ...... attacks ....
wounded again. No .....
room anyplace in hospital
but still they come.
............
...........
.............
...........
...........
............
...........
..........
.........
..........
..........
[Transcript of Page 5]
Moved all wounded out ....
Evacuation to collecting
company - packed up [to be?]
moved up to [form line]
again. More wounded in
............ but ............
transportation now &
...... ............ system.
Town is Fresville - slightly
........ now. 8th June.
June 9 - moved to house in
......ville - real sleep on a
mattress. Some more wounded.
88mm shells ............
Jun 10 - fairly quiet ......
...... .......... artillery. Air
raid at night.
June 11 - push ahead. Fresville.
June 12 - push ahead. .....ville.
June 13 - close to Montberg [sic - Montebourg] & Valognes.
June 14. Change sectors. Drive for St Saveur[?]
June 15 - drive
June 16 - enter St Saveur[?] - "hot"
June 17 - still "hot" plenty
June 18 - occasional shelling
June 19 - move for more .............
June 20 - Interesting bivouack
area - 15 Germans 2 M.G.s &
plenty of stuff - Murphy gets
buzzed in legs - capture 12
of .........
June 21 - in woods - bastard
artillery. ...... us down plenty.
Cloths full of blood - moral [sic]
is very low.
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