.War stories from other vets
and the folks at home.
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A collection of stories about the war from the perspective of veterans and the families and friends that were left at home. For the women and non-combatants of Great Britain, the years 1939-1945 were years of danger, hardship and worry. The non-combatants of the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc, although not under the direct threat of bombing, invasion, etc, still had to deal with rationing, worry about loved ones in the combat zones, etc. It should never be forgotten that without the support and hard work of the 'folks back home' the soldiers at the front would not have been able to achieve the great victories that they did. The vast resources of American industry were almost completely geared to war production after 1941, unions agreed to a 'no work stoppage' policy for the duration, workers put in long, hard work days, vast armies of housewives had to takeover jobs otherwise done by men who had been called up to serve in the armed forces, then still go home and keep the household together. Thousands of women served in the forces as nurses, admin personnel, drivers, ferry/transport pilots, etc, indeed many of these brave women were killed while performing these duties and their contribution to the allied victory should never be overlooked. In Britain it was the same story, many women (including my Mum) were in the 'Land Army', although the Americans and the Commonwealth countries were doing a marvelous job of supplying food etc to the British Isles, there was still not enough to go round. All available land such as parks, common land, fallow fields, etc, were turned over to crop production. This task needed an army of workers, mainly women, enemy prisoners and conscientious objectors, to plough, sow, harvest and perform the thousand and one other jobs vital to ensure good harvests. Indeed, in all the countries involved in the allied cause, the non-combatants did a magnificent job of making do, working miracles in factory production and keeping the 'home fires burning'. In order to give a bigger perspective of the war, included here are some other veterans stories, and, some tidbits that don't particularly involve combat.
These are their stories
"I remember working in the fields when the first Thousand Bomber raid took place, we had no idea this was going to take place and early in the morning of that day as we were working we noticed a deep rumbling sound slowly building. We were a bit frightened, we didn't know what was going on. The ground started shaking and the rumbling sound turned into a sort of constant deep droning sound. We looked up and couldn't believe our eyes, hundreds of Yank bombers were flying overhead in huge box formations, we just stood and stared, we couldn't believe we had so many planes. This went on for hours and in the evening the British bombers took over, so it was more or less constant for that day. I'll never forget thinking of all those young boys going on those missions, knowing that some would never return, I also thought about the poor Germans that were going to be pounded all that day, after living through the blitz ourselves we felt sorry for them, they were just people like us after all." Jane C. Brown, (later St-Laurent) Land Army, Great Britain.
This is the account is taken from the 409th. mission roster; No. Date Target 42 27-05-44 Amiens – Marshaling Yards – France (35 A/C) The 409th for the second time this day was ordered by Bomb Command to return to the Amiens target.
"About four and a half hours after the first plane returned from the first mission, the group was in the air again. Minor repairs had been made, planes serviced, crews fed and briefed. Due to much battle damage and loss of planes, only 35 aircraft were serviceable for the second mission. Taking off at 1903 hours, the lead ship piloted by Capt. Roger Dunbar, was hit by the last plane in a flight of P-51s passing over the field: both ships crashed and burst into flames. Capt. Dunbar, Lt. Norman Merrill, Bombardier/Navigator and Lt. William B. Jones Group photographic officer flying as tunnel gunner were killed in the crash. The sole survivor was turret gunner S/Sgt. Angelo Mattei, who was badly burned. S/Sgt. Mattei was pulled from the burning plane by Mrs. Elizabeth Ann Everitt, housewife from nearby Phdale Wharf Farm, and passing cyclist Sgt. John P. Hartman of the 78th Fighter Group. Both Mrs. Everitt and Sgt. Hartman were killed as they returned to the burning plane to attempt further rescue of other crew members when the plane exploded. The tragic event orphaned this gallant mothers son, 4 year old Tony Everitt. (The men of the 409th on the very next day established a Trust Fund for Tony with generous giving of their hard earned money.) The heroism of Sgt. Hartman also was not forgotten by the 409th. Sgt. Alvin Mcbee, Cpl. Edward V. Sikora and Pfc. James Pasternak were commended by Col. Pender, for their display of bravery in removing Sgt. Mattei from the burning area and treating him for his injuries until a doctor arrived. " From the 409th Bomb Group combat diary, England.
"On the way to work in the fields one day, we passed through a small village (in Surrey) it was very pretty and quite as we drove through that morning. While we were in the fields a German air raid took place, I think they were heading for London but some of our fighters caught them before they got there (this was during the Battle of Britain, May through September, 1940). As the Germans planes turned to flee home they jettisoned their bombs and when we drove back home that evening we passed back through the same village. The bombs that the Germans had jettisoned as our planes attacked them had fallen all over the village. It was a real mess, sides of houses had been blown off and we could see beds hanging out of the wrecked houses. There was rubble, clothes, furniture, smashed cars, etc, everywhere. I don't know how many people were killed, but the beautiful village was nearly destroyed." Jane C. Brown, (later St-Laurent) Land army, Great Britain.
"When the ship was in port, muster was usually held at 7am. Many of the men were returning from overnight leave. I remember one occasion when a returning sailor didn't have time to change into uniform and reported to muster in a 'Zoot Suit' ! I could see the Captain trying to keep from laughing. I never did find out how the sailor made out." Lt. Cmdr. William 'Bola Bill' Kramer, USS Breton. U.S. Navy, United States of America.
"Another day we were working a about a mile or so from a Barrage Balloon crews winch position (Large balloons were flown at the end of long cables to bring down any low flying aircraft that hit the cable. The winch crews were usually men too old or too young to fight or women. They usually lived in tents pitched around the winch position) At lunch times we sometimes went over and ate with the winch crew, anyway, this one day a bloody Doodlebug (V1 German rocket) came over, well, when you heard a Doodlebug you waited 'till it's engine stopped and then ran towards the sound (the theory was that after it's engine cut out, the V1 would glide for some distance. If you ran towards it, it should glide over you and you'll be safe) just like a bloody big motor bike they sounded. Well, when this one's engine cut out we all ran like hell towards the sound. It passed over us and exploded near where we had been working. When we got back we found that the Doodlebug had hit the cable of the Barrage Balloon and slide right down the cable onto the winch crews tents. They were all killed outright, it was terrible." Jane C. Brown (Later St-Laurent) Land Army, Great Britain.
"One time, after 5 months at sea, we arrived in San Francisco for supplies. After we left port and supplies were being stowed away, someone noticed that box matches, with matches placed between the boxes against the 'scratch' area, had been loaded aboard. The vibration of the ship would have caused the matches to 'strike' and ignite, resulting in fire! Definitely sabotage!!" Lt. Cmdr. William 'Bola Bill' Kramer, USS Breton, U.S. Navy, United States of America.
"We took part in and covered the landings in Sicily. Actually she (HMS Indomitable) was in the channel between Sicily and Italy at just half past mid-night when some rotten devil slipped a kipper (torpedo to you) in to our port boiler room. Managed to get her back on to an even keel and struggle back to Malta, where the German’s bombed us every night. It took us about 10-14 days to repair the ship for sailing, shoring up the bulk head between Port and Centre Boiler Rooms, removing the dead from the Port Boiler Room and Compressor Room – my job as a diver. I had never been in the boiler room before and it was nasty. Water exceedingly dirty with oil fuel and I had to feel my way around everywhere. Not a very nice job at all. When ready, although ship was very tender, we sailed for Gibraltar, where on arrival we were dry-docked. I was standing on the side of the dry-dock looking at the hole in the side, which surprised me by the size and the extent of the damage – it would have been possible to drive two double Decker buses through the hole without touching the sides. It truly amazed me. When an American approached me, looked at the damage and asked " What was it?" I told him it was a kipper (torpedo). " Oh " he said, " Good job it didn’t go off. " Believe me, I was speechless." Fred L. Duxbury, HMS Indomitable, Royal Navy, Great Britain.
For more of Fred's wonderful stories and his details of life with the Royal Navy Far East Fleet, Click Here
"The few things he mentioned as far as action goes was once in some Italian town or city, they were bombarded and assaulted at night. He mentioned that it was a scary thing to hear German tanks coming your way in the pitch black of night! He was trying to find some cover in a grave yard and fell into some sort of a pit. He struck his lighter or a match to see where he was (He knew no German could see him or his match in the hole). He then realized that German shell fire had blown open a graveyard crypt or vault and he had fallen into it in the dark! He could see several blown open caskets, etc, with several bodies in different stages of decomposition laying about him, some mere skeletons. He could not get out and had to stay in there all night long until rescued the next morning. He said after fighting in WWII and Korea, that night was one of the most horrible and scarriest he ever experienced! With every flare, shell burst, etc, he could see in the short bit of illumination the grinning faces of death in that crypt, and it seemed they (the bodies in the crypt) were all looking at him with their grinning faces and hollow eyes!!" As told to David Edelen by his father, Francis Clifford Edelen, 87th Regt, 10th Mountain Division, U.S. Army, United States of America.
" Another time he said he was street fighting and steppped out of an alley way into a narrow Italian street or lane between buildings, to cross to the other side. Just as he stepped out, he heard hobnails screaching on the cobblestones. A young german soldier had stepped out just as he did at the other end of the little house. Their eyes met just for an instant. I of course asked him what happend, and he of course said, "What do you think happened!!?? I am still here!!". When I pressed him for the story, he just said his M1 round hitting the German in the chest at say 25 yds or so made the dust jump up off his chest as the M1 round struck. The young German fell to the dirt of course and for a moment called for his mom. Daddy never forgot that. He remarked about how beuatifully "Silent Night" sounded when sung (in German) by some German prisoners he was guarding. It was midnight on Christmas eve and the German troops all started singing Christmas Carols. He said they sung beautifully! He respected and admired the average German soldier." As told to David Edelen by his father, Francis Clifford Edelen, 87th Regt, 10th Mountain Division, U.S. Army, United States of America.
"At the end of the war the Army gave to the Italians all their big Missouri Mules, etc. Daddy said that he and his comrads loved those ole mules. The Italians loaded them so heavily that the great lovely beasts could hardly move and could barely stand there and quiver trying to keep from collapsing under the horrible load the Italians had put on them, all the while the Italians would be whipping and beating them unmercifully!. Dad said he wanted to shoot the Italians!". As told to David Edelen by his father, Francis Clifford Edelen, 87th Regt, 10th Mountain Division, U.S. Army, United States of America.