OT My Father in 1944

My Fathers unit in World War 2 yesterday were starting their final leg of a supply run from LeHarve, France to a forward base. They took little in the way of supplies as it was to be a quick trip. They were stopped by a patrol and advised to hide the trucks until the town ahead was searched, they suspected German paratroopers or sympathisers held the town.
They found an abandoned farm with tree covered fences. They had new orders, break out weapons to defend the supplies. If you are overrun burn everything and head south,
My Fathers job was to keep two cookfires going where their was a gap in the fence. His Commander and Sargent told him things are not going well to the north. There was a report of a German in civilan clothing, another in a stolen US uniform,. He was told to order everyone to halt. If they did not halt, shoot them. If we do not see you for a while, or if you fire your weapon, the Sargent and two others will come check.
My Father was sitting there peeling some poatoes he had dug when he heard a noise.
Flump,flump,flump. A few minutes later, Flump, flump, flump.
Whatever could it be? Sounded like a flat tire - what could have a flat tire in a pasture in the early morning? a German mobile gun?
He moved a few feet eveyrtime it was dark to see if he could find the noise.
Each time the sky lightened, he looked.
It looked like a small chicken.
It had been caught in a snare. Its claw was badly damaged, so my Father cleaned it.

The next morning, the Sargent remarked "I must be hungry, I am smelling my Moms fried chicken."

He was sure suprised when he found a pot of Chicken and Potato soup to go with the coffee another soldier had.

A few days later three tanks and their supply trucks took on most of the supplies, and my Fathers unit headed back toward Leharve.

Good story. My Dad was somewhere in France at that time. 90th Division.

Twenty days later I was born (Jan 5th). My Dad was also in France about that time.

My dad was on a hospital ship returning from the South Pacific After being wounded in late 44. He told me that he and the other wounded were very afraid because the couldn't move to evac should the ship be torpedoed. Dads wounds cause his to loose a leg.


Rick

same here 01-05-45

Your story reminds me of a story related to me by my friend, Al. Al was in an anti-tank unit and was proceding along and came upon a Red Ball Express truck off the side of the road. The red ball on the hood had turned orange and they had all been told that the red paint used to color the balls was chemical sensitive and if it appeared orangy to sound the gas/chemical alarm. Well, Al and his buddies had all thrown their gas masks in the channel because every one knew that neither side was using chemicals. They did save the carrying bag the mask fit in though to carry things. The things they carried were freshly liberated bottles of cognac. They decided to carry that cognac with them until the war ended and then they'd all get drunk together. They got scared when they saw the orange ball but they sounded the alarm and then contemplated what to do next. They decided that seeing as how they were all going to die they might as well get drunk and proceeded to drink the cognac. Along came their lieutenant making sure everyone had their masks on (he did) and when he saw them unmasked ordered them to put their masks on. They told him they didn't have them because they'd thrown them in the channel. The lieutenant (hollering thru his mask) asked them what they intended to do. "Get drunk" they yelled back. He yelled something about them being crazy and went on his way. Turned out the orange ball was caused by the truck engine overheating. That's why it was off on the side of the road.

Pop was in Italy with the Army Air Force flying a B-24 Liberator in support of the push up Italy into Europe. Claimed it was a milk run compared to the raids he flew from England in 43 over Germany, especially the Schwienfurt-Regensburg mission.
He passed away 10 years ago at 83. Miss him every day.

me also

Grandpa was... I believe in Africa at this time? I don't have a good feel for where he was and when, it is something I need to look into more deeply. Sadly I was never old enough for him to tell me his stories before he passed.

My older brother was probably in the Marianas Islands in the Pacific in 1944. In August of 1945 He was on Tinian Island when they flew the atomic bomb off. He didn't know about it until it was over.

Earlier on Tinian he watched several P 51s take off to fly to Iwo Jima island. The word got back that all the pilots had been killed by Japanese infiltrators the night they arrived.

KEH

My Grandpa was sitting on Wake island while the Japanese pounded the heel out of it. He was on a Japanese prison ship headed for China three days before Christmas, 1941. The next three years, he was building ships for the Japanese as a slave.

Dad was in the Pacific in '44, belly gunner on B-24 with 5th AAC. Made some long runs to bomb Japan, from Phillipines. They were using aerial photos to pinpoint bomb kamikaze planes hidden under camoflauge.