Post by floydragsdale on Mar 24, 2013 18:24:51 GMT -5
Sailing the Atlantic on the Aquitania
October 1944, Soldiers of the 424th Regiment & probably the entire 106th Division boarded the train at Camp Atterbury, Indiana & rode through, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, & to Camp Miles Standish, Massachusetts where everyone went through the final stages of processing for overseas duty, which was probably three or four days.
Then, at least the 424th Regiment rode a train to the port of New York where all boarded the ship, H.M. S. (His Majesty’s Ship) Acquitania and of course, in a military fashion. Up the gang plank all went, single file. An officer reading from the Company roster shouted a Soldiers name, then the Soldier responded with his serial number, then proceeded up the ships’ gang-plank.
This process, I believe, absorbed the entire day.
Once on board, the men were directed to their allotted quarters and assigned a bunk, which were stacked five high. My bunk was the uppermost one on one of the upper decks.
The following day, tugs maneuvered the Acquitinia, on a foggy-misty morning, to open waters in NY harbor, then the huge ship, loaded with American Soldiers was in its’ way to Scotland in the British Isles. The last piece of the United States that I observed was the Statue of Liberty holding a torch for a war weary world.
As we left NY Harbor, people riding ferry boats waved a goodbye to us.
The ship sailed what was called the “northern route”, a journey where the coast of Iceland could be observed from the ships’ deck.
Approximately every third day it was announced that the ships’ clocks had to be advanced two hours. That was one way to know that the ship was making progress. Because of the threat of German Submarines, the Acquitania maintained a zig-zag course on its’ way through the Atlantic Ocean.
Everyone was allowed to roam about the ship, from stem to stern throughout the day. One soon learned, particularly, when the sea was rough, to ascend, and descend stairs with the rise and fall of the ocean swells. One day we were not allowed to go out on deck because the ocean was very, very, rough.
For amusement, particularly during the day, numerous Soldiers would play cards, or roll the dice and in spite of no gambling allowed, army rules, money was involved. Evenings, for amusement, men would gather on a deck which was like a porch with a roof above it. Someone would begin to sing and it wasn’t long before all joined in. In general, we sang the old fashioned Barber-Shop Quartet tunes.
At night the Acquitania was like a giant cradle, rocking everyone to sleep.
Two meals a day, breakfast and supper, were served in the ships’ mess hall. Also, soup, or broth, served in our canteen cups, was available at mid-day. When the ship was riding the trough of the waves a Sldiers mess kit, if he didn’t hang on to it, could slide to the other end of the table.
Because the Acquitania had a nautical speed of twenty-three knots per hour and could out-run German Submarines we sailed the Atlantic Ocean without convoy.
One scary incident happened, several days after we were on the high seas. The Acquitania had two six inch guns on its’ decks, one on the bow and on on the stern. The one at the head end of the ship fired a shot across the bow of a loan, near by freighter. That shot caused our ship to vibrate, violently from one end to the other end. Some of the solders on board thought our sip had been hit by a torpedo.
As it turned out, the gun crew fired the shot accidently. It didn’t take long for them to be “chewed out royally”, by one of the Aquitanias’ Officers.
On the morning of our last day at sea, a Navy Destroyer escorted our ship through the Irish Sea, the Firth of Clyde and on to Greenock, Scotland. It was a seven day journey from N.Y. Harbor to Scotland.
Ferry Boats took the 424th Regiment up the River Clyde, to Glasgow, Scotland where the Men of the 424th Regiment, of the 106th Infantry Division boarded trains for Adderbury, Morthampton County, England. Yet, that’s another story.
View the Acquitania at this WEB SITE:
www.ocean-liners.com/ships/Aquitania.asp
Floyd
424th Regiment
October 1944, Soldiers of the 424th Regiment & probably the entire 106th Division boarded the train at Camp Atterbury, Indiana & rode through, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, & to Camp Miles Standish, Massachusetts where everyone went through the final stages of processing for overseas duty, which was probably three or four days.
Then, at least the 424th Regiment rode a train to the port of New York where all boarded the ship, H.M. S. (His Majesty’s Ship) Acquitania and of course, in a military fashion. Up the gang plank all went, single file. An officer reading from the Company roster shouted a Soldiers name, then the Soldier responded with his serial number, then proceeded up the ships’ gang-plank.
This process, I believe, absorbed the entire day.
Once on board, the men were directed to their allotted quarters and assigned a bunk, which were stacked five high. My bunk was the uppermost one on one of the upper decks.
The following day, tugs maneuvered the Acquitinia, on a foggy-misty morning, to open waters in NY harbor, then the huge ship, loaded with American Soldiers was in its’ way to Scotland in the British Isles. The last piece of the United States that I observed was the Statue of Liberty holding a torch for a war weary world.
As we left NY Harbor, people riding ferry boats waved a goodbye to us.
The ship sailed what was called the “northern route”, a journey where the coast of Iceland could be observed from the ships’ deck.
Approximately every third day it was announced that the ships’ clocks had to be advanced two hours. That was one way to know that the ship was making progress. Because of the threat of German Submarines, the Acquitania maintained a zig-zag course on its’ way through the Atlantic Ocean.
Everyone was allowed to roam about the ship, from stem to stern throughout the day. One soon learned, particularly, when the sea was rough, to ascend, and descend stairs with the rise and fall of the ocean swells. One day we were not allowed to go out on deck because the ocean was very, very, rough.
For amusement, particularly during the day, numerous Soldiers would play cards, or roll the dice and in spite of no gambling allowed, army rules, money was involved. Evenings, for amusement, men would gather on a deck which was like a porch with a roof above it. Someone would begin to sing and it wasn’t long before all joined in. In general, we sang the old fashioned Barber-Shop Quartet tunes.
At night the Acquitania was like a giant cradle, rocking everyone to sleep.
Two meals a day, breakfast and supper, were served in the ships’ mess hall. Also, soup, or broth, served in our canteen cups, was available at mid-day. When the ship was riding the trough of the waves a Sldiers mess kit, if he didn’t hang on to it, could slide to the other end of the table.
Because the Acquitania had a nautical speed of twenty-three knots per hour and could out-run German Submarines we sailed the Atlantic Ocean without convoy.
One scary incident happened, several days after we were on the high seas. The Acquitania had two six inch guns on its’ decks, one on the bow and on on the stern. The one at the head end of the ship fired a shot across the bow of a loan, near by freighter. That shot caused our ship to vibrate, violently from one end to the other end. Some of the solders on board thought our sip had been hit by a torpedo.
As it turned out, the gun crew fired the shot accidently. It didn’t take long for them to be “chewed out royally”, by one of the Aquitanias’ Officers.
On the morning of our last day at sea, a Navy Destroyer escorted our ship through the Irish Sea, the Firth of Clyde and on to Greenock, Scotland. It was a seven day journey from N.Y. Harbor to Scotland.
Ferry Boats took the 424th Regiment up the River Clyde, to Glasgow, Scotland where the Men of the 424th Regiment, of the 106th Infantry Division boarded trains for Adderbury, Morthampton County, England. Yet, that’s another story.
View the Acquitania at this WEB SITE:
www.ocean-liners.com/ships/Aquitania.asp
Floyd
424th Regiment
