Around 1:30AM on the morning of 6 June 1944 a stick (planeload) of paratroopers of the 505th PIR / 82nd Airborne was misdropped directly over the German-occupied town of Ste Mere Eglise. German soldiers quickly filled the town square by the church and began firing at the descending paratroopers, killing many of them before they touched ground. To add to the confusion, French citizens had formed a water brigade in a futile attempt to extinguish the fire of a nearby house that had been set ablaze by a stray anti-aircraft shell.
As portrayed in "The Longest Day" by Red Buttons, trooper John Steele's parachute caught on the corner of the church steeple facing the town square, which was filled with Germans firing their weapons at the descending troopers. According to the movie, Steele was able to survive by playing dead while at the same time witnessing the slaughter of his comrades. While it remains one of the most memorable scenes in the movie, the actual event differed in a number of ways. For one, Steele did not actually hang from the corner depicted in the movie. Also, a second paratrooper got hung up on the church. The incident with the second paratrooper was not shown in the movie and so remains largely unknown today.
Although there is some confusion concerning the events of this chaotic night, I have been able to piece together enough information provided by our guide, Ellwood von Siebold, as well as published interviews with the surviving participants to come up with a reasonable sequence of events. Please follow the numbers on the picture above.
1 - This is the location of John Steele according to the movie. This side faces the town square which was full of Germans. This is not where he really was.
2 - This is the corner where Steele actually was. Note that this is on the "quieter" side of the church not facing the town square.
3 - This is where a second paratrooper, Ken Russel, hung from the church. Some accounts have Russell being suspended just over the middle arched window. Russell landed first, with Steele landing above him moments later.
4 - A third paratrooper, John Ray, landed on the ground at this approximate location. As Ray struggled to his feet (he was weighted down by more than 100 lbs of gear) a German soldier rounded the corner towards the camera position and stumbled over Ray. The German quickly shot Ray before Ray could pull his weapon.
5 - Leaving Ray for dead, the German ran to this approximate position where he noticed Steele (and presumably Russell) suspended from the steeple. The German began to take aim at Steele just as the wounded Ray drew his 45 from his shoulder holster. Still in position 4, Ray fired once at the German who was instantly killed with a shot to the back of the head before he could fire on Steele. Ray subsequently died from the gunshot wound to his chest.
Ken Russell was able to free himself and drop safely to the ground before rejoining the US forces. Russell survived the war. John Steele was eventually hauled into the steeple by a German soldier named Rudolf May and also survived the war. Both Steele and Russell were certain that John Ray had saved their lives.
