FREE AGAIN
The mail after liberation was quite brief but the message was clear FREEDOM! His May 3rd letter included “Nicht Mere” – No More. The May 4th form only allowed Ex POW’s to check off the boxes. Later a 15 word message intended to be sent via radiotelegraph was air mailed to Washington DC as the message system was overloaded.
German phrases continued in the letters as well as “food, common and ordinary food is grand. Tastes a lot better than black bread and potatoes”. He also noted his comrades from his original squad and the tough three-day saga to freedom.
An official telegram arrived in Woonsocket on May 28th.
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The Ramps moved from camp to camp working toward Le Harve where they eventually would sail home. It took much longer than anticipated and rumors abounded that they would be headed for the South Pacific. The GI’s collected and traded NAZI war souvenirs. Some items shown under German Equipment are items brought back by GI’s.
Some of the events recorded during that time:
May 6th Left Luneburg
for Sub-Transit Camp outside Solingen. 7:00pm a bumpy truck ride. Traded my
pistol 7.65mm of a Luger (a pistol he admired
and kept for 50 years).
May 7th
At 3:30 Today we heard that Germany had surrendered unconditionally - Official
Tonight saw my first
movie in 7 months “Show Business” with Eddie Cantor What a Show!
May 8th
Left Solingen at noon arrived at Dicphols Airfield ready to board C-47’s
May 9th
still none came.
May 10th
arrived at Emsdetten 60 miles away another transit camp.
Got on a B-17 Flying Fort named Pfc.’s Limited at 5:15 and Landed 100 miles north of Paris
Took my first two
beers, it still tastes like hell.
I acted as interpreter.
The folks wonder at the way I speak French.
May 13th
Mothers Day we are again prepared to leave.
Left on C-47’s
at 10:00am and arrived at LeHarve at 10:45 Left LeHarve by truck and stayed
at a camp housing 80,000 about 5 miles from Dieppe. It’s dusty and just
plain no good.
May 22nd
Raining like hell been like that for days.
Expected to be home by Memorial Day but all hopes are gone Well I’ll
be there before school lets out.
May 24th
Getting processed and ought to be on the way home in a week Correction-
May 25th
Am now in “D” block being processed.
May 30th
Had ice cream tonite first time in a long time.
June 4th
got paid a few days ago & lost all $50 in a crap game.
They boarded the Admiral Benson
June 5th headed for New York. They came across a floating mine
and fired on it with the 40mm gun. He noted it did not explode but sank. My father met many other X-POW’s
on he ship. On June 12th the Admiral Benson arrived at Pier 88.
It was a grand welcome, bands and ships whistles. His only interest was home.
He reported to Camp Kilmer (NJ)
then Fort Devens (MA). He arrived home on June 15th. After a 71-day
furlough he headed for Lake Placid, NY
(August 26th), where many X-POWs were recuperating. He went
on to Fort Benning, Georgia on September 10th and was assigned
to the 12th Infantry Training Company. November 13th
he was promoted to Corporal. In early December he headed back to Fort Devens
and was discharged December 10, 1945. He wrote Arrived home at 19:30 -a civilian once again. (end
of diary) The diary lists the 1944, addresses of his squad and many others
he met at Teterow. To date, only a handful have been found.
Ribbons shown: Good Conduct, ETO with two stars, American Campaign, and World War II Victory. Also, enlisted mans infantry collar discs and Combat Infantry Badge.
US MEDALS
ALLIED MEDALS & INSIGNIA
Reading:
Lest We Forget by Dan McCullen
We Were Each Other’s Prisoners
by Lewis Carlson
A Privates Diary by Don Edwards
The Men of Company K by Harold
Leinbaugh and John Campbell
Fortune Favored The Brave by
Perry Wolf
The Battle of Germany by Theodore
Draper
Citizen Soldiers by Stephen
Ambrose
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Web Sites:
- 84th
Division
WW-II Books (Fithian Press)
AXPOW
Dad’s War
U.S. Military
German Army
Henry Holbrook Gould
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