[We
begin with Glynn Raby Jr. sharing where they are at the time of my
uncle’s letter in this post. Any of Glynn Raby Jr.’s words will
be in blue. We will also have some of Staff Sgt. Hanford Maurice Rice
Diary in this post. Anything I share or add will be in these brackets[
].
“Hello,
Peter. After we left Brittany, we moved to the St. Vith, Belgium area
where we stayed in a defensive position for more than 2 months. Our
9th Infantry was about 10 miles east of the 2nd Infantry Division
Control Post which was in St. Vith. We (the Infantry) were in
Germany, so the Division was in 2 countries. I don't know the
location of the 15th Field Artillery Battalion, but we heard them
every day.” [In other words Glynn is saying he was able to hear my
uncle every day with his howitzer.]
Town of St. Vith, Belgium ~ 2nd Infantry Division Control Post
[The
letter you will read in this post is dated October 17, 1944.
Therefore, the 2nd Infantry
Division has been in the heavily forested area of the Schnee Eifel
Mountains for almost two weeks. “The Schneifel is a range of low
mountains, up to 699.1 miles above sea level in the western part
of the Eifel in Germany near the
Belgian border. It runs from Brandscheid near Prüm in
a northeasterly direction to Ormont. The name Schneifel has nothing to do with
the German words Schnee (snow) and Eifel. It is derived from the
former dialect of this region and means something like Schneise
("swathe"). This swathe ran over the mountains. The term
was "Germanised" during the Prussian era and the term
Schnee-Eifel ("Snow Eifel") was born, albeit referring to a
larger area. Wikipedia”]
[We
continue with Glynn Raby Jr. sharing more of this time period near
St. Vith and Schoenberg, Belgium and across into Germany.]
“Our
front lines, in the Schnee Eifel Mountains, included part of the
famous Siegfried Line. Our company area had two “pillboxes”. The
Command Post occupied one and the other was for supply and our
kitchen, where the cooks prepared food for us. A relatively quiet
area, we did receive some artillery fire and some enemy patrols, but
not much. We were able to re-equip and rest a bit.
Shortly after we arrived, we received cross-cut saws, axes and other
tools, which we used to fell trees and erect gun emplacements and
huts for living space. As time permitted, we continued to improve
them and many were floored, with stoves and were quite livable."
The Diary of Staff Sgt. Hanford Maurice Rice who is in the Charlie Company of the
First Battalion of the U.S. 9th Infantry Regiment in the
2nd Infantry Division.
October
4, 1944 (Wednesday) “We hiked 10 miles (and entered Germany). We
went into the Siegfried Line near Prum. Built six man (large fox)
holes with fire places. No cigarettes.”
October
5, 1944 (Thursday) “No cigarettes and very little chow. (It is as)
cold as the devil. We are still digging in. We have a telephone.”
Additional note: He told my mother that they had to dig cold potatoes
from frozen earth in order to have enough to eat.
October
6, 1944 (Friday) “We (third platoon) move out to the outpost and
get set up. (There are) booby traps all over the place. We set a
couple off. Knoles (got) knocked out (but not seriously hurt).”
October
7, 1944 (Saturday) “Today is Saturday and we had a hell of a night.
I got very little sleep and everybody was shooting. Stud knocked off
another (booby) trap. (He got) hit in the leg. We got some cigarettes
and a little mail. Better chow.”
October
8, 1944 (Sunday) “We (third platoon) moved from the outpost to the
second platoon position. It is a pretty nice (large fox) hole. We set
a lot of booby traps in the draw. No cigarettes and no mail.”
October
9, 1944 (Monday) “We went into (Vielsalm,) Belgium on (a 48 hour)
pass. Good barracks and hot showers. Clean clothes and hot chow. (Saw
a) picture show. No cigarettes.”
October
10, 1944 (Tuesday) “Slept good and ate a big breakfast. Went to
town and it is raining. Came back for dinner. Saw a picture show and
U.S.O. show.”
October
11, 1944 (Wednesday) “(We) went back to the front (lines). I had
six letters waiting for me. I wrote 3 letters (in reply). (German)
rocket guns (Screaming Meamies or Nebelwerfer) (are) going off.”
October
12, 1944, (Thursday) “I moved back out on the outpost. It is really
cold. I got 2 more letters. Pretty good chow. No coffee. We got
cigarettes.”
October
13, 1944 (Friday) “I am still on the outpost. (Our) planes (are)
strafing. Jerries are firing rockets and machine guns. (Our)
battalion commander broke his leg.”
October
14, 1944 (Saturday) “(We) moved back to our old positions. I got 3
letters. Our (large fox) hole leaks like a sieve. No cigarettes.”
October
15, 1944 (Sunday) “It is still raining and cold. No cigarettes. No
mail. Our (large fox) hole is still leaking.”
October
16, 1944 (Monday) “Colonel Wesson died of shock and blood
poisoning. Raining all the time. Tried to get money order. No
cigarettes.”
October
17, 1944 (Tuesday) “(Sgt.) Cobb went to (Col. Wesson’s) funeral
near Aachean. Got a pack of cigarettes. Four of (our) men were
captured out of the 1st platoon.”
Somewhere in Germany
October 17, 1944
Dear Mother
It has been some time since last I wrote and you notice from the heading of my letter I'm now somewhere in Germany. I am still in good health so this fact should cause you no greater worry than in the pass. To some extent I realize that every mother will worry about her children even in peace [time] so one cannot say don't worry, instead I'll say, "Keep up your courage and someday not so long I'll be sailing home."
Up until a few days ago we hadn't received any mail for three weeks or more but in the past few days in came about twenty. One letter you sent Oct. 2 arrived early in the morning Oct. 9 which sure was fast time.
It is now about eight o'clock at night, black as ink outside and you can only see a few feet from your nose. As I write this I am in a dug out a few feet below the ground with the sides, and a top made of heavy pine logs, then banked with fir boughs and dirt with a canvas over the top to keep out the rain. Have a flashlight hanging from the top so as to see while writing this letter. The logs are eight to ten inches or thicker so see it gives plenty of protection.
I may not finish all this letter to-night but here's for a good start. I go on guard [duty] at four in the morning and here's praying for a quiet night so I can sleep until then. Just a few minutes ago I crawled from this hole to send over a little message of hot steel for Hitler and his super men.
As I write I can hear Germany planes , also a Germany night patrol trying to slip through the lines to do some dirty work. The German machine gun firing so damn fast and then the crack of the M-1 which is the good old U.S.A. rifles handled by good old Yanks, the hard fighting boys that are giving the --- Nazi more than he can take. Don't forget some of those Krauts won't go back tonight after that little scrap. Over here you have to be on your watch at all times. It's just too bad for the fellow that doesn't know the password after dark. You just don't roam around at night. The nights are long as it gets dark around six.
Around the last of August and the first two weeks of September we had some swell weather. It was warm and the sky was blue with a few white clouds floating by. Now that we are over here things have changed and are we having plenty of rain. The trucks just churn in mud, the rain is cold and the winds blow most of the time. They say Germany is just about as far north as Maine so you see it has started to get cold. I noticed the leaves have started to turn.
We have been issued overshoes, woolen underwear and an overcoat; also a duffel bag in which to keep our extra clothes. You remember me writing how we had nothing except the clothes on our back when we hit the beach. I do not seem to mind the cold too much as yet. I guess I'm lucky to have lived in the cold neck of the woods before, for this kind of weather, sure tells on some of the fellows.
Oh yes, yesterday morning that box got here after so long a time. I sure needed the paper as the last time I had to borrow and now have only a few sheets left. Gee, didn't it seem good to eat some nice candy, in fact I just had a bar. At times we get two small bars. They are called tropical chocolate but I guess it mostly oatmeal flour so it won't melt when a little warmer. The lead was just right, also toothpaste. Ink was the right kind but I like the blue, it writes ok so what's the difference. A few of the envelopes were stuck but another fellow helped me steam them open. Please don't send any more stamps as I already have a few stamped envelopes left and here is the latest news, any soldier on the front lines in combat may if he cannot get stamps send his airmail letters collect. You keep the stamps as you sure do your part writing, wish some of the rest would do half as good. Sorry they are so hard pressed for time. Oh well, who thinks a little old letter means much -----? The Boys Over There are getting everything so they say - even chewing gum etc. (like so much.) Good many mornings after a cold night we can't get a hot cup of coffee to say nothing about sugar or milk. Oh well, I now know the true meaning (or better than ever before) of those three little words "Home Sweet Home." Well, Mother, I sure did get a good start on this letter but here it is a couple of days later and I haven't finished it yet. It's now almost chow time and starting to grow dark. I'll write what I can now and this evening then have it on the way in the morning.
Yesterday, I received that roll of air mail paper and it was in first class condition.
The other afternoon I heard the square heads sending over a few rounds so I put on my steel lid and went on top of the ridge to see where they were landing. Gee, they sure make a whistling whine when coming over.
You have read about the robot bomb or pilot-less plane the Germans use, well I have seen quite a few in the pass week or so. The first one I heard sounded so funny, something like an old Model T Ford pounding on all four. The sound is caused by the jet of flame that looks like a large candle flame as it shoots from the outlet in the rear. By the sound you wouldn't believe it was traveling very fast but you should see it go and it takes a good fast fighter plane to catch up with it and bring it down.
I sure have traveled in France as I took part in the big battle for the Port of Brest. Brest was but is no more for all that is left from those bitter days of fighting is a pile of rock and twisted steel. The Germans there were mixed, SS troops, paratroops, sailors, marines and air corps and all that Heil Hitler, Nazi type. We sure gave them a pounding, and for days and days Brest was a raging inferno of flames. The Old City of Brest was behind high cliffs seventy five feet straight up on the inside near the city and facing the water so you see how hard it was to get at them. In these cliffs of solid rock were tunnels and rooms with electric lights and not even bombs could blow them out so we just paralyzed them in those caves by pouring on artillery and then more artillery. In that last week of fighting not one minute went by unless we sent at least one round on them. Many times you could hear a curtain of steel passing over head. Thousands and thousands of them gave up. They have asked the question and also want to see our automatic artillery but here is what makes it automatic, the sweat of hard fighting men who are giving all they have that this hell on earth will soon end.
I have also seen Paris with the Eiffel Tower rising far above the city. It is a wonderful city which was spared the ruins of war. There were a very few places in the city where war had left its mark. I can see where in peace time we may get many of our styles. No place can be the same after four long years of war. France and Paris are now behind and here I am somewhere in Germany now for Berlin and do the job up right.
Guess I'll have to call this a letter for now but you may be sure I'll write in a few days so be on the look out. Say hello to all and keep up your courage. Remember, "Always look up - Never look down."
Lots of Love to All
Your Son
Charles
[This letter is filled with so much emotion. There is anger, thankfulness, courage, disgust, amazement and so much more. Uncle Charlie is no longer the young man of 23 from the carefree state of Maine. He has gone through the Great Depression and learned to be grateful for whatever he had growing up. And they were a poor family with a father that was sick often but a father that never gave up and a praying mother that at times did not know where the next meal would come from for a family of seven but also never gave up.
Now I can see my Uncle Charlie who is becoming harden by battle in a good way that will not give up either. He will accomplish the task and mission set before him. And through it all he is gaining more appreciation for his family, the soldiers he is fighting with, for his country and the state of Maine, and for all he has compared to the war torn people he is watching walk in a daze not sure what their future holds. But even these war weary people is showing him the "never give up spirit" that he has been learning at home.
I can see why all his nephews and nieces (my generation) caught that same spirit of courage, willing to work hard, be thankful for what we have, and never give up no matter what comes our way. Uncle Charlie, as you look down from heaven, I trust you are proud of the generation your sisters and brothers produced. The generation that was and is still proud to call you Uncle Charlie.]
Uncle Charlie
BUZZ BOMBS
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