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Post by connie on Jan 17, 2009 22:57:59 GMT -5
When the division landed in France after crossing the channel, I think most ended up somewhere near Limesy France... in a muddy field. Was this a camp with tents already in place? I know of people scouting their own firewood. Were there stoves in the tents? How about floors (canvas, wood, or mud?) Any other impressions...?
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Post by gfgrant8443 on Jan 19, 2009 20:14:22 GMT -5
My father's letters indicated that they slept in their pup tents that he and a buddy would put their halfs togeather sleep in their sleeping bags.
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Post by connie on Apr 10, 2009 11:35:29 GMT -5
Interesting to know it was pup tents for your dad. Do you know your Dad's unit ? Any idea of his location in France? I know the 590th traveled up the Seine to land in Rouen. They were camped out somewhere in the vicinity of Limesy, France (NW of Rouen.) There were some established camps in France for assembling troops. These probably had and kept their tents. But, I don't think Limesy was on the list of established camps. I wonder how many had tents to take with them (and use in Belgium) and how many had just their sleeping bags for night time use once they hit the road to leave France... My father's letters indicated that they slept in their pup tents that he and a buddy would put their halfs togeather sleep in their sleeping bags. |
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Post by floydragsdale on Apr 10, 2009 17:19:43 GMT -5
Hello:
Each Soldier had 1/2 a tent that was part of his "full field pack" It was called a "Shelter Half". Thus, when we "pitched tents", a G.I. had to pick a partner; the two "Shelter Half's" together made what the Army called a Pup Tent.
To protect us from rain a small trench was always dug around the outside edge of the tent to keep out water. If it rained, and there was a cloud burst, just about everyone got wet.
If I remember correctly, the "shelter half" was the outside shell of our full field pack. That pack held every thing a soldier owned when he was on the (march) go.
When a full field inspection was held, the rest of our belongings was placed on the "shelter half". Everything had to be just so, lined up like little soldiers; or else!
During an inspection (states side), one G.I. (he was bald as a que ball) didn't have a comb. Golly, did he ever get chewed out!
"By God, when the Army says you need a comb, you better have a comb" an officer told the poor guy.
Wouldn't you just love to play soldier?
Floyd,
2nd Btn., 424th Regiment.
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Post by connie on Apr 12, 2009 10:02:03 GMT -5
Floyd, This is helpful, interesting stuff. After the discussion of "shelter halves" I did some web searching and came up with a site on maneuvers, etc. that showed a line-up of these tents and equipment -- probably like what you were referring to. ( There was not enough detail to see the combs!) Does this first photo look familiar? www.history.army.mil/photos/WWII/Preps/WW2-Prep.htm |
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Post by floydragsdale on Apr 12, 2009 18:30:17 GMT -5
Hello Connie:
WOW! It sure does and it brings back memories.
We also had a man who displayed no tooth brush at inspection time.
His teeth were so bad he couldn't brush them and was waiting to have all of them pulled.
Golly gee; did he ever get chewed out. The inspecting Officer turned to the Sgt following him and said. "Sgt., gig that man for not having a toothbrush.'
A "gig" was punishment for something "your did, or didn't do.". The penalty was usually K.P. or Latrine Duty. Kitchen Police was a twelve hour detail; that was doing dishes & pots and pans for ca 200 men.
Latrine duty was 16 to 18 hours long. That chore was cleaning toilets, showers & scrubbing sinks. There were 18 toilets & the same number of sinks & I believe half that many showers, so if a Soldier had that assignment he was busy all day & part of the night.
Keeping the water hot also was included with that duty. A coal fired boiler was in each latrine & it had to be stoked up, to keep the water hot, the entire day (24/7).
Latrines had three rush hours a day; breakfast, dinner and supper time. It didn't take long for a company of men to "dirty it up".
Just to make sure it was kept clean, an Officer inspected it about four times a day.
How do I know so much about latrine duty???
I pulled that detail more than once. All of us took our turn at it and K.P. as well.
Floyd,
2nd Btn. 424th Infantry Regt.
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Post by gfgrant8443 on Apr 15, 2009 17:09:17 GMT -5
Connie
Sorry I didn't notice your question earlier. My father was in HQ Co., 3rd Batt. of the 422nd. he didn't say what area he was camping in in his letter to my mother because of the cencorship, but from other vets I have corresponded with he was near Limsey. My father mentioned using pup tents in one other letter during his stay in England when they went to the rifle range in the rain (normal for England I guess) and he said they squeezed 3 men in the tent and used the third man's tent half as a ground cloth to stay out of the mud.
My father mentioned in an earlier letter that everyone was excited to get their field equipment issue and were disappointed with what they actually got. This was also while they were still in England.
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Post by connie on May 14, 2009 11:18:30 GMT -5
Thanks. The details you give are interesting. It's amazing how each answer fuels further questions. I was wondering about the ground covering -- whether the shelter halves were floor-less or if they had a built in bottom. I thought I had an answer when I took another look at the inspection photo on the website I posted earlier in this thread: www.history.army.mil/photos/WWII/Preps/WW2-Prep.htmIt looked like there was a canvas base to the shelter halves shown there. But, logic says this would have added both protection and weight to the pack. Then your notes on the shelter shared by 3 to give them a floor seems to say that at least some of these shelter halves were floorless jobs. Can anyone further verify this? |
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Carl W.
Active Member
Administrator
The Golden Lions
Posts: 265
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Post by Carl W. on May 15, 2009 2:52:19 GMT -5
Shelter halfs were floorless. Two halves would just create the two sides of the tent.
I recently sold one of those, but still have the folding tent poles. Battlefield ingenuity would provide a solution for the lack of ground cover. GI's were also issued with a wool sleeping bag and a water repellent outer cover to stay more or less dry. Officers were issued with a bedding roll.
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Post by dianekrollewis on May 28, 2009 8:48:15 GMT -5
My mother kept a record of my father's movements (from his letters) once he went
overseas. It follows to (10-30-44) Fairford, England...then Cheltenham, England...to
(12-1-44)Le Havre ..to Rouens to Amiens and then to (12-11-44) Belgium. It also
mentions being in Germany (not sure of that) and noted snow covered winding roads bordered with spruce trees as though landscaped. In his last letter from
Dec 14, 1944, he had got hold of a German bicycle and skis, but couldn't use
the skis because there were too many mines and booby traps.
Geeeeeee....I never knew he COULD ski???
From the wife of a fellow soldier, "his body was found on the road
between Aux and Schlausenbach." He was at HQ when the offensive
began, and he was rushing back to his men.
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Carl W.
Active Member
Administrator
The Golden Lions
Posts: 265
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Post by Carl W. on May 28, 2009 15:12:47 GMT -5
Diane,
very interesting to hear about your father obtaining the bike and the ski's. I have seen some wartime photo's of GI's skiing through the streets as the roads were covered with ice.
His mention of being in Germany is clear as the front line positions of the 106th were directly over the Belgian-German border into Germany itself on the Schnee Eifel. HQ was at St. Vith, which is back in Belgium.
I was wondering if your father was killed near the Schlausenbacher Muhle. That's where some men of the 81st operated a saw-mill if I remember correctly. It's on the road from Auw to Schlausenbach and I know it was under some intense German fire as the Germans were closing in on Auw after capturing Roth on Dec 16.
Best,
Carl
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