25 March, 1944

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 578 % Postmaster, N.Y.

England

25 March, 1944      1900

My dearest darling –

This is a real Saturday evening if ever I saw one. The boys have all gotten dressed and walked down town to go pubbing. I didn’t get around to dressing and besides I hadn’t the opportunity to write you earlier today. So I’m in my room where it’s nice and quiet and I feel close to you again.

Gee I had a swell dream about you last night darling; no plot, no story – all I was doing was kissing you and boy! was I kissing you! I’m sure it lasted several hours because I was even tired in my dream. Oh well – it won’t always be thus, Sweetheart. It’s bound to be real, one of these days.

There was no mail again today and the boys are kind of put out about it. There’s a good reason, no doubt – and soon we’ll get a bunch of it. There would be one of those periodic delays – just when I’m most anxious to receive my mail promptly. Maybe tomorrow.

Today, dear, Saturday – was the routine inspection day and Charlie and I inspected all the kitchens. We walked – because it was so nice out and spent the whole morning doing it too. It was a kind of busy day in town, today. A very famous boy’s school is situated here, the equivalent of one of our better prep schools. The boys – anywhere from 12-17, I should say, wear wide brimmed hard straw hats with colored bands, and neckties to match – and every one of them wears the inevitable gray flannel suit. The school ranks next to Eton and Harrow in exclusiveness, was founded in the year 705 and was attended by King Alfred the First – so you can gather something about the age and background of this whole area.

Saturday is a half day now, for us, but I went back to our Dispensary and finished my map board. It came out fine and now I can get lost by the map – instead of asking my way. When I returned here to the Castle it was about 1500 and I was going to write you. But the fellows had rigged up a Volley Ball court on one of the lawns and I was called on to fill in one of the spots. We played until 1730 and then I had time just to bathe and dress. The bath-tubs in this place, by the way, are big enough to hold about 3 people and deep enough to sail. When I got into one of them today I yelled “man overboard!”, and 3 fellows ran to my rescue. The result was that we all got wet.

When I get through writing you and my folks, darling, I may dress and walk down town to meet the boys. The town has about 30 pubs – two of which are for officers only – so I know I’ll find them in one of the two places. That’s the height of excitement to be expected – but we sing and manage to have a little fun. The names of the pubs are “The Plume and Feathers” and “The Half Moon”. All thru England you see very quaint names of pubs – usually with a fancy painting of the title on the sign. There are names like “The Green Man”, “The Proud Peacock”, “The White Horse”, “The Bird Dog” – and a million others.

I’ve received several Boston Heralds recently and Charlie gets the Philadelphia Inquirer – so we have plenty of old reading material. In addition – I’m now getting my New Eng. Journal of Medicine – and that keeps me up to date somewhat.

So, darling, there you are again – up to date with my activities – but unfortunately – not so with my love. Boy is that mounting up too, dear! My love for you, sweetheart, just keeps going up and up – and since yours I know must be doing the same – well, we’ll be up in the clouds when we meet once again. And what’s more – we’ll stay there – because if ever I was sure of anything, I’m sure of our love for each other and therefore of everything that goes with it. And to think, darling, I once was considered almost too practical to be able to love! Just you wait and see! Fondest regards to the folks, Mary and everyone else you see. So long for now, dear and

All my deepest love

Greg

* TIDBIT *

about Sherborne School

Postcards of Sherborne School Enclosed in Letter

CLICK ON POSTCARDS TO ENLARGE

Some historians have speculated that a school must have existed in Sherborne since the 3rd century AD, but that is mere speculation. The school's definite origins date back to 705, when a tradition of education in Sherborne was begun by St. Aldhelm at the Benedictine Abbey. According to legend, Alfred the Great was one of the school's early pupils. The earliest headmaster known was Thomas Copeland in 1437. After the Dissolution of the monasteries, Edward VI refounded the School in 1550 as King Edward's school, a free grammar school for local boys. The present School, which has gone through various changes of fortune since the Protestant Reformation (and no doubt before), stands on land which once belonged to the Monastery. The Library, Chapel and Headmaster's rooms, which adjoin the Abbey Church, are modifications of its original monastic buildings.

The school stood in for Brookfield School in the 1969 film Goodbye, Mr. Chips. Here is a more current photo of Sherborne School, with the Abbey in the background.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE SCHOOL'S WEB SITE.

24 March, 1944

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 578 % Postmaster, N.Y.

England

24 March, 1944          1715

Dearest sweetheart –

Another beautiful Spring day, darling, and what I wouldn’t give to be with you these days! It’s so beautiful and mild here, dear, that it’s very hard to concentrate on anything except you and me and the future. I walk to and from the Dispensary – a distance of perhaps 3/4 miles – merely to get the exercise and see the view. As you leave the Castle – there’s a large driveway to the right which skirts the pond.

CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE

This photo shows the "new" castle and its driveway skirting the
pond in the foreground, the "old" castle remains across the pond,
and the town of Sherborne beyond.

After a while you pass out the main gate and walk along a road which leads down a hill to the town.

Sherborne Castle - Restored Main Gate

While on the hill you overlook a good bit of the countryside, darling, and it’s a pretty picture to see. It’s really prettier than most of New England – with the possible exception of some parts of Vermont. It’s a good deal like Upstate New York and Tennessee.

A view of the countryside around the castle

I’ve just returned from a busy afternoon, dear, and one I didn’t enjoy. You remember I once wrote you I was going to prefer charges on one of my men. Well – I never followed it through and let it drop. I must prefer charges now on another one of my men, because I’ve warned him about different things before, but he has persisted in getting into trouble. Now I’m going to have him court-martialed. Maybe if he’s fined some money and confined for a few months – he’ll really learn. This will be the first charge I’ve followed through since I’ve been with the outfit – but I think it will help some of the other boys toe the mark, too. This particular fellow was supposed to be on duty and came in 2 hours late – and drunk – really a disgrace to the medical detachment. Nevertheless I spoke with him, warned him and told him to go back to quarters and sleep it off. In the evening he asked my sergeant for a pass and was told to see me – Instead – he went off and didn’t show up until early morning. He must be disciplined or all the men will get ideas. He’s now under arrest awaiting trial.

Other than that, Sweetheart, I’m fine – but terribly lonesome. No mail from you today. No Air-mail seems to have come through – for some time now – to all the fellows. Every now and then they do that. I got an announcement of a marriage of a girl – non Jewish – that I once knew, just a good friend. She married a Lt. In the Navy – and in Oregon, for some reason or other. The announcement was mailed from Boston. Also I got a Salem News Letter from the Salem Police. I don’t know why I didn’t get one before – but apparently I’m now on their list. I haven’t read it yet – but it’s a one page printed affair and I suppose I’ll get one weekly now.

But, darling, it’s you I want to hear from more than anything else and my day isn’t a complete one – unless I have heard from you. You know, I’m sure, how I feel and particularly the past couple of weeks have been so long and stretched out. There must be some mail on the way for me from your folks and mine, too, and that’s what I’m anxiously awaiting. The upshot of it is that I love you and now that everyone knows it – especially you and I – I’m impatient – but no doubt you too, are – so I guess I’m not much help – am I, dear? Well anyway, you know how I feel – don’t you?

That’s all for now, darling. Take good care of yourself for me, have your Dad give you a terrific hug for me and best regards to the family. All my love for now, dear.

Greg

P.S. Happy Passover

Love,

G.

23 March, 1944

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 578 % Postmaster, N.Y.

England

23 March, 1944        1725

My dearest sweetheart –

Gosh I love you, darling, and my being away from you seems like terrible punishment. I desire so much to be with you, close to you – all the time – that I know I will never be satisfied, content or relaxed, mentally or physically, until that day when our wishes are really fulfilled. In that connection, dearest, I guess I don’t tell you often enough just how much you mean to me. By that I mean I want you to know how much you really hold me. I want you to be sure you understand that no one ever can possibly mean anything to me except you. You must always tell yourself that, darling, and if it makes you more happy – then I’m glad. It’s just that I’ve come to feel that you are mine alone, waiting for me and wanting me only; you must feel that way about me and get the same satisfaction I get. Do you, darling?

Well – we’re getting settled here – and things are really comfortable. Today I did a lot of inspecting, running around – etc. In the p.m. I bought some heavy celluloid and spent a few hours making a permanent type mapboard. I really don’t know why – because up to now I’ve always merely asked where I was supposed to go – and managed to get there – while others with elaborate maps and colored pencils, got lost. Nonetheless – it looks nice if you have one – and it’s something to fool around with anyway.

I’ve just returned to the Castle and am waiting for supper. We eat at 1800 now and it gives me a little time more. I found some mail for me – but none from you, darling. I got one from my father, Part I from Stan (I had received Part II of a V-mail a few days ago), also a second V-mail from Stan, a letter from Bea, one from Barbara Tucker and one from a Major M.C. friend of mine – stationed in Hawaii. He practiced in Peabody and when he went into the Army, I took over his practice part time (or did I tell you already?)

My father’s letter didn’t contain any information about a ring, dammit, but he hadn’t received my letter about it I guess. He told me he hoped to have you over the house – some part of Passover – if not for the Seder and again reminded me how much my mother and he loved you, dear. You really fit with them, darling, and I’m glad.

Part I of Stan’s letter told me about his breakup with Shirley. He made it sound casual and said they were still good friends. He gave no reason. He also said he was going out with about 8-10 different girls now and was having fun. His other letter was to ask me if I could get a Zippo lighter for Y.D. Markson. He heard they were easy to get in the PX’s here and were unattainable in the States. Why Markson should want a Zippo is beyond me. The fact is – they’re not easy to get – as you know. They allow 7% of an outfit to get them and I waited 4 mos for the one I have. I just wrote Lawrence the other day that I’d send him the one I got – but I’ll tell him I can’t and send it to Stan, instead. The Lord knows he did enough for me in the past and if he can do Markson a favor – it won’t do him any harm. I’ll write him later.

I enjoyed Bea’s letter – tremendously, sweetheart – and it was swell of her to write so friendly and warm a letter to me. I know I’m really going to like her a lot. I’ll write her soon too. Barbara T’s letter was news about Mrs. Tucker and Salem – and there you are, darling.

I’m going to eat now, dear, so I’ll stop. I’m still sitting tight waiting for important news and I do hope it comes soon and is what I want to hear. It must be! Until later, Sweetheart, my sincerest love is yours and will be so forever. I love you, darling, and mean to tell you that over and over again – Do you mind? So long for now, dear

Yours – for always

Greg.

Regards to everyone

Love G

* TIDBIT *

about The Secret Kept about Company "C"

Greg took up lodging at the "new" Sherborne Castle on the 21st of March, 1944. Just a day earlier, an incident occurred which was kept secret for many years. He may never have known of it. Here the story is told by Joe Izzillo, a member of the 294th Combat Engineers, Company "B".

We did all of our training with mines and bridges on the property formerly owned by Sir Walter Raleigh, and now owned by the Digby family. Raleigh's castle was in ruins and on a large lake and that is where we did our training, building and blowing up static and floating bridges and working with mines. The Digby family were living in the relatively new castle at the time. One of the daughters, Pamela Digby later married Randolph Churchill, Winston's son. Later, they were divorced and she had a series of lovers and, at one time, became America's ambassador to France. Late in life she married Averill Harriman. She dissipated his fortune and after he died, she was sued by his children.

On the grounds of the Digby estate was the 228th Station Hospital, which consisted of a bunch of Quonset huts. The winter of 1943 was brutal. One day I woke up in my foxhole covered with frost and I realized that I had lost most of my hearing. This was not surprising since we were constantly working with explosives. I was taken to the 228th for treatment.

On March 20, 1944, I was lying in bed when there was a huge explosion and I was blown off my bed. The other patients and I raced outside and we saw the carnage. Company "C" had just finished an exercise with mine laying and then picked up the anti-tank mines and placed them alongside a truck to be taken to a safe area until the next exercise. The truck accidentally back up over some mines and about 90 mines exploded. The truck disappeared and 29 men were torn apart and their bodies were scattered through the trees. It was horrendous. Naturally, we were warned by security to keep quiet or we would end up being taken to Leavenworth Penitentiary in Kansas. The story was put out that two German saboteurs had set off an explosion. I understand that this was done because placing a hospital near explosives was a violation of the Geneva Convention.

It was many years after the war that a local reporter, using the Freedom of Information Act, wrote the true story.

The 228th American Hospital was built in Haydon Park in 1943 and treated over 22,000 patients both Allied and POW before it was disbanded in 1945 when its equipment and medical supplies were donated to local hospitals. Here is a picture of the Entrance Gate of the 228th Station Hospital in March of 1944:

Entrance to the 228th Station Hospital,
Sherborne, Dorset, UK

22 March, 1944 (2nd letter)

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 578 % Postmaster, N.Y.

England

22 March, 1944     1930

Dearest darling –

First and foremost – I received your letter this p.m. of March 9 in which you accept my proposal, sweetheart, and although I knew you would – it made me very happy to read it. I’m surprised your folks hadn’t heard from me by that date – but they certainly must have by this time and I hope to hear from them soon. So they’re going up to 20% tax on jewels, are they? Well, darling – I don’t care as long as I can manage to get a ring you like on the correct finger. I don’t know what’s been happening back in Newton these past few weeks, dear, because the mail has been spotty – but I know I’m going around as if I were already engaged and I just hope everything is going along towards that goal.

I wrote you a V mail earlier today, sweetheart, in which I told you our official APO number is 578 and not 230, although anything you wrote with 230 will get to me – as will the 527’s of course. As I wrote you – it should be obvious that we’ve moved. You’ve probably gathered as much already. Whenever we move – we don’t know what the next set-up will be. In all the moves we’ve made – including those in the States – we have never been more amazed on arrival than we were when we got here. We are occupying a 17,000 acre estate that goes with a Castle. The officers are living in the Castle. Charlie Wright and I are sharing a room together – although the Lord knows there are enough rooms for everybody. There are actually 90 rooms in this Castle and believe it or not – in recent years it was fixed for central heating, although most of the rooms have enormous fireplaces. But let me start at the beginning – and this is all authentic, darling. This castle is one of the finest in this part of England. It is 400 years old – and believe it or not – was built or at least lived in by Sir Walter Raleigh when he was in Queen Elizabeths’ favor. She is supposed to have visited him here. When he was beheaded – the Earl of Bristol took over the Castle. He was the Lord Digby and the present Lord Digby owns the estate. It has been rented to the British gov’t for the duration and how we happened to get here – is beyond me.

There’s a large pond or lake behind the castle. It has courts, towers, a tremendous dining room – just like you’d expect in a Castle. (We have our meals there.) There are supposed to be 200 deer on the grounds and all in all it’s certainly the most beautiful place I’ve ever lived in. All along the corridors and stairways – there are beautiful oil paintings. One wing has all the furniture in it and it’s the most exquisite furniture I’ve ever seen, with gold leaf and fine handwork. The nearby town is extremely old and its Cathedral is 700 years old. I say again – it’s the most amazing set-up you could imagine. The post-card I’m enclosing gives the back view of the castle. I bought it in the town this morning. I’ll try to take some snaps of the place. Incidentally, darling, I tried having some snaps taken some time ago – when I was in London on my first visit and I had trouble getting the roll developed. When I finally did – they told me the roll was spoiled. But I have another plan now and will try again.

Well – Sweetheart – that’s all the raving now – but really it’s all that I say it is. Still I’m more interested in our own Castle that we’re building – darling – and I just am waiting for the day we can start on it. I’ll write tomorrow, dear. Charlie sends his regards. Best to your folks – for now

All my love

Greg

CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE

Postcard of the castle
with "Sherborne" crossed out for censors.
The postcard was sent in an envelope with the letter.
Greg writes, "My room is on the second floor and
overlooks the pond you see in the foreground."

* TIDBIT *

about Sherborne Castle

Sherborne Castle across the "pond" in 2007

The following was copied exactly from the Sherborne Castle web site, maintained by John K. Wingfield Digby, whose family has owned the castle since 1617.

Sherborne has had a castle since the 12th Century. Roger Bishop of Salisbury built a castle to the east of the Town to administer the western part of his large diocese. In early Tudor times the Bishops built a small Hunting Lodge in the deer park attached to the Old Castle from which to observe the chase. Sir Walter Raleigh acquired the Old Castle in 1592. At first he tried to modernize it, but then he built a new house in 1594 in the deer park. It was on the site of the Hunting Lodge which he incorporated into the foundations. His house was rectangular and four stories high, with large square-headed windows filled with diamond pane glass. In 1600 he added hexagonal turrets to the four corners of his house, topped with heraldic beasts. The house was rendered from the outset, in the latest fashion.

In 1617 the diplomat Sir John Digby acquired Sherborne Castle and he added four wings to Raleigh’s building, giving the house its present H-shape. He copied the style adopted by Raleigh, of square-headed windows, and balustraded roofs with heraldic beasts, and added hexagonal turrets at the end of each wing, so the house looks of one piece.

In the Civil War the Digbys fought for the Royalist cause and the Old Castle was garrisoned and suffered two sieges. After the second siege in 1645 Col Fairfax and his Parliamentarian army systematically demolished the Old Castle. Thus the name ‘Sherborne Castle’ came to be applied to the new house in the park. In the 18th century later generations of the Digby family modernized the Tudor house, adding Georgian sash windows, paneled doors and white marble fireplaces and filling the house with fine furniture. In 1787 an extension was added to the west side of the house which provided more bedrooms and improved staff accommodation and kitchens.

The Victorian period saw only one major re-modelling, in the Solarium (Raleigh’s Parlour), reflecting the respect the Wingfield Digby owners held for the antiquity and historical associations of the house. In the First World War the Castle was used as a Red Cross Hospital and it was requisitioned by the Army in the Second World War.

22 March, 1944

V-MAIL

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 578 % Postmaster, N.Y.

England

22 March, 1944      830

Darling –

By now you must know we’ve moved. This is a busy day but I wanted to let you know that our number is 578 (five, seven, eight) and not 230. If you used the latter already – it will reach us though.

Wilma, dear – I’ll write you a letter later in the day and tell you as much as I can about our new set-up. I just wanted to get this off so that you can get my new APO as soon as possible.

Everything is fine, darling, and if I thought I had a good set-up before – listen to this – we are now occupying a tremendous Castle – as living quarters for the officers! It defies the imagination – actually – but I’ll write in more detail tonite.

For now –

All my love

Greg
Regards!

21 March, 1944

No letter today. Just this:

* TIDBIT *

about the 1944 Eruption of Mount Vesuvius

Mount Vesuvius last erupted between March 18-23, 1944. At the time of the eruption, the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) 340th Bombardment Group was based at Pompeii Airfield near Terzigno, Italy, just a few kilometers from the eastern base of the mountain. The tephra and hot ash damaged the fabric control surfaces, the engines, the Plexiglass windshields and the gun turrets of the 340th's B-25 Mitchell medium bombers. Estimates ranged from 78 to 88 aircraft destroyed.

Dr. Leander K. Powers served in Italy during World War II and his diary provides an interesting chronology of the March 1944 eruption:

Saturday, March 17, 1944
"While we were just finishing supper, someone called to say there were huge red streams of lava flowing down the sides of Mount Vesuvius. It was a sight to behold. Never had we seen such at night — usually a faint red glow at the most. As we watched the streams, like giant fingers flowing down the sides, we could see a glow in the sky. All during the night and Sunday there were quakes of the earth with tremendous roars - similar to thunder - from Vesuvius. The windows rattled, and the entire building vibrated."

Sunday, March 18, 1944
"On Sunday night, the roars became more frequent and grumbled like a lion’s roar. Streams of fire were shooting thousands of feet into the air, and the countryside was lit up for miles around. Oft times the entire top of the mountain looked as if it were a blazing inferno. It’s really uncanny, yet amazing to look at this phenomenon. The vibrations of the building were truly uncomfortable."

Monday, March 19, 1944
"I learned that a stream of lava was flowing down the side toward Naples, so we rode over to see it. It was the most phenomenal thing I have ever witnessed. A huge mass of fiery coals some 20 feet high and 200 yards wide destroying everything in its path. There were many people evacuating their homes, which we saw destroyed as the lava pressed on. At night, the sky and countryside was bright for miles around. Flames were shooting into the sky for thousands of feet."

Tuesday, March 20, 1944
"Tuesday night, the entire town vibrated, and there was a roar almost unexplainable. Lava rocks could be seen all over the mountainside."

Wednesday, March 21, 1944
"Wednesday morning, we could see smoke boiling from the crater for miles into the sky. This continued all the afternoon. We heard that the road to Salerno was covered with cinders and traffic was greatly impeded."

Dana Craig from the 486th Bombardment Squadron of the 340th Bombardment Group experienced the eruption of Mount Vesuvius first-hand:

"I'm assuming that your March 22nd date for the eruption is right. On the day prior, Vesuvius was belching smoke. It was an overcast sky with the threat of rain. About midnight, I went out of my billet to answer the call of nature. While outside, in a mild drizzle, I was hit on the head by what I thought was a small rock. Suspecting some sort of joke, I went inside for a flashlight. When I returned, the light revealed a layer of damp cinders on the ground. We knew at that time that Vesuvius was erupting. We began to feel the earth shake as though a bomb had gone off. After each quake, a few minutes would pass before the debris blown out of the crater would start to hit the ground. About daylight, the rear of our building started to cave in. We then began to see the larger rocks coming down. By this time everyone was wearing his steel helmet and heavy sheepskin jacket for protection from the falling material. I can't recall ever having breakfast that morning. It wasn't very long before we were loaded into trucks and evacuated to Naples."

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

These B-25s from the 447th Squadron
of the 321st Bombardment Group
passed very near the erupting volcano
on their way to bomb targets.


Three different perspectives
of Mount Vesuvius erupting in March of 1944
(Photos from NARA in College Park, MD)

20 March, 1944

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 527 % Postmaster, N.Y.

England

20 March, 1944        1830

Dearest sweetheart –

Today has been a helluva long busy day – as was anticipated – with a busier one due tomorrow. As a matter of fact, darling, I won’t be able to write tomorrow but I will the day after, and I’ll be able to write a letter less mysteriously – not that there is anything particularly different – but I realize I’ve been sounding a little bit obscure. If so, dear, it’s because I’m trying to stay within the censorship rules.

Anyway – this morning we went up to battalion for another one of those meetings. We got back at noon and have been tearing around ever since. Our lights are out of order and it’s fast getting dark – so I’m writing more swiftly than usual, dear. Gosh darling, I love you so much and miss you so these days! I’m awaiting eagerly hearing from you and your folks in reply to my letters of over a week or so ago. The damn delay in time is so aggravating – and yet there isn’t a thing we can do about it – but wait. I haven’t heard from you now for 5 days, the longest stretch in some time. I should be getting a fairly recent letter soon. The last letter I got was written March 4th, but there are several before that that are still missing.

Last night George and I went into town – presumably to go to a movie – but the shows were terrible. On Sunday – all the theaters have a special program, one day only – and they show pictures that are years old, like “The Garden of Allah”, and George Brent in “Till We Meet Again.” I saw them both some time ago. So instead we went over to the Red Cross Club – for officers which opened in this town – quite recently. You know – most places have R.C. Clubs – only for enlisted men. It’s a relief to have a place to come to – just to lounge around. They serve meals and snacks all day – until 2400; there’s a large lounging room, with a Victrola and fairly new records; a ping-pong table and a lot of papers from the U.S. We stayed around until about 2230 and headed back for camp – really a couple of playboys.

It’s strange, sweetheart, how not hearing from you for several days makes me wonder what you’re doing and thinking. Despite the fact that letters get here about 2 weeks after they’re written, when you keep getting them – you feel you’re up to date. It’s just that I love to know just what your days are like – from day to day, and I feel cheated when I don’t hear. So I usually end up re-reading your older letters. Today I rounded up a stack of your letters and decided to put them into my trunk. You know, dearest, you’d be surprised what a dent they make in the space – but I don’t want to destroy them – because I love every one of them.

It’s getting very dark out now sweetheart and this kerosene lamp is blinking terribly – so I’ll stop here – not before reminding you, darling, that I’m very very much in love with you – or did I say that? It’s true, though, dear – wonderfully true – and I’m lucky to feel the way I do.

Send my best regards to your folks, sweetheart. I hope all is well at home and I hope to hear from you all – soon.

All my love is yours – dear

Greg.