9th Air Force

6 June 1944, Normandy Invasion, On "D" Day, Lt. Col. James S. Hopkins, Radio and Air Warning Officer and Major Beecher T. Bain, Asst. Radio Officer left the Headquarters Ship "Ancon" and proceeded to the far shore. Snipers were active necessitating their digging in on the beach for the night.

7 June Colonel E. Blair Garland, Signal Officer, and Major Albert J. Gilardi, CommandingOfficer of the 555 Signal Air Warnimng Battalion, who were aboard the HQ ship "Bayfield" proceeded tothe far shore about 0900, made extensive examination of the progress made by Signal troops on D Day and D plus 1 and then moved to 85 Group GCI (Ground Close In) to find it inoperative due to the heavy loss of personnel and equipment. Col Hopkins and Major Bain met with Col Garland at this location. Using the facilities of the Air Support Party with the 116th Regimental Combat Team, Col Garland advised HQ, IX TAC of the situation. During the morning hours Col Hopkins and Major Bain met with Major McWharton, Air Support Party Officer with the 116th Regimental Combat Team, later meeting General McCauley of the 70th Fighter Wing and with him,making and examination of the Signal set up on the Continent as concerns this command.

8 June 1944 With HQ, IX TAC set up on the Continent, the signal officers of the Command made preparation for the movement of HQ personnel to a new site on their arrival in France. At 1800 hours, Major Norman Fertig, Major George H. Wilson Squadron Leader Willian C. Smith, Master SGT. Richard F. Eastman, Staff Sgt. Wyatt. Kirk, Sgt. George E. Straughers and Private Frank R. Loskot landed by LCT from the liberty ship M-6236, moving to Transient Camp Number 1 where they dug in for the night. Capt. Clarence G. Van Arman and Corporal Robert C. Woofter land over Easy Green beach at 1000 hours, remaining on the beach until 1545 when they returned to the DHDQ Ship "Ancon". ANTRC-1 Radio Link Equipment brought ashore by the First U.S. Army for contact with the IX TAC (Rear) HQ at Middlewallop in the UK via a relay station on the Isle of Wight was set up with assistance of Col Hopkins and tied into normal telelphone swithchboard facilities at both terminals. At 1530 hours, Col Hopkins placed the first trans-channel telephone call over normal facilities to Capt. Calvert C. McCabe, Executive Officer at the rear Headquarters.

9 June 1944 At Col Carland's request, Headquarters personnel bivouaced at Transient Camp #1 moved at 1700 hours to the new HQ site at Grandcamp. Pyramidal tents were erected for sleeping quarters and camouflaging was made from natural sources as no nets had arrived. PFC Orville B. Iverson with a Signal Section 21/2 ton truck loaded with FM 1498, cable plow and carrier equipment landed over Dog-Red beach at 1100 hours. At the completion of the unlaoading of this equipment at the new site the FM1498 was set up for voice radio to the United Kingdom.

10 June 1944 Radio equipment and codes and cipher devices were set up for operations by Company "A", 926 Signal Bn. personnel. At the close of D plus 4, telephone service was available in part to this HQ by 1100. HQ section vans arrived at this site and under the directions of Lt. Col Hopkins of the Signal Office Van and tents were set up and prepared for the use of the Signal Section.

11 June 1944 The first telephone directory of this HQ on the Continent was published and distributed to units and sections interested.

12 June 1944 Ninth Air Force informed this section SIGSOT -15 is compromised to SIGSO T-14 70 Fighter Wing and Message Center, this HQ was notified.

13 June 1944 Item 13-9A, Signal Operating Instructions, HQ IX TAC, was distributed to Units on distribution list. 9th AF SOI item 255-2 Convertor M-209 and Lug settings with the Test Alphabets were reproduced and distribution made. IX TAC SOI items 1-115, Index, and 22A-6, Map Coordinate Key List, (MCC*BT) were prepared and issued.

15 June 1944 Signal Corps Trailer K-19-D, containing Signal Section property arrived with Co. "A" 926 Signal Bn. vehicles. Property was unloaded and placed in the Signal Supply tent. Items needed immediately were put in use. Lt. George H. Coates arrived in France at 1030 hours on a C-47 from the U.K.

16 June 1944 Capt. John J. Denistion returned to the UK to locate better site for the UK end of the FM Radio (1498). At 1500 hours, Lt. Robert E Thrasher, Staff Sgt William Churhan, M/Sgt. Kermit Money, M/Sgt Robert Reed, Tech Sgt Raymond P. Hippchen, Corporal Gordon S. Brown, Cp. Michael N. Garzilli, Cp. Roy Vande Polder, PFC John J Howard and Pt. Vncent Cosentina landed over Dog- Red Beach. They moved to Transient Camp No. 2 and awaited for transportation to Isigny S Mer which site they reached 2230 hours.

17 June 1944 Inventory of Cryptographic material made of all units, IX TAC in France to determine what documents were held by each. 9th AF was responsible for supplying units landing in France with Cryptographic Material.

THE INVASION When "D" Day arrived, radio operators and the HQ Ship, "Ancon" were pounding out the messages, in Morse Code, that kept the IX TAC and 9th AF HQ informed of the air action over the beaches. Lt. Gl en Staib, Technical Sergeant , Frank Siniscalchi of detachment A, Lt. Harry Rogers, S/Sgt Richard Dwinell and detachment B waded ashore on Omaha Beach on D plus 2. Operations were set up initially in a cow barn a few hundred yards from the cliffs overlooking the beach near Grandcamp. Telephone lines were run to the 1st Army HQ in a nearby field and to new airstrips already under construction not far away