28 Feb 1945 "Just a Case of Frozen Feet" (Post #98)

In 1945 from February 18th through the 23rd the German army showed a weaker spirit of aggression and was in the defensive mode. On the 23rd of February the 15th FAB were relieved by the 109th CBT allowing the 15th FAB to return as general support artillery for the 2nd Infantry Division. (The 109th Infantry Regiment is an infantry regiment of the United States Army. Its legacy unit, 1st Battalion, 109th Infantry, is part of the 55th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, a unit of the 28th Infantry Division. Elements of the Regiment led the Division into the Rhineland to become the first troops to invade German soil since Napoleon.) Two days earlier the 9th Infantry Regiment were relieved by the 38th Regiment. The 38th would head north lying to the west of Malsbeden with their front line running along the south bank of the Urft River.
Again the enemy was pretty quiet involved basically in patrols. Some of their Divisions were also being relieved giving the 2nd Infantry Division new enemy forces to contend with by Feb 28th. However, the artillery ranged from light to heavy in the areas of Kerhaln, Bronsfeld, Hellenthal, Dreiborn Ridge and Scheuren. Frequently V2-Rockets would be seen going to the area of Oberhausen where the armored units were more fully engaged.

Buzz Bombs

Towns mentioned in the above article.
 Parts of the 2nd DIVISION were at these
places near the end of February 1945.
The CP Station was in Einruhr only
16 minutes away from Scheuren.

V2-Rockets

Stations of the 2nd Infantry Division in 1945

Time and Date of Arrival

National Archives in Cherry Park, Maryland

Wahlerscheid, Germany	1700	14 Feb 45
Einruhr, Germany (only 16     minutes from Scheuren)	1130	21 Feb 45
Vlatten, Germany	1600	5 Mar 45

Somewhere in Germany

First U.S. Army

Sec. Inf. Div.

February 28, 1945

Dear Mother,

Guess I'm a little slow in writing but this letter leaves me doing okay and in good health.

First off, I want to get you straight on trench foot as I find in reading your letters you have no idea what it is, but seem very much worried.

Now, Bud Fogg that you wrote about did not necessarily have trench foot but just a case of frozen feet.

The folder I am sending will explain all but there is no need for worry as you realize I received the felts you sent me and they're just the thing for cold weather. I hope this will answer all your questions.

Just think I received about six dehydrated V-mail letters in the pass week but within the last few days have had four good letters.

You may be sure I felt better to find out the truth about Dad as I knew more about it than you thought. I even told some of the boys Dad must have broken at least one rib and you were holding back on me. Guess you sometimes forget I'm almost thirty, no grey hair yet but still growing old.

I am trying to put through a special order and will write Dad in a few days.

We have had a few good days and it sure helped to dry up the mud.

The moon was bright the other night and while on guard duty I saw a JU-88 fly over real low.

You know I feel we are due for more snow very soon as it has been said March is a pretty rough month.

You asked if that was the truth about some outfit in the Second Division having a cow which gave them plenty of milk. Yes, that's right as I heard about it some time ago but here's one better.

Some of our guys were at a machine gun outpost, the night was dark and coming toward them they heard a noise - they said halt! but no it kept moving so the boy opened up, next morning they took up a jeep and guess what- we had deer meat.

I've sure enjoyed reading about the pheasant. I wouldn't be surprise they'd be some little ones next spring.

You must be having a winter something like that of 1934. Everyone writes me about the weather. (February 25-27, 1934 - A 68 hour storm left 22.7 inches of snow on Portland, Maine, with temperatures between 7 and 16 degrees. Much of Portland Harbor was frozen.)

The letters I write to you are just for you and Dad, as you said it's just as well everyone doesn't read them. (Whoops! I wonder if that includes me, his nephew, 74 years later.)

Gee Mother I haven't seen Zip since the last part of November. Once I did find his outfit but never had the chance to see him.

No need to explain about Eugene (brother) as you may be sure there'll never be any trouble between us. I understand things were a lot different when he started to work, times were better and jobs easier to find. Just when things seem to have been coming a little our way all this trouble had to come up. Oh well, someday we'll start where we left off. As for me I don't care about the outside knowing too much. Anything I've done is a thing of the pass.

I received Eugene's letters and must find time later to answer. Sure hope he gets his tractor.

I did take a few pictures and if they ever come back I'll send them home. If I could get the films, sometimes I wished I had a folding camera as I could get a permit to carry it and in that way send home a few pictures now and then. Sure hope those I've had taken come out good as it was a nice day when I had several of myself taken.

Yes; a few of the boys of the Division are home on furlough but not all will receive thirty days. Most of them had a reason for going home.

Huck Anderson must have seen plenty and no doubt it got him. You can see it telling on some of the fellows' faces.

Gee, Mother, I bet all the children are changing and I bet they won't remember me.

Don't say anything more about Leroy as I don't understand him myself.

Guess I must close for now. Tell Dad to be careful and best of health to all.

Love

Charles

This letter was full of different pieces of information so it was hard to choose a title. I must admit I had to chuckle when Uncle Charlie was writing about trench foot and said Bud just had a case of frozen feet. 

Below is some information relating to some of the topics he wrote about.

Lubec, Maine January 1934

Trench Foot

     Trench foot had its origins from World War I. It was common for soldiers to sit for long periods of time in cold wet conditions with their feet in soaking wet socks and boots They stood for days in water-filled trenches. During 1945, in Northwest Europe, approximately 45,000 men fell victim to trench foot.
     They become cold, wet, exhausted, and dehydrated and go to bed with wet feet. They continue to put on wet socks and tight boots day after day, leading to peripheral narrowing of blood vessels, which increases blood pressure and an inadequate blood supply to an organ or part of the body. 
     There is a pre-hyperemic phase where the affected limb appears blanched, yellowish white, or having spots, but rarely blistered. Capillary refill is slow and arterial pulse may be absent. 

     This is followed by a hyperemic period lasting weeks with considerable pain and deep aching during which time victims cannot tolerate even light pressure on their feet. The pain is further enhanced by heat. When the affected limbs are lowered, blood pools can develop, turning the feet etc. a deep purple color, as opposed to blanching when the foot is raised. Blisters containing serous or discharge of blood, as from a ruptured blood vessel; and bleeding fluid may form usually indicating more sever damage. 

TRENCH FEET


For those who wish to see the CP Station arrival
and departure times, I have the original transcript below.
I only have page 3 at present.