3322
Lieutenant Dawson, Cie D/5Ran
"Dawson, Lieutenant de Rangers, section chief at the CieD/5Ran, was in a side seat in the LCA that took him to Dog White. "I have seen several large ships advancing towards the beach. One of them fired a flare of rockets, and I noticed a destroyer that passed between us and the beach shooting at artillery positions.
"Finally we got the signal to move towards the beach. The LCAs formed a line parallel to the beach. I could not distinguish the shore through smoke and fog. I started to notice the obstacles. Right in front there were four piles inclined with mines attached to the top.
We were almost on it, and in the boat no one was talking.
"We were lucky, the boat was just heading for one of the inclined piles with a big mine on it. The skipper gave a brutal strike to the left and a wave lifted the boat. We approached with water on our knees.
"I was able to see my next destination, a wall about 50 or 70 m above a flat beach. I was completely absorbed in the race. I had wet boots, and all my equipment with the 45-caliber ammunition bag for my Thompson Gun, the gas mask, the light bag, and the trench shovel.
"I kept running, but I saw machine gunshots hitting the floor next door. Those who stopped to hide behind the obstacles were unlikely.
"I saw tanks destroyed, one of them was burning. The sound of the cannonade was omnipresent everywhere. The mortar shells fell between the wall and the edge of the water. At the wall, there were other soldiers besides the Rangers. We had to push to get to the wall. I wanted to see what was behind it. Here, nothing had been done to get out of the beach.
"I was busy counting my men and then sending my messenger to contact the company commander, tell him where we were and take orders. My messenger, Private Robert Stein, who was later killed by an American tank that had taken us for Germans, came back and we left.
"They couldn't have taught me to know General Cota, a man who really commanded himself. I never heard him say "Rangers, show the way," the confusion was total. When the order to move forward was given, my two carriers from Bangalore, Dorman (Elwood) and Reed (Ellis) lit the charge. Before the smoke dissipated, I climbed on the attached hands of my Company Chief Sergeant and my Section Sergeant, and was raised over the wall in the open passage through the explosion. I started my race to the hill. The terrain was flat, grassy, and in the sight of the enemy.
"Knowing that I was being targeted I threw myself down twice, I rolled and jumped and continued. I chose to go to the right about 50 m and took a trace to climb. The slope was steep, but it wasn't a cliff. I knew there were mines around here, but I took the risk.
"I was alone climbing, my next section in line at a distance. I didn't look back, too busy looking ahead, right and left. I knew they were following, and I finally felt it.
"Beyond the top there must have been a battery of German rockets firing. As I approached the ridge, smoke started drifting towards me, but not enough to block my sight. Until then, I had not seen any Germans, and I continued climbing by using my hands to lift myself.
"Suddenly, I reached the top and I was on the right, where there were trenches and Germans. One in particular, one very large, came straight on me. He was my first death. Having a Thomson Gun, I used it. Several prisoners came out of the trench, I made them lay on the ground, arm on the cross. Then the men from my section arrived. A young German came out with a hand ripped off. We didn't have orders about the prisoners. It's hard during an assault to reserve men to keep prisoners. But we were in the Indian line, marched in front and sent them back, hoping that they would get there.
"Continuing on the ridge, I saw underneath an active machine gun, firing on the beach. They hadn't seen my section. My BAR machine gun was next door, I told him their position. But he exposed himself too much and one of the German servants killed him. I took over the BAR and killed the German machine guns. Others fled quickly to Vierville."
Dawson received the DSC (Distinguished Service Cross) for this fight, and the carriers of Bangalore received the Silver Star.