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Clinton Riddle, Glasgow, Scotland
30 March 1945
I was born in my parents home, six miles west of Sweetwater, Tennessee in Loudon County on February 24, 1921. I graduated
from Sweetwater High School in 1941. I entered the Army on December 10, 1942. I had quit my job and enrolled in Anderson Aircraft
School in Nashville, learning to build airplanes. We were told that we would not be drafted while in aircraft school, but
they were drafting the boys out of the school and I came home after a week to await being drafted from my own county of McQinn.
I entered the Army December 10, 1942. My basic training was at Camp Wheeler in Macon, Georgia. I had six weeks of regular
training and six weeks of clerk school to be a general clerk. I learned to type and make morning reports for the Company.
I had one week of review in basic training, ending with a 20 mile hike with full field pack.
I joined the 82nd Airborne Division in April, 1943. I was selected to go to OCS (Officer Candidate School) when I finished
basic training, but was shipped out of Camp Wheeler before I had the chance to enroll. I was first placed in the MP section
of the Division, but in a few days they discovered I was two inches too short and I was placed in the 325th. I had no glider
training while at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. We left Ft. Bragg on April 14, 1943, starting on our way to North Africa. We
traveled by train to Camp Edwards, Mass. We stayed there until April 27 and moved to Brooklyn, New York and loaded on the
ship Santa Rosa. We sailed April 29. We landed at Casablanca, North Africa on the morning of May 10, 1943. We moved by truck
some 400 miles to Oujda, French Morocco to a place called Marina. They graded out a small landing strip in the sand and brought
two gliders and I took my first 15 minute ride to qualify as a Gliderman. The training was very hard in this God-forsaken
place. It was so hot and the living conditions were bad. Most of our days and nights were spent in running problems and parading
for the VIP's.
Most of the fellows were ready to go home in the beginning while in Africa. It depends upon what time during the war you
are talking about. Most of the boys I was with were from the north. They had been places and done things. I was a red-necked
hillbilly from the hills of East Tennesse, who was not use to wearing shoes and one leg longer than the other from running
around those hills, so I didn't have many friends for a long time. We had a lot of men killed and wounded with replacements
coming into the company from time to time. You didn't dare get too close in friendship because they soon could be gone.
I served in every position in Company B at one time or another except as Mess Sergeant (they were not always on the front
line). After I did not get to go to OCS back in the States I chose to turn down several battlefield promotions later in combat.
I resolved to try to be the best soldier I could, just take care of myself and try to live to go home when the war was over.
I worked most of the time as Company radioman and runner, Battalion runner, Regimental runner and for awhile was with the
General at Headquarters. Some officers were sorry, while others were brave and showed good character. Captain Richard Gibson
was one of the most non-fearing officers I ever followed. I had three or four killed and wounded that I served under.
During the landing at Salerno, Italy, we moved from the beach into the mountains just beyond Albanella. The enemy was
soon turned back and we pulled back to the beach where we had landed and loaded on LCT's, and proceeded up the coast and landed
at Red Beach. We relieved the Rangers on San Angaleo Mountain. It took us all night to climb up the mountain. It has been
called the "Battle Above the Clouds." We came down from the mountain and continued to battle until the British reached
us from the coast. We moved by truck into Naples and help set up the City Government. We were bombed several times each night.
Most of my duties while in Naples was standing regular guard, and guard on water and bread lines to keep the people from fighting.
(While at Camp Scraptoft in England) we lived and slept in a tent city with eight men to a tent. Sleeping in a GI cot
and under GI blankets. The ground was our floor with some wooden boards to walk on to stay out of the mud. In the early part
of the year before going to Normandy we had a sheet metal stove set in the middle of the tent and were allowed a half bucket
of coke and one bucket of coal to heat the tent. As for the sleeping, you would hope to have tent buddies that didn't snore.
A typical day in camp while in England: Fall out of tents in the morning, have breakfast, dress and pack for a hike or run
a field problem, maybe stand guard, eat lunch, go to the rifle range, return for evening meal, dress and go to Leicester for
the night. My job was to carry the company radio, run messages, carry the company standard (colors) at head of the line when
marching or for a parade. We spent this time in England to prepare for the invasion of Normandy. Sometimes we would go into
town shopping, go to a show, write letters or even having a ball game once in awhile. In Africa we had been 40 miles from
town, 12 miles from the nearest village and had nothing to do except to try to get a little rest when not preparing for the
invasion of Sicily.
On the mission to Normandy I sat in the front seat and was able to observe the pilot and co-pilot's actions and hear what
they had to say. I was able to look at all the vessels below in the English Channel. I also wrote some in my diary during
the crossing until the tow plane ceased to operate. We used the British Horsa glider for the invasion of Normandy. Every glider
that brought our company crashed on landing except the one I was riding. We cut the top out of a tree with the wing of the
glider in landing and it hit the ground so hard that it damaged some of the equipment, including breaking the antennae off
of my field radio. I was able to take an antennae off a "Walkie talkie" and put it on the big radio. This was the
only communications with Battalion until we got another radio. In crossing the Channel the tow plane motors lost power. The
glider overran the tow ship, causing slack in the tow rope. The tow plane pilot was able to start the motors again, by this
time we were almost down. They cast six cases of tank mines out of the glider along with six GI cans of water preparing to
land. When the motors fired up and gained power, the tow rope was around the landing wheels of the glider and almost caused
us to crash. When we got in off the shore of Normandy for two-and-a-half or three minutes, the pilot had to find a landing
place quick. The Germans had set up posts and mined them in the area we were supposed to have landed. The pilot picked out
a small area surrounded by hedge-row and trees. We went for 33 days and nights without relief or replacements. Many were killed
and wounded. Just a small number out of the company returned back to England to get replacements and prepare for the invasion
of Holland. (Editor note: When the 325th was pulled out of Normandy on July 12, 1944 there were only 46 men left in Company
B, which had gone into Normandy with approximately 150).
I was acting co-pilot on the American CG-4A going into Holland. My thoughts were upon what to do in case our pilot was hit
and I had to take over and be able to land. Our company strength had been increased from 155 to 195 men before we left England.
We caught a lot of enemy fire going in. Our glider had several holes showing where they had hit. I was in the co-pilots seat
and when we landed the runners caught in the soft ground, standing us on the nose of the glider. It cast me against the crash
bar, causing a great deal of pain. During the battle on the "Plain of Mook" one of our officers was killed. Someone
buried him and he was not found for almost 50 years later. I was there when he was killed in 1944, and in 1994 I was there
for his Mass and burial. We were surrounded for almost three weeks and cut off from our supplies. I ate my first horse meat
during that time.
We were stationed at Sissonne, France when Von Rundstedt launched the attack in the Ardennes. We rode open trucks to Bastogne,
sent on to Werbomont on the northern shoulder to the defense. It started to snow on the way up there and continued to snow
from time to time until it was deep and very cold. The weather continued to grow worse. The planes could not be used upon
the enemy. General Patton went to a small chapel and offered up a prayer. he asked God for a few hours of clear weather. The
day before Christmas was a beautiful day with plenty of sun. They loaded our company on top of twelve tanks and went several
miles behind the enemy lines and we took a little village of Regne. When we were about 150 yards from the village we jumped
off the tanks and came into the village with rifles blazing. In some of the houses Christmas cakes were still warm where they
had been baking them that day. I was in the snow and cold weather from December 17 to February 15, 1945. My hands and feet
were frost-bitten. Many of our men were overcome with the cold. They did pull us back off the front to a little town of Pepinster,
Belgium. They put us in an old warehouse without heat. Some of the townspeople felt sorrow for us and invited us into their
homes. By February 2, 1945 we broke through the Siegfried Line and took two villages of Neuhof and Udenbreth. These villages
were on the main road leading through the Siegfried Line.
As for the people and countries I was in... in Africa, Sicily and Italy I felt like they were all my enemies and always
on guard. In Ireland, a very beautiful place but I couldn't get along with those people, I was too much Irish myself. England
was a very beautiful place and I learned to love many of the people. I didn't like most of the people of France or the places
I fought. The people in Holland and Belgium seem to appreciate what we done for them. As far as Germany, by the end of the
war I hated the country and all the Germans. I had suffered and been through hell for three years. It was hard being away
from home for three years. I never got to be home from the day I left for the Army until the day after I got my discharge.
I missed my parents and being home. I was the only child of our family.
I was high point man when the point system came out. I moved to Company B, 194th Glider Infantry, to come home. I was
discharged September 19, 1945. After returning to civilian life I worked as an Electronic Technician. I married two years
after coming home, and we had two girls and one boy. I attended Electronic School for four years, then studied and became
a Minister and Pastor for several years.
There have been many battles fought, but only those of us who fought in World War Two saved the world from destruction
and having a dictator as a ruler. The American soldier will find a way to bring victory. Being in the service made me realize
how important life is and to make use of every day. We only live in the NOW of time... enjoy it!
Clinton Riddle at D-Day Museum during the 325th Reunion in New Orleans, September 2001.
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