William Boykin, 1987 October 27
Abstract
In this interview, Captain William (Bill) Boykin discusses his command of Company B Battery of the 110 Field Artillery on June 6, 1944. Captain Boykin describes the difficulty of landing at Normandy, the confusion on the beach, and the conflicting commands that were given. He describes the march to Saint-Lô, coming upon a German camp entirely by accident, refugees they helped to move, injuries, and the bombing and airpower above them.
Dates
- 1987 October 27
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research use.
Biographical / Historical
Captain William (Bill) Boykin was the commanding officer of Battery B of the 110 Field Artillery at the Invasion of Normandy during World War II. Their objective was to help secure Omaha Beach, and then move on to take control of the Saint-Lô region. They engaged the enemy along the way, and Captain Boykin recalls feeling "like a rock hit [his] shoulder." He had been shot, and turned around to try to get help from the 3rd Battalion. Along the way, he stumbled across a group of sleeping soldiers. It was not until he was directly in the camp that he realized they were German soldiers. He quickly laid down in some bushes to hide, and relieve the pain from his gunshot wound. Luckily, he was not spotted, and moved on to seek medical treatment. Along with the fighting, Captain Boykin and his troops also helped move over 9,000 refugees to safety on the east side of the Rhine river. For his service, Captain Boykin received the Bronze Star Medal.
Extent
1 Cassettes (62 minute audio recording)
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Bibliography
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of nine oral history interviews. Randall Bierne predominantly conducted the interviews, except for one interview which was conducted by students at the Gilman School in Baltimore, Maryland.
The individuals interviewed were all members of the 29th Division who fought in the Normandy Invasion during World War II, also known as Operation Overlord or D-Day. The soldiers each describe what battalions they were a part of, their ranks, their objectives, the tactics they implemented, and the obstacles they faced.
Repository Details
Part of the H. Furlong Baldwin Library Repository
H. Furlong Baldwin Library
Maryland Center for History and Culture
610 Park Avenue
Baltimore MD 21201 United States
4106853750
specialcollections@mdhistory.org