US AIRBORNE

I thank with all my heart Bob Murphy for taking the time to answer my questions. I also thank Michel Bara for his supports and his anecdotes. And I thank Emile Lacroix who is the translator as well as the author for the book about Bob Murphy: “No Better places to die”. And I also would like to thank Célia and Virginie for the translations.

Robert “Bob” Martin Murphy was born in Boston on July 7, 1925, he attended the parochial school directed by chocolate éclairs and High School. Robert Murphy has also two brothers and a sister. Robert attended with his friendly close relations the plains of sport or the rooms of gymnastics. His father was a sergeant of infantry during the First War. Robert wanted to engage at the age of 17ans, it was at the school superior.

Although he wasn’t old enough years old, he entered to the school of parachutist of Strong Benning, in Georgia. He made integrated into Company A of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne On May 10, 1943, he unloaded in Casablanca with the 82nd Airborne. On the other hand he did not jump on Sicily.

« I was at the hospital with a severe case of malaria! »

Cured, he jumped on Paestum, in Salerno and fought to Naples and the river Volturno, on October 1, 1943.

« At the end of October, I began in the first formation of pathfinder in Pathfinder School Training. We began the 1^er official school of Pathfinders when we returned at the aerodrome of Conise to Sicily when we returned from Naples in November 1943. »

Then, he left Italy at the end of November 1943 for Ireland and then for England.

« The drive to become Pathfinder included 6 jumps of orientation of night, but as we were detached from our regiment, we were nevertheless to follow a drive like private.

It is not necessary not forgotten that the work of Pathfinder it is guided the apparatuses so that they release their sticks on a zone given. Then, Pathfinder becomes again a simple man of the airborne infantry! »

On June 6, 1944, as Sergeant, Bob Murphy jumped on Normandy, France. The mission of its A/505 Company was to seize themselves and hold the bridge of Proud which is in the West of co. Mother Church and which spans Merderet to reach Cauquigny and Amfreville.

« The jump was very hard, I belonged to the teams of Pathfinders. I landed exactly on the DZ in the West of co. Mother the Church. Us smoke joined by Company A of the 1st Lieutnant John D Dolan. Everyone seemed to be exuberant, full with spirit and loan for the action. There was a particular and odd exaltation, a feeling which the parachutists feel after a jump of combat. Their parachute opened, they reached the ground, alive. »

The mission of the first Battalion was accomplished in the morning of June 6. But they had to face the German armoured tanks attacks. Since the only means for the Germans to penetrate in co. Mother Church or Utah Beach was by the roadway and the small bridge of the Proud one.

With 16h00, on June 6, the German infantry attacks constant by 3 tanks. Two teams of Bazooka had been placed close to the bridge.

« The two tanks were to 15 or 20 meters one of the other with the 3^ème tank with 50 meters behind. When the tank of head approached with 40 meters the bridge, the two teams of bazooka of Company A handled by Pfc Lenold Peterson with his assistant, Pvt Marcus Heim on the left and Pfc John D Bolderson with his assistant Gordon C Pryne on the line, rose and drew from the rockets to leave the edge the road. »

They destroyed the tanks before being safeguarded and always under the ceaseless fire of the enemy.

« Still today, I cannot include/understand how none them four was killed. They drew and reloaded with the precision of a well oiled machine. I do not think that none of the two teams wasted a blow. »

At the evening of June 6, the Company of Bob Murphy had lost ¼ his men. The remainder was buried on the two sides of the Manor, close to the bed of the river, Merderet. The number of the losses went still increased with the enemy attack, worst of all that to which they had had to face.

« As long as one forever have to face to smile it of the reaper of dead in the shape of an enemy who approaches, one can with difficulty include/understand the fear and the terror which cross the spirit of a man of infantry in line of face. You request. You have the fear of died in your spirit. You look at the men armed and with the tanks to come towards you as well as explosions from artilleries and mortars and shrapnells. This fear does not finish or does not leave you until you have the advisability of opening fire. It is surprising but when you are aiming and to draw you forget the explosions around you. You are not any more afraid. A glare of shrapnell struck the back of my helmet and pushed my head ahead in mud during the attack. Fortunately, I had my helmet pushed back backwards in order to have the eye placed well on the sight of my Garand rifle.»

The enemy armoured tanks were stopped right before the bridge. Always due to the same team of Bazooka. And also due to the 57mm gun. The German attack was pushed back. On June 8, the 1st Battalion of 505th PIR was raised and sent to the North of Grainville. The 82nd fought until July 11 without interruption. Before being returned to England. Bob Murphy passed more than 50 days to the hospital for shrapnels wounds and left the center of rehabilitation in time to carry out the jump of combat of September 17, 44 in Holland. He has been parachuted in Groesbeck close to Nimègue. He took part in the catch of the bridges of Nimègue and Low register. He belonged to the group of para has been done encircled by the enemy. He has a very bad memory of it. He escaped from dead thanks to a “brother”

« That occurred to Groesbeck, to Holland. The engagements were very violent one. They occurred near the bridges. They was street battles, in the houses. One evening, I found myself in company of other GI in a house. I noted that the Germans were in front of, but also behind the house.

We were encircled. We were in a small part. A species of cellar. Our ammunition were exhausted. We were tired. What will we become? Our immediate future was quite dark! We thought of a fatal outcome or then to become prisoners. We were desperate. At this point in time we saw a guy arriving at the current.

Around its neck it had bands of ammunition, in its hands, a rifle, but also a rifle machine gunner found on the spot. With its uniform many grenades hung… It was a guy of the 505th. It was Dave Berardi. My pal, my friend, my brother! At this time, together, we could release us from this place and join our lines.

This day there, he was our saver. Without him… What let us be us today ? »

Her “brother” Dave Berardi will die in the Ardennes a few months later. But he has been told about it very late. It did not fight in the Ardennes.

« I was again very sick in Belgium. A relapse of the malaria. Engagements in the Ardennes, I do not have anything considering. Except some shootings of mortars or guns German. »

He left the army with the rank of Sergeant. Robert Murphy married Barbara who gave him 5 children. Unfortunately, Barbara will die letting Robert alone to raise them. After the war, he finished High School and then attended law school. He became lawyer of first authority very famous in Massachusetts like in other jurisdictions.

« In 1961, I worked in Boston as lawyer of first authority and managing campaign of the local committee for E President John F Kennedy, lately elected. »

Today, Robert Murphy is 80 but still pleads cases in front of Court. Besides he’s very busy.

Robert Murphy takes an active part also in all the commemorations of the battle of Normandy.

“I am gone back there for the first time in 1961. I said to Mrs Renaud, the wife of the mayor of Holy Mother the Church which I wanted to jump on the area in parachute for the 20th birthday with in particular John F. Lee. We brought our own parachutes.  We jumped for the 20th birthday, then still did it to us the years following, always for the birthday of D-Day. »