09 September 1944

V-MAIL

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 230 % Postmaster, N.Y.

Belgium

9 September, 1944       1000

Hello darling!

A shortie this morning because I have several things to take care of and a couple of them have to be done before noon. This is Saturday again – and they sure roll around; Saturdays – you know, dear – always mean a report due to the Chief Surgeon’s office.

Yesterday I took care of one of my boys in another battery who received a very nasty scalp wound. He’s lucky he wasn’t killed outright. There weren’t any hospitals around to send him to; so I took care of it myself – although conditions weren’t ideal. Have to run over to see how he’s doing today.

The news is still good, sweetheart, and all our hopes are running high – as I know yours are too. I can’t imagine what reactions I’ll have when this thing is declared finished – but I have two bottles of Scotch (my ration for the last 2 mos.) and I’m ready to tie one on – I think. Have to stop now, darling – will write more tomorrow. Until then and forever after – I love you darling. Love to the folks –

All my love - Greg

* TIDBIT *

about the Liberation of Belgium
and the Continued Movement
of 3rd Armored Division, VII Corps

Here is a short clip about the Liberation of Belgium,
showing some of the reactions Greg has observed:

In this map, "VII" for "VII Corps" can be seen south of Paris and followed through Belgium, the northern arrow moving through Mons and Namur to Liege:

CLICK ON MAP TO ENLARGE

And the war goes on...

7 September 1944:

The 3rd Armored Division was now heading towards Liège. Increased opposition indicated that the Germans were preparing a defensive position along the Meuse River, but he division upset this plan. Combat Command B made a flanking movement around the south of the city, crossing a bridge across the Meuse in the process. They reached a position on the southeast side of the city by sunset, taking the defenders by surprise. Meanwhile, Combat Command A made a frontal assault on the city. This Command faced tougher defenses and was momentarily halted by a number of heavy anti-tank guns on the outskirts. Soon the enemy guns were located, and eight 105-mm anti-aircraft guns were forced out of action, destroyed or abandoned.

8 September 1944:

On this day General Bock von Wolfingen, the German commander of the city was captured, falling prey to a road block set up by Combat Command B (CCB). This Command was assigned the mission of clearing up the town of Liège south of the river. The majority of the bridges in the town had been blown up. Construction of a bridge across the Meuse River was begun at 1545 hours and completed by 2355 hours. Cleaning up operations were completed and the town secured by 1810 hours. CCB met only scattered opposition all day. The air CP fired on an old fort near Liège and destroyed an estimated 40 enemy vehicles.

9 September 1944:

3rd Armored Division continued its advance eastwards from Liège. Combat Command A, taking the northern route, advanced quickly to the high ground north of Dison (north of Verviers) and by nightfall had reach Limbourg and Pepinster. Combat Command B departed from Liège at around 11 am and met organized and heavy resistance for the first time in days. However, Theux (southwest of Verviers) was captured and the tanks then rolled into Verviers itself. The entire 3rd Armored Division joined them there on the same day, just 15 miles from the German border.

08 September 1944

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 230 % Postmaster, N.Y.

Belgium

8 September, 1944       0930

Wilma darling –

At last a chance to write you early in the a.m. before I start chasing around. I don’t have a heck of a lot to do – but somehow the days whiz by. Last night I got a V- mail from you – dated 22nd Aug, and this morning – apparently part of the same mail – letters of the 24th and 25th. All were most welcome.

You were pretty nearly correct in your surmise about where I was when Paris was liberated and darling – from what I saw of it, there was really very little damage. It’s a beautiful city – but people here tell us that Brussels is just as pretty – on a smaller scale.

I really enjoy hearing about your work, dear – particularly – I like your enthusiasm. Nothing makes a job more interesting than a comprehension of what that job is – and I guess you know. Still – I wish you had had that vacation. You implied you might take a week off near the end of August – but I see no signs of it yet.

Your interpretation of news events, sweetheart, is really inspiring – but I believe you’re probably going to be correct. From what we see here – I can’t understand how they’re continuing. Some prisoners I’ve interviewed are all confused, they lose contact with their outfits easily and are left to shift for themselves. I’m more or less official interviewer for the battalion when we take prisoners – because I’m the only one who speaks a bit of the language. The Germans – even small groups of them – would rather fight it out and get killed – than to give themselves up to the F.I. (forces of the interior) in Belgium – or as it is called here – “l’armée blanche”. They give themselves up without too much struggle to the Americans – and prefer surrendering to us – rather than to the British – if they have a chance.

Last night – we had dinner – 12 of us – with the Prince, Princess, the little Prince and the governess. It was wonderfully done – the whole affair – and believe me, darling, war or no war – these people really have a design for living. The Prince is only about 35 years old and very charming – as is his wife. They’re very cosmopolitan – but somehow – have never come to America. The Princess and I exchanged addresses – you never can tell, she may look us up because they’re planning a trip to the U.S. – after the war. For my part – I told her I was getting married as soon as I returned (yes, dear – she was surprised I wasn’t already – whereupon I showed her your picture – which she genuinely admired) but that someday – I might revisit Europe and look her up. The enclosed card bears her address etc. – and the other side is the address of another nice family I met – in this same Province. Save the card, darling – you never can tell.

[Princess Amélie Marie Albertine Guillemette de Tulle de Villefranche, was born on 1 January 1911 in Chaussey, France and died 21 October 2006 in Brussels. She was buried in Everberg, Belgium. She was the daughter of Henri de Tulle, Marquis de Villefranche (1880-1946) and Thérèse de Merode (1885-1962). She had been a lady in waiting for Queen Fabiola. She was married on 29 March 1933 in Paris to Frédéric de Merode XVI (1911-1958) and had two children: Prince Alexandre and Princess Thérèse Marie, born 17 May 1943.]

Princess Frédéric de Mérode in 1962

Later today I’m going looking for an outfit that may be able to develop my films – a G.I. outfit. I now have half-a-dozen rolls and I would like to see how some of them came out. Then I could try to send some home to you. I have one good lead – a Signal outfit – but they travel around so – it’s hard to keep up with them.

I got a letter and a couple of snapshots from Lawrence – yesterday, also. He sure is mixed up, poor kid. I really feel sorry for him – because he’s a darn nice fellow – and it has nothing at all to do with the fact that he’s my brother. He just never seems to get the breaks.

If I still have time when I finish this and a V mail to the folks – I’ll jot Stan a note. I wonder where he’s planning to get married. That reminds me – I don’t think I commented on that divorce you wrote about. I really was taken aback – because I thought they were very much in love. Incompatibility covers a multitude of sins – but at any rate – I feel sorry for both of them. It’s a tough break.

Well – darling – that’s about all for now. Events certainly seem to be leading to an early victory and boy! how I’m looking forward to my return home to you. We will have a great life together – sweetheart – and I’m sure of it, too. So long for now, dearest – love to the folks and

My everlasting love to you –

Greg

* TIDBIT *

about the "L'armee Blanche" (White Brigade)

Marcel Louette (1907-1978), was the founder of the Belgian resistance called the White Brigade in 1940. Before the war he had been a school teacher in Antwerp. Even while he was incarcerated in a German concentration camp, and right up to his death in 1978, Marcel Louette remained the symbolic leader of the Belgian Underground movement.

These Belgian Resistance fighters became known as the "White Brigade" because of the white butchers' coats they assumed as their uniform on moving their operations "above ground". From a total of 3,750 men, the White Brigade lost 400 through active war service. During the liberation of the harbor of Antwerp, the brigade worked with other underground groups (the Belgian Secret Army and Group G).

Belgium had been drawn into the war when the German armies marched into the country in 1940. The Belgian Army tried unsuccessfully to stop the Germans - they fought very bravely for eighteen days all the way through Belgium, from the Albert Canal near the German border to the North Sea and both suffered and inflicted heavy losses but, after the Belgian capitulation on 27th May 1940, they were forced to surrender arms. The Belgian King, Leopold III, in his capacity as Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Belgian Army, had asked the Germans for a suspension of arms as he wished to spare his people further bloodshed. The King was made a prisoner of war and the Belgian Cabinet (which had disassociated itself from his actions) set up a government in-exile in London and announced its resolve to continue war at the side of the allies.

At this time, many thousands of Belgians were deported to Nazi Germany as forced laborers; 25,124 were Belgian Jews destined for the horrors of Auschwitz-Birkenau (two-thirds murdered upon arrival, 1,207 survived the war. Many ordinary Belgians put their lives at risk to save people from deportation and to harass the occupier. It was not long before two main underground organizations emerged: the "Secret Army" and the "White Brigade". Together, the brave men and women of the Belgian Resistance finally helped to oust the Germans from their country in 1944.

A large number of British, American and allied men whose aircraft were shot down, either on their way to bomb Nazi installations or on their way back home, were given assistance. They were given civilian clothes and frequently moved from house to house, staying with Belgian families who supported the resistance. The resistance would aid the airmen by giving them false papers and guiding them to either neutral or Allied occupied territory. They were guided along the "Comet Line", a series of safe houses, through German occupied towns and villages to the French border where members of the French section of the Comet Line took over and guided them through France, over the Pyrenees and into Spain. It was a very long and perilous journey.

Andrée de Jongh ("Dédée" or the "Little Cyclone"),
a 24-year old Belgian woman who established the Comet Line<

There were also a number of Russian evaders. Mostly soldiers who, as prisoners of war, had been interned in Belgium, some in the "Russian Camp" (official designation, "Stalag IV H - 1304") just outside the village of Eisden. In this camp, the poor unfortunates were used as slave labour in the Eisden Coal Mines - Nazi Germany needed all the resources it could get and coal was a valuable resource. Those who escaped were helped. However, the majority of evaders were aircrew. Some of these men actually bailed out over Germany itself or Holland, and had already come a long way before reaching Belgium.

Resistance fighters were also credited with stopping a train which was transporting Jewish prisoners to Auschwitz. This train was labeled the Twentieth convoy. In fact, the German Army lost thousands of trains during the war due to acts of sabotage. German units were spread throughout Europe and many smaller units were targeted by resistance fighters. Ambushes were a common tactic used. Rail lines were very often targeted to disrupt the flow of materials and men for the German Army. Stretches of track were rigged with explosive charges and would be set to explode as the train passed over them. The resistance groups cost the German Army millions of dollars worth of equipment and had a large psychological effect on the German soldiers. By stalling and delaying the German forces, the Belgian Resistance group prevented the Axis from ever establishing a stable base of operations in occupied Belgium.

07 September 1944

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 230 % Postmaster, N.Y.

Belgium

7 September, 1944       1800

My dearest fiancée –

I’ve just returned from being out all day and I thought I’d write you before ‘dining’ – Yesterday evening I heard from you via two letters – 14th and 17th August. It was good hearing from you, sweetheart – and I do love your letters. In one of your others – you mentioned Stan’s getting married. I wasn’t too surprised – because I know he wanted to very badly; but I hope he’s marrying for love and I hope he’s happy. I’m glad you sent his address because although I haven’t heard from him since April – I guess I ought to drop him a note and wish him luck. I do envy his ability to get married on whatever date he wishes – but I'll tell you this, dear – that is all I envy, because I know that I have the sweetest girl in the world waiting for me, and that I love her and want to marry her because I do, and because she’ll make the kind of wife I’ve always dreamed about – and for a hundred thousand other reasons. Darling – it’s been a long hard struggle waiting this thing out – and despite war etc., it has undoubtedly been more difficult for you than for me. Don’t think I don’t realize and don’t think I’ll ever forget what an angel you’ve been about it. It has really been an inspiration for me, darling, to know that despite the way you may feel at times – your spirit is always excellent when you write to me. I do appreciate it, dearest.

I was glad to read that you might get that R.C. job. Darling – it seems funny my wanting you to have a job – I hate women working and I could never have a wife of mine do any – unless it was social work or philanthropic – but I do know that at present – a job is the best thing in the world for you (next to me) – because it will continue to keep you busy enough to make waiting less tiresome – and I don’t want you to get tired of waiting, dear – even subconsciously.

Out here, sweetheart, I almost feel ashamed to write you how easy things have been our last several moves – but darling – it has been so – and it will be hard to get used to digging in and living in and on the ground. Our colonel makes a specialty now – when he goes on reconnaissance for a new spot – of finding a large home, mansion, chateau or castle. Of course – the military situation at present allows this – because very little of our fire is being returned. The latest spot tops them all. We are living in the Castle of the Prince Alexandre de Mérode of Belgium and it is the grandest place ever. Besides the many servants – there are only the Prince – the Princess – who is French – by the way – and their two children – living in a tremendous place. When we live in a house – we run our own kitchen out in the field of course – except this place. The prince saw us eating outside once and then insisted we eat all our meals in – i.e. all the officers – and his food. Well – I can’t describe it all – but it’s in fact royal. Uniformed butlers and waiters, wines and even menus. I never dreamed it possible. And this is the first place – since England – that we’ve had electricity and running water. I’m going to hate to leave this spot.

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

Château of Prince de Mérode where we stayed one week.
Belgium - September, 1944
Young Prince Alexandre, age 10, is in the foreground.


Château of Prince de Mérode, Belgium, 1944


Château de Neffe today

The enclosed papers, dear, are from an underground worker I met. To be caught with these before liberation meant certain death to a Belgian. This particular man harbored 3 ‘German” spies in his home – who were actually doing counter espionage for the English; talk about your intrigue. You’ll note that one of the notices is printed in Flemish – also. I have some others I’ll send along. I found them interesting.

Well – sweetheart – that’s all for now. I’ve got to get ready to eat. I hope to get a letter from you tonight. I hope also, dear, that all is well with you and the folks. Send them my love – and for now – so long.

All my deepest love, darling –

Greg.

P.S. My radio cannot be fixed and I’m writing for one today.

L,

G.

Route of the Question Mark



(A) Beaumont to (B) Saint Gerard (30 miles)
4 to 7 September 1944

September 7... St Gerard. Here the Officers lived in Prince de Merode's palace and ate their meals there also. The men stayed in the woods, well out of sight. We discovered the hospitality of the cafes of St Gerard, and grew to admire the Belgians very much.

The woods around the Château

* TIDBIT *

about Prince Alexandre de Mérode

The Telegraph (UK) published this obituary about the Prince on 27 November 2002:

Prince Alexandre de Mérode, who has died aged 68, held the controversial position of chairman of the International Olympic Committee's medical commission for 35 years. De Mérode was at the center of a number of alleged scandals involving drug-taking at the Olympics, notably at Los Angeles in 1984 and Seoul in 1988. Yet his own integrity was never doubted by his colleagues, who knew him as a fervent defender of Olympic values and a fierce opponent of drug-taking in sport.

Alexandre de Mérode was born in Brussels on May 24 1934 into a family whose line went back to a 13th century Archbishop of Cologne, and was prominent in the creation of the Belgian state in the 1830s. He studied Classics at Godinne College, Philosophy at St Louis University in Brussels, then Law at Louvain. He was also a competent water-skier, cyclist, windsurfer and parachutist.

Elected to the IOC at the age of 30, de Mérode was the third longest serving of the present 128 members. He was on the IOC's executive board from 1980 to 1998 and was twice vice-president, in 1986-90 and 1994-1998.

Both the medical commission and de Mérode himself were criticized for complacency. But the difficulty was that the IOC's jurisdiction over competitors was confined to the period during which an Olympic Games took place, while responsibility for vigilance over drug abuse at other times lies with individual international sports federations.

De Mérode was also accused of lacking professional medical qualifications - though Lord Killanin, IOC president from 1972 to 1980, believed that this enabled de Mérode to demonstrate a more independent view.

Founded in 1960, the medical commission's early concern was with gender testing; but the issue of drug abuse escalated soon after de Mérode's appointment in 1967. He presided over the introduction of testing for anabolic steroids and other hormone drugs at the Montreal Games in 1976, but the first controversy to cast a shadow over the commission was the failure to find a single positive test at Moscow four years later.

Following the Los Angeles Games of 1984, a number of positive tests had failed to result in official action; the relevant laboratory papers were allegedly shredded after disappearing from de Mérode's hotel. Suspicion inevitably fell on the chairman, but Don Catlin, head of the UCLA laboratory responsible for testing, said that de Mérode "never did anything to hide or obfuscate any test results". Fifteen years later the creation of the World Anti-Doping Agency diminished the significance of de Mérode's position. But he sat on its board and served on the Reform Commission appointed to propose changes to the constitution in the aftermath of the voting corruption scandal surrounding Salt Lake City's bid for the 2002 Winter Games.

De Mérode's concern throughout his time in charge of the medical commission was not only the protection of the Olympic Games from cheating, but also of those competitors who risked their health by taking drugs. His alarm was heightened by the premature deaths of Vladimir Kuts, the Soviet long-distance runner, and Florence Griffith-Joyner, the American sprinter.

Had de Mérode been more ambitious, he might at one time have become a candidate to succeed Juan Antonio Samaranch as president of the IOC; but he steered clear of so public a role.

De Mérode died on November 19. He was unmarried.

06 September 1944

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 230 % Postmaster, N.Y.

Belgium

6 September, 1944       0930

My dearest darling –

I can’t remember when I last wrote you anything like a coordinated letter – although it was perhaps only 2 or 3 days ago. I hate to be repetitious and enthusiastic – but darling – one can’t have entered Belgium – as we did – among the first troops – and not be filled with a spirit never felt before. I can’t possibly write you what my reactions were – let alone try to describe those of the Belgians. They either felt the Nazis more bitterly or are more reactionary; Certainly they have taken up arms more quickly and are hunting down escaping Germans with more vigor than the French.

My driver and I had the fortune to enter a little village that had no troops of ours go thru. Ours was the first jeep they had seen. Crowds swarmed in front of us and asked if we were English, Canadian or American. When we told them we were the latter – the whole town cheered and the mayor or somebody broke thru the crowd, grabbed my hand and shouted “Goodbye!” Then everybody shouted “Goodbye” and started pumping our hands. By this time we were literally pulled out of the car and dragged into a large house. Out came the Burgundy and we drank. At this stage the babies are lifted up by their mothers and you get kissed on both cheeks (wish you were there, darling – you’d get kissed back) – then a line forms and you could stay there for hours – if you wished. In this case – we broke away and started to leave. As we came outside – the crowd cheered. When we got back to the jeep – this is the truth, darling – you could hardly see it for the flowers in and outside it. It was covered with them and the whole back of it – filled. Women and men, too, stood there laughing and crying and honestly, dear, I almost felt like crying myself. All the wasted time, our separation and longing for one another, my inability to do much medical work – all in that moment seemed worthwhile having gone thru – to be able to be part of an Army liberating an oppressed people. Like everyone else – I hardly know what I’m fighting for – but I know this – it is worth fighting for a cause that primarily, at least, frees people and makes them the equal of others. I’ll never forget that experience.

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

"Crowd in small Belgian village
Belgium - September 1944"


"Crowd in Belgian village preventing our passing
Near Beaumont, Belgium - September 1944"


"Crowd in Belgian village stopping our progress.
Picture taken from front of jeep after it had
come to a stop. Routine was for the crowd
to swarm in front of us, stop us and then
surround and shower us with flowers and kisses.
September 1944"


"Crowd in small Belgian village closing in on our
jeep after we made our way thru.
September 1944"


"Crowd in Belgian village - swarming all over our jeep.
Driver got out to take picture. Jeep completely hidden by mob. Other
officer is Capt. [Lawrence G.] Davey of B Battery whom I was visiting.
September 1944"
[Greg is in the middle at the top of the crowd, with helmet on.]

This whole Labor Day week-end was like that in at least a dozen towns. In one place – when they saw the Red Cross – I was told about a Baron’s Castle that was serving as a hospital. There were 3 wounded prisoners there and I was asked to look at them since they had no medicine. It was a tremendous place and had been turned into a German hospital. The Baroness – if that’s what you call her – was there to greet us. I was amazed at how kind they were to the Germans. I gave them some Morphine, supplies etc. and did what I could for the 3 of them. Then we had to stay for supper – and that included everything – the Baroness was very interesting; her husband and son were prisoners in Germany; she spoke a little German and quite a bit of English. She told me that Hitler had visited this very same Chateau in 1940.

People stop us and ask us how to make an American flag; all sorts fly from windows – hand made and usually wrong.

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE
"Belgium - September 1944
Home-made American flag with 24 stars and 9 stripes.
This one is better than most."

By the way – the enclosed one is one I managed to get hold of and is the only one like it I’ve seen. It’s a relic of the last war – and I’ll bet there’s few in existence. Although it does have 48 stars – you can see that the flags were being made wrong even in the last war.

"Flag picturing former President Woodrow Wilson"

Well I’ve rambled and rambled, sweetheart, but please excuse it. I just want to give a bit of a personal picture. No doubt all the A.P., U.P. and special dispatches carry more in detail. I just wanted you to know – that in this case – I was experiencing most of what they were writing about. You may wonder why it’s necessary to have to go thru the ritual in every town; sometimes we’re in a hurry and would like to pass thru. It is impossible. They take off their coats – spread them out at knee’s length and form a line across the road. They don’t give ground and you have to stop – then it all starts.

Have I been swept away by it all? Not entirely, dear – for thru it all – my spirit has been lifted by the thought of how swiftly we’re traveling and how soon the war might end from here in. Prisoners are coming in so fast, it’s almost impossible to take care of them. The whole picture is one to make the heart gladden at the thought of an early victory and return home to those we love – you being the principal figure – sweetheart. Maybe it will be earlier than we hoped for and sweetheart – I’ll love you so hard – you’ll never know it was possible. I’ll stop now – because, dear, we’re on the move again. Love to the folks and

My everlasting love

Greg

* TIDBIT *

about VII Corps
and the Continued Liberation of Belgium

A former VII Corps web site continues the saga:

During the next three days the carnage continued. Our road blocks and hastily constructed field fortifications stopped the enemy movement to the east, and in the fighting the disorganized enemy suffered heavy casualties, both in killed and wounded. Our artillery and airplanes pounded the long columns on the narrow roads, and the German retreat became a smoking ruin. Elements of 20 enemy divisions were captured or slaughtered as they moved straight into the fires of our troops. Meanwhile, the remainder of the Corps had moved east, occupying Namur and establishing crossings of the Meuse River there. Resistance east of the Meuse and south of Liege stiffened slightly, but our drive never slackened.

By the time the last remnant of the enemy force was mopped up at Mons, supplies had once more accumulated enough to support the continuation of our armored drive, and the 3d Armored tanks, closely followed by the 1st Division's infantry, moved quickly to Charleroi, then on to Liege, Verviers, and Eupen. The enemy had planned to set up a defensive line in the Verviers-Eupen area to keep the Americans off the "sacred soil" of Germany but our rapid advance completely disjointed all such ideas. We were there before he could do much of anything about it. His minefields and stubbornly defended roadblocks slowed our advance momentarily, but no definite line or organization of the defense was encountered. His lack of first-line troops in the sector was apparent, since he was using home guard security, antiaircraft, radar, engineer, signal, military police, and training units in the vain attempt to stop the advance of American fighting men and equipment.

05 September 1944

V-MAIL

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 230 % Postmaster, N.Y.

Belgium

5 September, 1944        1700

Dearest sweetheart –

Things are certainly happening swiftly here and we’re getting around. Yesterday was a thrilling day and the Belgians make the French seem apathetic – in contrast to their emotional reaction. Tomorrow I expect to have more time and I’ll try to write you in more detail, dear. I’m still with the battery – but going back to battalion soon. Speaking of batteries, reminds me – my radio has gone on the blink – and apparently for good – one of the transformers is gone and that can’t be repaired. I had the set down to a signal company and got the sad news. I’m lost without it and I’m going to write my dad today to do his darndest to get me one. It will have to be small, though, because they won’t let a large one go through, I imagine. One of the officers got one through the mail – not long ago.

All else is well darling, except that I miss you awfully, these days. You are constantly in my mind and I just can’t wait until you’re closer to me that that. Gee, dear, I do love you more than I can tell you and this war better be over with mighty soon.

Have to close now – my love to the folks and my deepest sincerest love to you, sweetheart –

Greg

* TIDBIT *

about The Red Ball Express

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

On the one-way street marked with a red ball, huge amounts of
supplies were sent to the front. Here on September 4, 1944,
11,000 tons were brought to a Central Distribution area
behind the front.

The term "Red Ball Express" was used first by the railway freight business in the United States. It meant "Express Freight Delivered at Top Priority". The Army adopted the term and created the "Red Ball Highway" that stretched from the ports in France to the front lines in Germany. To make things easier, the route was marked with a red ball. Trucks were painted with red balls. The troops conducting traffic wore red balls to mark the way. Nearly 75 percent of all Red Ball Express drivers were African American. At the Red Ball's peak, 132 truck companies were strung out with a round trip taking 54 hours, as the route stretched nearly 400 miles to First Army and 350 to Patton's Third. At its height the Red Ball saga captured the media's attention, and had the effect of placing supply and service personnel in the spotlight for a change. Still, the job was hardly glamorous, involving as it did endless hours of dull, hard, and sometimes dangerous work.

Soldiers load trucks with rations bound for frontline troops.
(L to R) Pvt. Harold Hendricks, Staff Sgt. Carl Haines,
Sgt. Theodore Cutright, Pvt. Lawrence Buckhalter,
Pfc. Horace Deahl and Pvt. David N. Hatcher
of the 4185th Quartermaster Service Company, Liege, Belgium.

Most of the following was excerpted from an excerpt of "POL on the Red Ball Express" by Dr. Steven E. Anders, Quartermaster Professional Bulletin, Spring 1989 as seen on the Army Quartermaster Foundation web site:

Mearl R. Guthrie, Red Ball Coordinator, B407

The Red Ball Express was one of World War II's most massive logistics operations, namely a fleet of over 6,000 trucks and trailers that delivered over 412,000 tons of ammunition, food, and fuel to the Allied armies in the ETO between August 25 and November 16, 1944. Quartermasters who for centuries gathered huge stockpiles of hay, barley, and oats to "fuel" past armies on the move, were now required to supply the petroleum, oil and lubricants (POL) that make up the U.S. Army's logistical lifeblood.

The Germans offered even lighter resistance than expected as success followed success in the Allied pursuit across France. As Patton's Third Army swept westward into Brittany and south to Le Mans, it burned up an average of more than 380,000 gallons of gasoline per day. By 7 August its reserves were completely exhausted. Patton had to rely on daily truck loads of packaged POL from the rear. Nevertheless, he managed to continue this highly mobile type of warfare, driving eastward for another three weeks, before being halted by critical shortages of gasoline.

Logistically speaking, the real turning point in the campaign came during the week of 20-26 August. At that time, elements of both the First and Third Armies were simultaneously engaged in rapid pursuit. They developed an insatiable thirst for gasoline, and consumed more during this one week than any time previously. Average consumption was well over 800,000 gallons per day. The First Army alone used 782,000 gallons of motor fuel on 24 August. The next day Allied forces closed in on the Seine and columns of U.S. and French troops entered Paris.

The decision to cross the Seine and immediately continue eastward, without waiting to more fully develop supply lines, posed serious difficulties for the theater logisticians but was a gamble senior commanders were willing to risk. "The armies," said General Bradley, on 27 August, "will go as far as practicable and then wait until the supply system in rear will permit further advance." Once across the Seine, forward divisions not only extended their lines, but fanned out in every direction creating a front twice as broad as previously. The strain on the supply system was immediately noticed as deliveries slowed to a trickle. The late-August into early-September operations were described by war correspondent Ernie Pyle as "a tactician's hell and a quartermaster's purgatory."

Believing victory to be firmly within their grasp, the fast-moving armies had outrun their supply lines and were forced to live hand-to-mouth for several days. 90-95% of all supplies on the continent still lay in base depots. First and Third Armies had in effect "leaped" more than 300 miles from Omaha beach in a month's time. In a desperate effort to bridge the gap between the front and mounting stockpiles back at Normandy a long-distance, one-way, "loop-run" highway system - dubbed the Red Ball Express - was born. Since circumstances allowed little time for advance planning or preparation, Red Ball was, as one observer noted, "largely an impromptu affair." It began on 25 August, with 67 truck companies running along a restricted route from St. Lo to Chartres, just south of Paris; and reached a peak four days later with 132 companies (nearly 6,000 vehicles) assigned to the project.

While the Engineers were busy maintaining roads and bridges, MPs were on hand at each of the major check points to direct traffic and record pertinent data. Colorful signs and markers along the way kept drivers from getting lost, and at the same time publicized daily goals and achievements. Quartermasters truck drivers, materiel handlers, and petroleum specialists were ever present both along the route and at the forward-area truck-heads. Disabled vehicles were moved to the side of the road, where they were either repaired on the spot by roving Ordnance units or evacuated to rear-area depots.

Round-the-clock movement of traffic required adherence to a strict set of rules. For instance, all vehicles had to travel in convoys and maintain 60-yard intervals. They were not to exceed the maximum speed of 25 mph and no passing was allowed. After dark, Red Ball drivers were permitted the luxury of using full headlights instead of "cat eyes" for safety reasons. At exactly ten minutes before the hour each vehicle stopped in place for a 10-minute break. Bivouac areas were set up midway on the roads so exhausted drivers could get some rest and a hot meal.

In late August, Eisenhower decided to forward most petroleum supplies to Hodges's First Army and Mongomery's 21st British Army Group. This action was to come at the expense of Patton's Third Army to the South. On 31 August, Patton's daily allotment of gasoline dropped off sharply from 400,000 to 31,000 gallons. This placed a virtual stranglehold on the fiery commander, who fumed, pleaded, begged, bellowed and cursed accordingly — but to no avail. "My men can eat their belts," he was overhead telling Ike at a meeting on 2 September, "but my tanks gotta have gas." The logistical crisis threatened to halt the Allies where the enemy could not.

Fortunately, that crisis proved to be short-lived. It would only be a slight exaggeration to say that Red Ball saved the day. The hastily conceived system served as a useful expedient for bringing Class III items, especially gasoline, quickly to the fuel-starved front. Even though First and Third Army supply officers would continue bemoaning the gas shortage, the situation got markedly better. By the end of the first week in September, forward area truck-heads were issuing POL as soon as it came in, and consumption rates were once again hitting the 800,000-gallon-a-day mark. Mid-September saw the two American Armies issuing in excess of one million gallons of gasoline daily — enough to meet the immediate needs and begin building slight reserves.

Red Ball was scheduled to run only until 5 September, but continued through mid-November, buying precious time for the rear echelon support team to complete its task of building up the railroads, port facilities, and pipelines needed to sustain the final drive into Germany. By this point the Red Ball Express had developed an inherent problem. As the route got longer and longer, the Red Ball required more gasoline — ultimately as much as 300,000 gallons per day — just to keep the Red Ball vehicles themselves moving.

04 September 1944

438^th AAA AW BN

APO 230 % Postmaster, N.Y.

France

4 September, 1944         0915

Dearest darling Wilma –

It hardly seems possible that today is Labor Day – although we did try our darndest last nite to make it a celebration. I’m with a battery now – joined them yesterday for 3 days; I like the six officers in this battery as a whole better than any other group. We always have had a lot of fun together. We moved to a new location and found a farmer who offered us a two room cottage to sleep in. The Germans had been in it the day before, but hadn’t stayed long enough to dirty it up. One room is a cozy kitchen and has a stove, table, several chairs etc. The building has shutters on it – so last nite, after we got settled – we closed the shutters, lined the cracks and procured a kerosene lamp. One of the boys dug out his ration of Scotch and gin and we proceeded to play cards. We started at 2200 and got through at 0300. We finished the Scotch – but only half finished the gin – all straight, of course. At midnite we made several toasts – and all in all it was a little attempt at remembering the Holiday at home.

I don’t know what we’d do were I at home, dear, but we’d be together – that’s certain and that’s all that would have mattered. I was amused, darling, at one of your recent letters. (day before yesterday I got mail of the 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th August.). In it you stated that visiting and entertaining etc. would be all right – but only after a while; first we’d be alone for a spell. Well, sweetheart, that suits me fine because personally, I’m a home loving type of fellow and with you to spend my time within a place of our own – the only reason I’d want to go out – would be to make a call or go to the hospital. For years – the one thing I’ve wanted was a place of my own – to live in and relax in with someone I loved. I’ve missed that a great deal, dear, and I know that with you to help me make a home – we’ll have just that.

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE


"Beaumont, Belgium - September 1944
Battalion Headquarters. Officers slept on 2nd floor.
Our German Red Cross car can be seen to the right."


"Belgium - September 1944
Gateway to house at Beaumont where
Command Post for battalion was"


Château de la Mazelle, today

I meant to tell you this a couple of days ago – but I keep forgetting. I was able to get hold of a beautiful French clock – mantle-piece style. It’s the typical style – with heavy base and fancy figures – but not too gaudy. The only trouble, dear, is getting it home to you. Right now it is impossible for this reason: all mailing of packages to the States has been canceled except personal objects of a soldier – e.g. a wrist-watch to be repaired – etc. Apparently the APO had been swamped with packages and just can’t handle it anymore. Perhaps this may be canceled later. Even if it is, dear, I wonder how I could mail the clock – it’s so damned heavy. But anyway – I’ve got a clock and I’ll hold on to it as long as I possibly can – even if I have to lug it back to the States myself.

Here is a picture of that clock!

I was interested in your thoughts about marriage and getting to know one another. The way I feel about it is this, dear – you never really get to know a person until you’ve married the person – no matter how long you know him or her. Since that is so – you finally reach a stage when you feel you know a person well enough to love the person and therefore to marry her. Some take a long time to find out and some not so long. Of course – mistakes are made – but I found out in a short time that I loved you and wanted to marry you and my judgment has been good in the past. No, darling, I haven’t the least doubt in my mind that I want to marry you and pronto – on my return. I admit events of last fall do get hazy in my mind, dear but that’s natural. I feel, nevertheless, that we can take up where we left off, and if we had enough confidence in each other to become engaged – we must have really felt we knew each other. It will be a great adventure, sweetheart, and I’m looking forward to it with all the expectation a man can possess.

It’s getting noisy around here now, dear – not from guns though – but from the fellows – so I’d better stop. I do hope you’re spending a pleasant week-end and God willing – we’ll be together next year on this Holiday. My love to the folks – and

My everlasting love, dear

Greg

P.S. This battery is the one Pete is in and he sends his love.

L.

G.

Route of the Question Mark


[CLICK TO ENLARGE]


(A) Clermont-les-Fermes, France to (B) Beaumont, Belgium (58 miles)
2 to 4 September 1944

September 4... Beaumont, Belgium. A city in another foreign country. Our CP was a modern looking chateau commanding a sweeping view of a valley. There was a pony on the lawn that no one could ride. The Belgians gave us little pins with their national colors attached to them. We hauled prisoners here in a big way and 1st Sgt KOWALSKI and Capt SILVIS came in with a hot rumor that the war was over. No such luck!

[Note from FourthChild: Stanley F. Kowalski passed away at the age of 78 on 5 January 1991. He was laid to rest at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in Point Loma, California.]

* TIDBIT *

about The Pause of VII Corps in Belgium

While the 9th Division and the strongly reinforced 4th Cavalry Group swung east to probe crossings of the Meuse River, the attack of the 3rd Armored Division was temporarily halted near Mons by lack of fuel for its vehicles. The supply lines which furnished food, gasoline, and ammunition to the troops dashing across Europe were getting longer and longer, and in spite of every effort to move these very necessary items up more quickly, the trucks on the "Red Ball" highways could carry only a portion of what was needed. Units had to economize in using their vehicles and troops fed on captured German rations. So the Spearhead was stalled while the Corps collected the gasoline to move it.

As Major General Clarence R. Huebner's Fighting First Division moved north to relieve the armor around Mons, it encountered large numbers of enemy troops marching east, apparently unaware of the presence of American forces in the area. Long columns of motor vehicles and horse-drawn equipment approached from the west, and both 1st and 3d Armored Divisions were heavily engaged. Here was the German Seventh Army, retiring under orders to occupy the Siegfried Line and to keep the American forces out of Germany.

By noon on September 4, the situation in and around Mons had become partially stabilized. 1st Infantry Division was systematically rounding up prisoners. Having waited at Mons for more fuel, the 3rd Armored Division was ordered forward again, Namur being the new objective. Combat Command A of the division reached Namur, taking a route south of Jemeppe which took them through Binche and Charleroi on the way, while Combat Command B advanced further south. One damaged bridge was discovered intact at Namur and engineers built another one across the Meuse, so that by dawn both spans were ready for division traffic. Most of the division was again brought to a halt for lack of fuel.

03 September 1944

No letter today. Just this:

* TIDBIT *

about "Buzz Bombs"


V-1 Rocket at a launch site

The Route of the Question Mark mentioned that buzz bombs were heard overhead, heading for England, on 2 September 1944. Here is more about this device:

Designed by the Fieseler company, the Fieseler Fi 103/FZG-76, better known as the V-1 and "Buzz Bomb", also colloquially known in Britain as the "Doodlebug", was a liquid-fueled un-manned, un-guided early flying bomb that could carry a 1,800-lb warhead to a range of 150 miles. It is considered to be the predecessor of the cruise missile. The V-1 was developed for the German Luftwaffe during the Second World War. During initial development it was known by the codename "Cherry Stone". The first of the so-called Vergeltungswaffen (Retaliation) series, designed for the terror bombing of London, the V-1 was initially fired from a series of fixed "ski" launch sites along the French (Pas-de-Calais) and Dutch coasts. There were also launch sites in Denmark and Germany. However, faced with a strong bomber and fighter-bomber offensive against the V-1 launch sites, the Germans were forced into creating mobile launch sites and launching some from Heinkel 111 bombers.

Design of the weapon was overseen by Robert Lusser of Fieseler and Fritz Gosslau of the Argus Engine Works. Refining the earlier work of Paul Schmidt, Gosslau designed a pulse jet engine consisting of few moving parts, operated by air entering into the intake where it was mixed with fuel and ignited by spark plugs. The combustion of the mixture forced sets of intake shutters closed, producing a burst of thrust out the exhaust. The shutters then opened again in the airflow to repeat the process. This occurred around fifty times a second and gave the engine its distinctive "buzz" sound. A further advantage to the pulse jet design was that it could operate on low-grade fuel.

Gosslau's engine was mounted above a simple fuselage which possessed short, stubby wings. Designed by Lusser, the airframe was originally constructed entirely of welded sheet steel. In production, plywood was substituted for constructing the wings. The flying bomb was directed to its target through the use of a simple guidance system which relied on gyroscopes for stability, a magnetic compass for heading, and a barometric altimeter for altitude control. A vane anemometer on the nose drove a counter which determined when the target area was reached and triggered a mechanism to cause the bomb to dive. Once in a dive, the V-1 became silent, and people who had been listening to the buzz braced for impact, not knowing where it would land, adding to the terror. While V-1 production was spread across Germany, many were built by slave-labor at the notorious underground "Mittelwerk" plant near Nordhausen.

The first V-1 was launched at London on 13 June 1944, prompted by the successful Allied landing in Europe on 6 June. At its peak, an average of 190 V-1s were fired at southeast England per day. The British quickly became expert at spotting and shooting them down and only about 25% of the V-1s hit their target. They established defensive zones: first were the fighters (Mosquitoes, Spitfires and Typhoons) over the English channel, then came a thick zone of heavy Anti-Aircraft (AA) guns equipped with the first radar proximity fuses, then a zone of light AA guns and rocket projectors and finally barrage balloons. The attacks on England decreased in number as launch sites were overrun, until October 1944, when the last V-1 site in range of Britain was taken by Allied forces. At this point, the targets of choice switched to Antwerp, the main Allied port, and other key targets in the Low Countries.

Over 30,000 V-1s were produced during the war with around 9,521 fired at targets in Britain. Of these only 2,419 reached London killing 6,184 people and injuring 17,981. Antwerp, a popular target, was hit by 2,448 between October 1944 and March 1945. A total of around 9,000 were fired at targets in Continental Europe. Overall, the V-1 was largely a terror weapon that had little impact on the outcome of the war.

Here are is a video: