England
Oct. 26,1944
Hello Family,
This may not turn out to be much a letter but I just want to let you hear from me tonight. This will also serve as an experiment to see how quick you get a letter sent “Free.” Let me know how much difference there is in the speed of the different methods of sending mail.
We haven’t received any mail yet but I don’t suppose we’ll have to wait too much longer. I sure hope so anyway. At least even if we can’t get mail, I hope the letters we send can get out of here and started on their way.
While we are here we are going to have to use English money. Its just about like learning to count again. We’re even going to get paid in this so I guess we’ll either catch on or wish we had. Getting all the pence, shilling, crowns, pounds, etc. straight sure does take concentration at first.
I wanted to tell you a little bit about our immediate surroundings so here goes. We are living in a rather small English town in a building that used to be a mill. There’s even a dam out back and the water-fall that turned the mill wheel. It sure is a rambly old building but it is very solidly built. It reminds me of an old castle of some kind.
We’re almost in the heart of the town so we’re a lot closer to civilization than we have been in the past. We have to go down the streets to get from one place to another and every time we go to chow we have to go right through the center of town.
You have heard about the children begging things from the American soldiers in different countries and we sure see a lot of it here. Even though candy and chewing are scarce, they’re not destitute and most of its just that old beg, beg, beg idea.
Well be good and take care of yourselves. Let’s trust God that everything will work out for the best.
Love,
Donald
Ask me any questions you’d like to have answered and I’ll do the best I can to answer them. Maybe I’ve missed something & it’ll give me something to write about.
Category: Letters
2nd page censored, probably because he mentioned the Queen Elizabeth.
England
October 25,1944
Hello Folks,
While I’ve got a little time now I’ll start a letter and I’ll do my best to get it finished before too many days have past. This is the last air mail stamp I have so I’ll try to make this a fairly long letter and then I’ll have to use V-mail or the “Free” method till I can get some more. Till they get some kind of a PX opened up around here and I can get some ink and V mail forms I wish you would sort of share your letters with Grandma Carver, Aunt Mary and whoever else you can without putting yourselves out. After things get to working on schedule here I don’t know how much writing I’ll be able to do but I’ll do my best. It’ll sure be a happy time for me when we start getting mail from home. Of course, it hasn’t been any extended length of time since we got mail but even a few days seem like a long time when you want news so badly. I hope it won’t take too long for letters to go back and forth.
I might tell you a little about the country here that I got a chance to see. Of course, it’ll have to be very general facts. After the boat ride [CENSORED] I saw some of the territory. The scenery certainly was interesting and in some places very beautiful. Since its time for the tree leaves to be taking on their autumn colors the scenes were doubly beautiful.
There are enough people on this island that you don’t see any wide open spaces like those at home. When riding along it seems as if you were passing through one small village after another with only a very few small fields between. Everything is done on a small scale and I guess that’s why you can see so much in a very small space. The whole country-side is built of small irregular shaped fields, a few very small patches of trees and small groups of houses crammed together. You can see that things haven’t grown up according to a pattern but have just been built up as the population grew. A look at things in general reminds you of a crazy quilt with hedge or stone fences separating the pieces.
Because of the lack of trees, you see no frame buildings. Everything is built either of brick or stone. Things are picturesque to say the least but I can’t say that I would enjoy living permanently under these circumstances. You have to read about English weather and it really is damp, but so far I haven’t seen any of the extremes that you often hear about.
We are living in a very interesting place that I’ll tell you about one of these times when I need a little chatter to fill up space. I’ll also have to find out just how much I can’t tell.
I sure wonder how things are coming at home. Of course, one of the questions in my mind is the outcome of the last few of the football games. I guess Dad’s Indianapolis trip should be coming off about now too. I forget whether it is supposed to be last week or this one.
I hope you are all well. I can truthfully say that if you are all as well as I am there would be nothing to worry about. I have felt no ill effects at all from my change. Don’t you dare worry about me because it wouldn’t do any good and definitely isn’t necessary. I have a decent place to sleep, am not working too hard and get plenty to eat. By the way our food is very interesting. You can see that all of it comes from the United States. All of it is processed - canned or dehydrated but it is very good, especially when you’re hungry.
God bless you all. Write when you can.
Lots of love,
Donald
Categories
October 24, 1944: England
This is “VMail“. To save airplane space, the letters were photographed and the film was shipped back to the US, where they were printed and mailed.
Note from: An Historical and Pictorial Record of the 87 Infantry Division in WWII
The Queen Elizabeth” departed from New York Harbor on 17 October 1944 and arrived at Gourock, Scotland, on the Firth of Clyde, on 22 October. Debarkation proceeded on 23 and 24 October with the Division Headquarters and other organizations proceeding by rail to Cheshire County, England. Division Headquarters was set up at Peover Manor, near Knutsford, England, with the other organizations being billated in nearby towns.
From 346th Infantry:
The Second and Third Battalions were billeted in Congleton. The Regiment spent a pleasant month in England receiving new vehicles and combat equipment, training, and getting acquainted with the English people.]
According to the history of the 87th Infantry Division, they were deployed in Scotland/England as follows
England
Oct. 24, 1944
Hello Folks,
I hope this turns out to be a successful experiment. As I haven’t got any black ink yet I hope a pencil will do. Also I have been carrying this Vmail form in my pocket for some time so if your copy is sort of messy looking you’ll know why.
I am happy to tell you that the latter part of my boat ride was more enjoyable than the few days just preceding it. In fact under different circumstances, I might have enjoyed boat riding for a few more days. Solid ground did feel good though.
These last few days certainly have added to my travel experiences. I have now tread on soil outside of our good old U.S. You needn’t even consider where I would rather be though.
I am very happy that it was possible for me to see what little part of the scenery here that I did. The little sight-seeing that I had a chance to do was really a thrilling experience for me. All that I have seen in pictures can be seen first hand. It’s a real education. I am doing OK. Lots of Love,
Donald
The ship would have been the Queen Elizabeth. From the history of the 87th Infantry Division
The 87th Infantry Division fought in General George S. Patton’s Third U.S. Army during World War II. After months of training, first at Camp McCain, Mississippi, then at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, the division shipped overseas on the Queen Elizabeth.
At Sea
Dear Folks,
I imagined there would be times when I couldn’t write often and this is sure it. I should and could have written you sooner but I guess there wouldn’t have been much point in it anyway. Even this won’t be sent out till we land.
Boy our stay was sure brief at the last place. I feel lucky to have written you just one letter from there. I didn’t expect to leave so soon but it’s the real thing now. You might think that on the boat ride would be the ideal time to catch up with your sleeping, reading, etc. but even that doesn’t work out.
There are lots of jobs that have to be done and, of course, our company would have to get one of these. And if that’s not enough excuse for writing, I’ve been so seasick that it’s not funny. It makes me feel about like I was perpetually coming out from under the effects of ether. The wobbly way this letter is written will bear witness to that fact.
After so long a time they say you get over this but right now I wouldn’t make much of a sailor. Eating has just about been out of the question for me that last day or so. If this continues solid ground is going to look mighty good to me. I’ll never be able to say now that I haven’t seen the ocean. I’ve seen plenty of it.
Next time you see me, remind me to tell you the name of this ship. I don’t suppose I’ll be able to tell you before then. When you do find out it’ll surprise you as much as it did me.
From now on I expect a good bit of our corresponding will be by V-mail. You can’t put a whole lot on them but at least for me I expect they’ll hold enough. We’ll also have to see how air-mail works.
Well this has been a little starter of a letter and maybe I can have more to say next time. What I haven’t said will have to go unsaid. I’ll be glad to start getting mail once more. I hope you have continued to write.
God bless you all.
Love
Donald
Categories
October 13, 1944
Note from: An Historical and Pictorial Record of the 87 Infantry Division in WWII
The first stage of the overseas movement by the Division began when the first trains left Fort Jackson for Camp Kilmer, N. J., 9 October 1944. By 15 October the last trains had left Fort Jackson. Embarking at New York City on the British troopship, “The Queen Elizabeth,” on 14 October, the Division Commander with 50 officers and enlisted men from Division Headquarters and the total strength of the three Infantry Regiments, with components of Division Artillery and other units began the overseas movement. The rest of the Division followed a few weeks later on “H.H.T. Pasteur.
From 346th Infantry:
On 10 October 1944, the Regiment entrained at Ft. Jackson, S. C., and detrained at Camp Kilmer, N. J., on the 11th. There was not a spare moment between the 11th and 16th while the Regiment was receiving final processing and instruction at Camp Kilmer. Fitting of gas masks, abandon ship procedure, inspections and training films revolved around each other in a mad whirl. At last our address was “c/o Postmaster, New York, N. Y.”
The 16th was the memorable day when we moved to the port at New York City and boarded the Queen Elizabeth, the largest passenger ship in the world. Early the morning of the 17th the great ship left New York, and soon we were on our way to the United Kingdom.
We were glad that the trip was uneventful, and on 22 October the Elizabeth dropped anchor in the Firth of Clyde at Glasgow, Scotland. We did not debark, however, until 24 October, and then began a long move by train to assembly areas south of Chester, England.
DVT would travel on “The Queen Elizabeth”
Co. K. 346 Inf APO 448
℅ Postmaster New York, NY
October 13, 1944
Hello Folks,
This will be my first attempt to write a censored letter but I’ll make some kind of stab at it. From now on out I guess both our outgoing and incoming mail will be subject to censorship but I doubt if too much of the mail I receive will be censored. With all the regulations about the only thing safe to talk about now will be happenings at home.
I’ll tell you what I can about my location and a little later on a little about my trip. I am going to have to start using the “somewhere’s”. I am somewhere on the eastern coast. If I were to tell you how long I’ll be here, it would be a guess and even that wouldn’t be allowed anyway.
They have told us that its alright to say we went through Washington, D.C. Just that in itself was a thrill to me. Of course, we had to stay on the train but we were lucky enough to see a few of the sights. I can say now I have seen the Potomac. The other famous places we could see were the Pentagon building, the Jefferson memorial, the Washington memorial, and the Dome of the Capital. I got a good view of the first two but the others were more or less in the distance.
In Daddy’s letter he mentioned about a Mrs. Willis being the Health Nurse and I wonder if it’s the one in Orestes. I don’t suppose it is though. It sure sounds like you are having some of the usual troubles at school.
I can just imagine how things are stirring at high school today with the Elwood game coming up tonight. I sure wish them a lot of luck. Richard said that Miss Hieatt was grumbling some about her English Fundamentals class and I wonder what he thinks about the subject. I got a great kick from it when I took it. Maybe it's because a good bit of it came pretty easy for me.
Don’t send me the stationary at present. I don’t need it now and maybe I’ll be a little more settled later. If that be possible now. If anything comes up that I need, you needn’t worry about me telling you about it.
Well I’m not quite run down so I’ll start another sheet. I wanted with all my might to get a letter written yesterday but I won’t have to stretch it one bit to say that I just didn’t have time. It looks like they are really going to keep us stepping here.
After we arrived yesterday they handed out mail and I received your weekend letter. Evidently they had brought it with us on the train. I sure never expected to get mail that soon. That’s what I call a very pleasant surprise.
The trip here added just a little more to my travel experiences. I guess my total of states I’ve been in adds up to about 13 now. That's quite a bit more than it was a couple of years ago.
In connection with that - I can only write on one side of the paper now so if sometime I happen to be extra windy I may have to make two letters of it in order to keep the weight down. I doubt if this ever happens though because the usual page of my letter telling you about what I’ve been doing will either not exist or be very limited. It’ll also be harder on the stationary box this way.
No doubt you’ve received the change of address card by now. Just for my own information I’d like to know when they were mailed. If you haven’t you can get the slight change of address from the one on the outside.
I hope this being Friday the 13th doesn’t hurt the football game. Write soon and often.
Lots of Love
Donald
Categories
October 9, 1944
Monday Noon
Dear Folks,
I’ve got some little news and I’ve got to hurry to say it. After two o’clock this afternoon we won’t be able to send any more letters. I expect it will be just as well for you to hold up writing for a few days. Of course if you don’t heart from me for a good while it might be alright to send a letter here every 4 or 5 days so I’ll get some news just in case something happens I don’t expect.
I got your letter of the 7th today - I was very happy to hear about the big game.
I am OK and will write as soon as possible. God bless you. Don’t worry about me.
Love
Donald
Fort Jackson photos from: An Historical and Pictorial Record of the 87 Infantry Division in WWII
Categories
October 7-8,1944
Saturday Evening
Dear Family,
I guess that I might as well begin with the thought that is uppermost in my mind. I usually get one and lots of times two letters from you the last part of the week. But this time I haven’t heard from you since Wednesday noon. That was the day I was on KP and I got the letter you had written last Sunday. Of course I’ll still be looking tomorrow. As we’ve said I’m not worried but I sure am concerned.
It seems to be an almost established fact now that we’ll be leaving sometime around Wednesday of this next week. We had to throw away everything this evening such as hair tonic etc. that we can’t take with us but that we had been keeping to use up to the last minute. We are now rid of magazines, papers, boxes and everything that we can’t take along. Our khakhis are to be turned in tomorrow evening and they are preparing to take our footlocker and beds so you can easily see that things are rapidly coming to a head.
I’m up with my news till yesterday morning so I’ll begin there. We spent the entire morning giving the barracks a final scrubbing. We scrubbed the ceiling, walls and everything down to and including the floor. That’s the most thorough cleaning it’s ever had and likely if we do any more cleaning on it, it’ll just be a scrubbing of the floor.
Then we were off Friday afternoon as the last half of our vacation and I didn’t do much of anything. I washed a few clothes, slept some and just generally let the afternoon slip away from me. It was a rest from duty though and I sure am not going to cry over spilled milk.
This morning we had a hike that lasted for about 3-½ hours so that took the first half of the day. For an hour and a half after dinner we attended a training movie and that concluded the day’s work.
I don’t know why they have to give us hikes on Saturdays but at least this one didn’t hurt me as bad as the last. But of course, there’ll be no question about sleeping tonight. I spent the later part of the afternoon cleaning my rifle, washing fatigues for next weekend generally getting things straightened up.
Yesterday evening I got your little box and it sure was appreciated. I hope Mother made the cookies because I hope to be able to eat more of them sometime. There must have been some honey in them because they certainly stayed fresh. I couldn’t imagine what was in the can and it certainly was a great thrill to us when I opened it up this evening. I wonder if it was some of the chicken you canned. How did you happen to use tin? Boy it certainly was good!
I read the Sunday School paper entirely through after supper this evening so I guess that just about finishes the box.
Well it's only about a quarter after eight but I feel so worn out that I think I’ll hit the hay in a very few minutes. Good-night,
Donald
Sunday
3:30PM
Again I’ll start with word about the letters I’ve received. Only this time the news is very much better. I am happy to say that at mail call today I received two letters from you. Boy I can’t tell you how glad they made me.
I’ll answer some of your questions and maybe by the time I get that done I’ll be warmed up and ready to write.
I surely appreciate those clippings. If I were home I know I would read small items like this and they are of no less interest to me now. Whether or not they are too near to me personally doesn’t matter. Send them often.
About the address on the Tribune, I did fill out a change of address card for them so that part of it you won’t have to take care of.
When it comes to receiving letters I am content if you are to leave things as they are. I still say receiving a letter is much more important than receiving a big letter. Its alright with me if you want to put three cent stamps on them instead of air mail all the time. Of course, I like to get them soon but I just can’t keep enough to put air-mails on all my letters.
I am wondering how the Noblesville football game came out. It would have been nice if Richard got straightened up for the game but at least I hope it wasn’t anything serious. I had read about his being vice-pres of the Hi Y. And you can be sure that this and being co-captain of the football team gives me a great pride. I guess the reason I am so happy about the things he is doing is because they are an accomplishment of the things I would have liked to do. Maybe that isn’t true either because I never had too much interest for football but I know from experience that the more things you are a part of: the better off you are. I have never been sorry that I took part in the free things I did.
I guess your letters explain about the box but I wonder why it got here before an air mail letter. I wonder what you’ve been doing today. Its a very nice day here but for a while this morning it looked pretty damp. About all I’ve got accomplished up until now has been going to church this morning.
I got sort of a greeting card from Rev. Siferd the other day so I guess I’ll have to get busy and write some kind of a letter to him before the day is over. I always sort of wonder under what sort of circumstances things like this are sent.
6 PM
Well I did a little reading and finally got the aforesaid letter written. They only sent me a greeting card so I didn’t even have a letter to get a few ideas from. Between this and the fact that I’ve never seen them and really know little about them it was a pretty hard job. But I’ve written difficult letters before so even if it wasn’t so fancy I got it done in some fashion or other.
I don’t know how I’ll spend the rest of the evening but I’m sure not going to start anything very strenuous if I can help it. Bear in mind what I’ve told you before if you cease to hear from me in the near future. Continue to write till you hear different and I’ll do the same.
Lots of love
Donald
Categories
October 7, 1944
Saturday Night
Dear Folks,
I am sending these pictures back because I simply will not be able to care for them. It may seem that I am sending all I have but I have a half dozen that I especially care for that I’m keeping. Thanks a lot for these and I’m thankful that it has been possible to keep and enjoy them this long.
I’ll send these separately so I won’t have to worry about there being too much weight in my regular letter.
Your son and brother
Donald
Categories
October 5, 1944
Thursday Evening
early
Hello Family,
I’ll begin this letter a little earlier than I usually do of evenings and if I can think of enough, maybe it won’t be quite such a skimpy letter as the last one was.
Before I forget it I looked over the letter you wrote last weekend which I received yesterday. I am very pleased at the way the football season is progressing. Good luck on this week's games. It sure made my heart sink when I heard about Wendell. But I am glad that you told me about it. I don’t know any appropriate statement I could make on the subject so I just won’t make any.
Daddy asked about my watch and I can sure say that it is filling the bill perfectly. When it was brand new it gained about a minute a day but it seems to have settled down now and is doing almost perfect. I sure get a lot of good and enjoyment from it. I still am thanking you.
I remember Dola Austin who you wrote about.
Our work has been progressing along the very usual lines. I think from what I can gather that we’ll be leaving here about the middle of next week.
Yesterday was spent on KP so that takes care of that. I was pretty tired when the day was over.
For some reason or other (I guess it’s because we are leaving) yesterday was declared a holiday in the 87th division. And something which might not be expected - they gave those who were on detail today free.
But our company had to have an inspection yesterday morning so they took yesterday afternoon off and we are supposed to get off tomorrow afternoon. I guess they feel our morale needs some lifting.
So since I was on detail yesterday afternoon they gave me this afternoon to do as I wished. I decided that this would be a good time to go to town and catch the stores open and also miss the big soldier crowds. I got a chance to get a couple things that I’d been wanting to get for a good while and also got to see a little of the town. I didn’t leave till the middle of the afternoon so I got back just a little while ago.
Oh yes, this morning we had another clothing inspection. That made two inspections in two days for the company. The rest of the fellows had a hike in the afternoon so I felt lucky not only in getting off but at getting off at such an opportune time.
8:30 PM
Well if I am going to do any more writing I’ll have to get at it. I can’t do like you folks do and let someone else help me out with my writing so I expect with no new ideas my letters are a whole lot the same. But if you are still willing to receive them I’ll continue to do my best.
I certainly am wondering about my chances of getting home. No doubt we’ll be near some port for a little while. But if its only for a week or two then I don’t have much hopes. Lets continue to hope and pray for the best.
That’s about all I know unless I say that I have spent most of this evening reading. I’ve only 4 or 5 pages left in the October Digest now so I’ll be looking for something new very soon.
Best wishes to you all.
Love,
Donald
Categories
October 3, 1944
Tuesday Eve
Hello Folks,
This may not be much of a letter but I’ll try. To begin with I’ve got K.P. tomorrow so I don’t want to spend too much time on anything but resting tonight.
Our work has been the same old stuff so there’s sure no use of going into that. I guess the only real news is that we’re sure to be here the rest of this week. We weren’t going to get to send laundry this week but an order came out today that we could send it in tomorrow morning. So at least we won’t be leaving till after this week. That’s very uncertain but it’s a little more than we knew up till now.
Yesterday I got a letter you sent out on Friday. I suppose I’ll get your weekend letter about tomorrow. I also got a letter from Grandma Carver yesterday. I just wrote her Sunday so I sort of wish I’d waited a day longer. I wish you’d let her know I received and am thankful for her letter. Thanks. This isn’t very much of a letter but you can even let her read it as sort of an immediate temporary answer if you feel so disposed.
No doubt you are at PTA this evening. I wish you all the luck in the world in it. About the Halloween party, I say by all means have it - just as long as you don’t use anything needed for the war effort or keep someone from work. After all the purpose is to help out the school and improve the community spirit. And aren’t these some of the very things we are fighting to preserve? There’s sure no use not carrying on as nearly normal as possible when nobody will benefit by it.
Pardon this most scribbly writing. Be good and God bless you.
Love
Donald
I’ll try to do better next time.