So instead of pictures I will share some more excerpts from my Grandpa's memoirs. I really wanted to post these along with photos related to the war like the other day, but oh well.
These came chronologically before the posts from my other entry.
Before heading off to war:
"The next six weeks were spent in Indiantowngap, Pennsylvania taking basic training where we learned about munitions and getting us into good physical shape. After that we were shipped to Fort Hamilton, New York by train. There we were organized into port battalion outfits and instructed in the ways and means of loading and unloading merchant ships. We went to Staten Island daily and helped load ships which were destined for Murmansk, Russia. This was our luxury base and I was able to come home every weekend, from April through August 1943, sometimes using my bicycle and riding back home about 15 miles to Irvington. We had a ball at this base - little did we know what the future held"
After arriving in England:
"We were put up in nice barracks and received training here but we had our first taste of the real war and were bombed several times by the Germans. A few months later many of us were given furlough passes for a trip to London under the care of the Red Cross. The sights of the Tower of London, Parliament, St. Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey were awesome. We were also bombed there and took shelter in the underground subway shelters. After several months we were shipped to Wales where we were given some practice in beach unloading and we were billeted in private homes - two American soldiers to each home. As the Army trucks rolled down the streets, they stopped at homes that had agreed to accept soldiers and two were assigned as we went along."
more for later posts :D
I got sick the first week I was there too! The UK version of Therflu, called LemSip, really helped me. It tastes horrible, but does help. Hope you get feeling better!
ReplyDeletehaha, I got something like that. i just chugged it down. gross.
ReplyDelete