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| "45 DAYS" |
I shared in the last post the departure of our soldiers in Northern Ireland to South Wales on April 17, 1944. The last letter we had read from my uncle, Charles D Knight, was dated April 11, 1944. In this post, we will read the next letter he wrote home dated April 24, 1944. Since his last letter Uncle Charlie has likely gone by railroad to Belfast where his battalion and others travels for what could have been a day on the USAT James T. Parker on 17 April 1944 to South Wales. His battalion goes to Porthcawl, South Wales. Other battalions go to other towns.
We know from some diaries written by a few soldiers they do not know where their next destination will be nor when they will leave South Wales. Very likely many believe their training is soon to be used for real combat. While others are likely hoping this is one port closer to going home. Some of my readers may consider that impossible but in one soldier's diary the soldier writes the following:
"I don't know how the other volunteers outside my outfit were picked, but one day, late in the afternoon, an officer came by and asked for volunteers to settle a "coal mine strike back in the States." Twelve of us raised our hands, and we wound up joining the 116th Regimental Combat Team of the Big Red One. Our objective would not be the shores of home, but a four-mile stretch of the most heavily fortified position on the European coast- Omaha Beach." I will share the author of this diary on a later post. My point in sharing that small excerpt was to share with you how our soldiers were kept in the dark until the last possible minute because the secrecy of what was actually going to happen had to be kept for the sake of what we now know to be "Operation Overlord."
However, even while in South Wales there is further training how to defend oneself in hand to hand combat and how to kill the enemy. This is no game or a small army they would be coming up against. The superiors know their men are heading into what I will call "The Den of Hell' but even their superiors don't even know how hellish this den will in the days and months ahead.
I will share more of the activities in South Wales, but let us read what my uncle writes after being in South Wales for nearly two weeks.
April 24, 1944
Dear Mother, Dad and All,
It has been some time now since last I wrote but I'm still well. Hope this letter finds you the same and please don't worry too much. Just received three letters from home to-night also had a couple with a V-mail two days ago. It sure keeps up one's morals. On your air mail you had eight cents but as I wrote you in another letter, check with Joe as I think when writing to boys in the service you can still use the regular postage, three and six cents. That air mail you wrote right after you received that one from me so quick took ten days to get here but I feel it was held up a little for a reason. Gee, you sure got mine quick. Was that the one I wrote Easter? I think it was.
You wrote about my knife which Uncle Frank made. I'll be looking for it and write when I get it. To tell the truth I myself thought about him in case you couldn't buy one. Glad he left the strap long as I can cut it myself. I must write him when I find time. Please thank him for me.
So you got a short letter or note from that fellow that joined the Navy. Pauline said you told her. I didn't know him very well but he thought of you.
Tell Pop not to do too much work outside and get sick. I bet the upstairs will be swell. Sorry Dad can't get more for his eggs but oh well that's what a farmer gets, grain high, eggs low. Glad to hear the good news about yourself. It must make you feel better. Another thing if you would get out more it would do you lots of good.
Pauline wrote and had been sick for a few days with the flu also gave me h--- ha, ha. I'll write later but you come first and when I don't write you for two weeks I'm sure no one else rates one and I'll tell them so. Guess some don't realize what's going on over here. I'll tell you everything someday about here but can't now.
Glad to hear Eugene has a nice girl. By the way you wrote she's one of those in a million kind. I can't place her but think I know where she lives. I'll write him a nice long letter if he likes he can let her read it but don't say anything I said it. He's one swell Bud.
So Hoppi's a WAC? Ask Joe if she really had to join to become one ha, ha.
Good for Cappie I'm glad for him, boy he sure is up and I mean up if he's staff. Some fellows get a break, oh well.
Gee, Mom, I wrote you a long time ago. I got my pen and stamps. What or where in heck is all my mail going that I send you?
Glad you received the calendar and motto etc. I do remember you wrote about planting the seeds but you didn't say any more in that letter about the other things.
Well, Mom, don't forget to say hello to all for me. I think of them even though I don't write them. Keep praying and we'll finish the job soon. Good night.
Lots of Love
Your Son Charles
Information I noticed because it's not in the letter though Uncle Charlie had been in Porthcawl, Wales for nearly a week when letter was written.
** No place mentioned below the date. He always wrote the general area where he was.
** Nothing is mentioned at all about leaving Northern Ireland or being in another place.
** When he wrote, "That air mail you wrote right after you received that one from me so quick took ten days to get here but I feel it was held up a little for a reason." A place he could have written a reason for the delay.
Information that revealed to me a rise of concern in my uncle and what was ahead.
** He usually said just Mom or Mother in the greeting. In this letter the greeting is "Dear Mother, Dad and All." To me it shows he wanted everyone to know he was thinking of them.
** In the second sentence he is already saying, "please don't worry too much." Not a new idea in his letters but written so quickly and not necessarily just to Mom because of the greeting he wrote.
** His closing remarks and salutation was poignant to me. He was thinking in my opinion not just about home as a place but also where his friends and family were waiting for him.
Once again my uncle speaks about the cost of a stamp for his mother. As I have mentioned before my grandparents were not well to do. They had even almost lost their home that Grandpa Knight had built. Grandpa was also a sickly man for many years. My uncle mentions about the low cost of eggs. At this time the prices for eggs had gone down because there were too many available. Since prices or cost were mentioned I added a short price comparison between 1944 and 2017.
1 cent 1944 = 14 cents today
1 dollar in 1944 = $14.00 today
Cost in 1944 versus 2017____
Car: $1,220 $16,968.00
Gasoline: 21 cents/gal $2.94
House: $8,600 $119,611.00
Bread: 9 cents/loaf $1.26
Milk: 62 cents/gal $8.68
Postage Stamp: 3 cents .42
Average Annual Salary: $2,600 $36,161.00
Minimum Wage: 30 cents per hour $4.61
One thing I really took note of was the minimum wage. The price should have been closer to 60 cents to meet what the minimum wage is today.
The letter mentioned the WAC.
WAC or Women's Army Corps was the women's branch of the United States Army. It was created on 15 May 1942 as an auxiliary unit, and on 1 July 1943 active duty status in the Army.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_Army_Corps
The Army Camp in Bridgend, South Wales, 7 miles from Porthcawl.
Used by our troops while preparing for D-Day and other operations.
https://hannah-howe.com/mini-series/anns-war/the-army-camp/
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