Post by floydragsdale on Dec 1, 2013 19:53:18 GMT -5
Hello Everyone:
On this date, 11/30/44, G Company of the 424th Regiment (& most likely the entire Regiment) was on the English Channel; our destination was Omaha Beach and then by Truck Convoy to the Schnee Eifel area of Belgium.
Ports (Harbors) in the landing area had not been cleared of war debris yet, thus we had to go ashore on landing craft like the Troops did on D day in June 1944.
The Cannel was so rough and choppy that the LST Landing Craft vessels were not allowed to come after us until the seas calmed down.
Consequently, we remained on the English Channel for five days. I recall that, while on deck, we could see the English white cliffs of Dover or the French coastline just by looking one way or the other.
The seas were still rough nevertheless, after five days of waiting the LST craft tolerated the seas and came to ferry our Regiment to shore.
The Companies disembarked by order of the alphabet, that is E, F, G, & H, Companies etc..
A rope ladder that looked like a huge fishing net was cast over the side of our ship for the Soldiers to use for transferring themselves from our ship to the LST landing craft.
One of the American Officers, who had a role in directing this operation shouted, “Make your aim good men, if you miss we can’t help you.” Translated that meant, “If you miss and drop into the Channel, you’re dead.; we can’t help you”
Those words were a bit scary to me because I had a bad bruise in my left leg; the leg this soldier would have to engage to push his body away from side of the ship in order to drop into the bottom of the landing craft.
Both the ship and the Landing Craft were bobbing up and down in seas as well as separating from each other and then coming back together again.
Consequently, when it became my turn to go over the side of the ship and while holding on to the rope ladder, this soldier hesitated a few moments, waiting for the two craft to be in similar positions. Then I could let go of the rope ladder and drop down into the bottom of the landing craft.
Instantaneously, three things occurred while this Soldier was briefly hesitating on that rope ladder. A British Officer bellowed at me, “Get moving soldier, don’t you know there’s a war going on? That officer’s words and my very sore leg combined together irritated this Private First Class. “How in the hell would you know?”, I responded just as I let go of the ladder while that British Officer attempted to grab me by the arm.
That was the only time I was able to talk back to an Officer and get away with it.
Incidentally, I landed in the bottom of the LST Craft OK. To my knowledge, our Battalion suffered no casualties during that landing process.
In less than two weeks, from that day in the Schnee Eifel area of Belgum, the entire 106th Infantry Division was to be introduced to the art of Warfare faster than any other Division in the European Theater of Operations in WWII.
However, that is another story.
Floyd,
424th Regiment
On this date, 11/30/44, G Company of the 424th Regiment (& most likely the entire Regiment) was on the English Channel; our destination was Omaha Beach and then by Truck Convoy to the Schnee Eifel area of Belgium.
Ports (Harbors) in the landing area had not been cleared of war debris yet, thus we had to go ashore on landing craft like the Troops did on D day in June 1944.
The Cannel was so rough and choppy that the LST Landing Craft vessels were not allowed to come after us until the seas calmed down.
Consequently, we remained on the English Channel for five days. I recall that, while on deck, we could see the English white cliffs of Dover or the French coastline just by looking one way or the other.
The seas were still rough nevertheless, after five days of waiting the LST craft tolerated the seas and came to ferry our Regiment to shore.
The Companies disembarked by order of the alphabet, that is E, F, G, & H, Companies etc..
A rope ladder that looked like a huge fishing net was cast over the side of our ship for the Soldiers to use for transferring themselves from our ship to the LST landing craft.
One of the American Officers, who had a role in directing this operation shouted, “Make your aim good men, if you miss we can’t help you.” Translated that meant, “If you miss and drop into the Channel, you’re dead.; we can’t help you”
Those words were a bit scary to me because I had a bad bruise in my left leg; the leg this soldier would have to engage to push his body away from side of the ship in order to drop into the bottom of the landing craft.
Both the ship and the Landing Craft were bobbing up and down in seas as well as separating from each other and then coming back together again.
Consequently, when it became my turn to go over the side of the ship and while holding on to the rope ladder, this soldier hesitated a few moments, waiting for the two craft to be in similar positions. Then I could let go of the rope ladder and drop down into the bottom of the landing craft.
Instantaneously, three things occurred while this Soldier was briefly hesitating on that rope ladder. A British Officer bellowed at me, “Get moving soldier, don’t you know there’s a war going on? That officer’s words and my very sore leg combined together irritated this Private First Class. “How in the hell would you know?”, I responded just as I let go of the ladder while that British Officer attempted to grab me by the arm.
That was the only time I was able to talk back to an Officer and get away with it.
Incidentally, I landed in the bottom of the LST Craft OK. To my knowledge, our Battalion suffered no casualties during that landing process.
In less than two weeks, from that day in the Schnee Eifel area of Belgum, the entire 106th Infantry Division was to be introduced to the art of Warfare faster than any other Division in the European Theater of Operations in WWII.
However, that is another story.
Floyd,
424th Regiment
