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Malcolm D. Brannen - HQ Co, 3rd Battalion

I  parachuted into Normandy with the 82nd Airborne Division in the early hours of June 6th, 1944 and landed in a tree, from which I hung for an hour, while men passed on a nearby road. I did not know if the boot steps were those of friends or German Soldiers.

After cutting myself loose from my harness, I crawled through the fields until I found three other parachutists and a Lieutenant.

When dawn eventually arrived we knocked on the door of a French house and asked the farmer for directions.

At that very moment a German staff car approached.

I jumped into the road and ordered the car to stop.

The car started to speed up and refused to stop, so the paratroopers opened fire.

The car veered and smashed into the farm house. The German officer was thrown into the road unhurt.

The driver jumped out unhurt and crawled into the cellar window of the farm house.

I walked to the German officer who shouted, "DON'T KILL, DON'T KILL!".

At the same time his hand began to move towards his Luger Pistol.

I called out "STOP, STOP!"

When the German officer’s hand touched the Luger, I shot him dead.

I inspected the dead German officer. He was dressed in field-grey German officer’s uniform with the General officer ivy insignia that we had been taught to recognise.

Inside the officers hat was the name GENERAL FALLEY.

By killing the General I was told that I played a large part in disrupting the German defenses in the area.

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