Preserving The Oral HistorIES of Combat Veterans
8:30 | It was a clear day, but it was windy and cold. That's how Claude Reagan remembers his channel crossing on the ill fated SS Leopoldville. Just as he settled into his hammock, a German submarine struck the troop ship with a torpedo. Much of the crew fled on the lifeboats and hundreds perished in the confusion and chaos. (This interview made possible with the support of FRANK DIEGMANN.)
Keywords : Claude Reagan English Channel SS Leopoldville depth charges submarine (sub) Congolese Belgian torpedo Christmas HMS Brilliant Lifeboat Cherbourg France
The letter began, "Greetings..." Claude Reagan's time had come to join the war effort. After training with the 66th Infantry Division, he crossed the Atlantic and was bivouacked in a lovely English village. (This interview made possible with the support of FRANK DIEGMANN.)
His unit had not been in England very long when they were ordered to the docks to board a ship to cross the channel. Claude Reagan was unimpressed by the rusty old SS Leopoldville, a converted Belgian liner. The food on board was even worse than the ship. (This interview made possible with the support of FRANK DIEGMANN.)
After narrowly escaping death on the torpedoed SS Leopoldville, Claude Reagan's unit regrouped in Cherbourg. The ship had gone down very slowly and he couldn't understand why there was such a great loss of life. (This interview made possible with the support of FRANK DIEGMANN.)
After recovering from the SS Leopoldville disaster, the men of the 66th Infantry Division were tasked with containing a far larger force of German troops who were holed up around two submarine pens on the coast of France. (This interview made possible with the support of FRANK DIEGMANN.)
