• Sicily Land of Italian Food-August – September 1943
8/4/43 Chow is fair. We sighted Sicily 1 hour after breakfast Saw a shark. Played rummy. God but it’s hot! Pulled into Palermo about 4 A.M. it certainly caught hell. Drove in dark after disembarking, dodging shell and bomb holes. Finally bivoaced. Had several air raid alerts but nothing happened.
8/5/43 Got an early start. But balled up in town and went back. Finally left about noon for Gela. Poker’s sick so I drove his van. People line the sts. To cheer in every town. We ate lots of lemons, grapes, watermelons and almonds. Bivoaced in a beautiful oliver grove. Find quite a few people who speak eng. Every one has or is going to America. Lord this Italian language. If it’s not one thing its another.
8/6/43 Spent the night in an almond orchard. Got an early start after meals on “K” rations. Hot coffee or chocolate certainly helps cold meals. We sleep on cots after the boat ride. Sicily is nothing but mts. We are always going up hill or down hill. At the top of every hill can be found a city of some sort. Lots of destroyed equipment. Roads are terrible. Catania has at last fallen. Finally reached our destination. Bugs and mosquitos are terrible. Lots of grapes, almonds and catuss berries to eat.
8/7/43 we are hauled to and fro to meals. Egg got some “special delivery” goats milk. Cleaned up in general and read all of our back pay. Leave again in the morning to join Ops. #2 near Palermo.
8/8/43 With lots of “C” rations and two 21/2 tons Ops. Trucks and a 299 set we are of. Things go slow but we have fun. We take a new road from Gela and have a change in scenery. Lots of pretty girls. People for ever cheering us and asking for food. Lord it is awfull. I hit a jackass and we had trouble in the mts. Were “Jerry” blew up the bridges. Stayed in a small town. Had quite a chat with English speaking Italians.
8/9/43 Left about 7. had to get an “Ity” car up a hill before we could go. Had quite a bit of officers giveing food etc to the people. Lots of military laws here. Many G.I.’s are receiving large fines. Finally reached Ops.#2. set up and had some good chow. Met all of our invasion boys. Good to get together. Lots of bull. Cleaned up made a home and did receiver. Work from 8 until eleven at night.
8/10/43 Chow is damn good at least the cooks try to make it taste good. Had a bunch of laundry done for an old pair of pants. Fooled around eating almonds (we are in an almond orchard). Hooked up to tommy’s radio. Passed football in the afternoon. Wrote letters. Tommy Simmes came up. Is staying in tonight. Miller and I pulled guard from 2 to 5 in the morning. Got some sugar and tomato juice. Went to sleep. Forgot to wake cooks had ataburn dysentery.
8/11/43 Played checkers and rummy with Cozart to pass time away. “Cling” took a roll of films. Hope their good. Miller and Egg made some fudge with almonds. Sure was good. Worked in van from 2 until 5 am.
8/12/43 Sick s can be. Too much fudge and almonds. “Doc” gave me 28 pills and a cup of liquad. Valdes is drawing my picture. Had water melon, canned roast beef and apple pie for supper. Got my laundry back from “Ity” people. War in Sicily should be over soon. Busy channel last night. Saw Jerry bomb Palermo. Jerry is evacuating. He is certainly catching hell. We have new type of spitfires. Beautifull ship. Wish we could go back to the states. They would never get me across again. Besides I would like to be a married man. No mail for ages.
8-13-43 Opened the receiver van. Brought a plane in with only one wheel down. Made a beautifull landing. Still feel sick at my stomach. Wrote a few letters and played rummy to pass away time. Weather is dry and hot.
8-14-43 Felt terrible all day. Flies are bad. Boy we get plenty of spaghetti and meat balls. Haven’t had any bread for weeks. Took a shower and cleaned up. Had night of, so caught up on my sleep. Shot a lot of bull about the good old days back in the states.
8-15-43 Still not feeling well. Fly condition is terrible. Had a “mar day” for excitement. Think we will move near Messina soon. Washed a few clothes. Read anything I can get hold of.
8-16-43 Mail call! I got 5 letters waiting for fall of Messina to move up. Working “may day” and R.A.F night fighters. Doc gave us physical for malaria. Also short arm. Had a smear taken. Valdes has started my picture again. Doc says its all over in Sicily. Hope so.
8-17-43 took all for noon for Val to finish my picture. Cozy, Miller and Cling went to Palermo. Played a little rummy and sat up late shooting the bull with Cozart. 3rd division is in Messina. Maybe Dennis is with them.
8-18-43 did quite a bit of thinking about the future. Had two good chats with Mulcahey and Calegory concerning business. Had awfull poor chow. If we didn’t hustle on our own we could hardly get along. Have had trouble getting to sleep lately.
8-19-43 U. rations have finally arrived. Chow is average now. Drew PX rations quite a few. We are discussing Saturdays inspection. First Sgt. Leggins and C.O. had quite a blow yesterday. Of course it resulted in more work for we enlisted men of the outfit. We are all ready to move again. I wonder where it will be this time. Hope it busts from England this time.
8-20-43 Started cleaning my rifle but had to suddenly become an ardent nature admirer to keep from pulling a long, oily detail on road oiling. That leaves several Sgts looking for my hide. Chow is a little better. Getting ready for tomorrow’s inspection. Went to the first G.I. stage show in Sicily. Wasn’t bad at all. Never will for get nurses and the dogs. Came back to find I had 22 letters. Oh joy Sunsets around here are beautifull.
8-21-43 Inspection & Mcarletly and I had a quibble. Started for Palermo but decided to wait until tomorrow! Had an “Ity” did an officers latrine. Slept all afternoon. Shot a lot of bull and worked from 10 to 2 pm. Egg and Cozy really took the kitchen over. Saw test flight of ME109 we captured.
- Saw Bob Hopes U.S.O. show featuring Francis Langford, Tony Romero and Jack Pepper. It was good. Between 4&5 thousand G.I.’s saw it. Sun finally got me. Damn near had a sun stroke. Headaches terribly. Had a picture and nice letters from Waynes miller of “F.U.” in Palermo. Cozy and Egg and Cling came back OK.
8-23-43 Awoke feeling terrible, went to Capt. Meyer throughout the day. Poker went to town. Van ran swell. Took powder to go to sleep. Had terrible sleepless night. Ache all over.
8-24-43 Morning and no relief. Capt took is “unteenth” smear.”+” case of malaria. Symtons-ache and burn all over. Egg brought my dinner to me. Started quinine treatments. Ambulance took me to 56th med Btn. With 102 fever. They broke my fever at 104.6. vomited during the night.
8-25-43 56th evacuated, sending me to 93rd evac. Hosp. Have cots, pajamas, and real live she nurses. Chow is good (chicken today) fruit juice between meals. Capt. Meyer came to see me. Dr. said 7 more days. My pajamas are size “small”. Hate to walk past nurses to latrine.
8-26-43 Breakfast is early. Shaved this morning. Had fresh eggs for chow. Nurses insist on cleanliness. Have plenty of magazines to read and lots of fellows to talk to. I am a walking patient. Nurses are cheerfull. Always willing to talk to you. Quinine has my ears ringing terribly. We get some jerry rations which are poor. Saw show “When Johnny comes marching home.”
8-27-43 We get up at 6:30 wash and go to chow with out bitching. Boy what first sgts. These nurses would make. Go back to bed after chow. Miss burns our night nurses is the most popular. I started atabrine treatments today. Lots of plane and highway traffic. Lots of bull sessions in evenings. Nurses are old hands at it.
8-28-43 Regular fornoon. Read and slept. Capt. Meyer came in afternoon. Discharge Oh boy. Gee, but its great to be back with boys. Enjoy bull session, coffee renewing friendships. No work for me for a few days. Boy but it hot. Nights are a little cool. Long winter ahead. Wonder where snow will catch me?
8-29-43 Had more or less a relapse. Head ache in forenoon. Received rations attended show “I married an angel” things look like the big blow will fall soon. We expect to make the Messina staging area soon.
8-30-43 Radio news sounds good. Danish people are realy doing great. Rained like all heck. Lots of the boys really got wet. We were high and dry but the rain sure felt good after months of dryness. Saw show “The Lady Eve.”
8-31-43 High “guinea” officals lit here today. Lots of general present. played rummy and read a book. Wish we would get paid. Churchill promises an invasion of France. We will hit to!
9-1-43 Happy birthday sis. Played a softball game. Lost 1-0. was paid for june, july aug. also received 4 letters. Quite a crap game in Rec. #2.
9-2-43 Big “Ity” outfit lit here today. Hope it means Italy is going to fold up. We gave $4.00 for 4 chickens today, and had fryed chicken and chicken gravy. Sent $400.00 home. Hope mom doesn’t faint. Lots of flares and activity tonight.
9-3-43 Allies hit Italy this morning. We are finally started on the last mile. All news reports sound good. Wonder where we “yanks” will strike. Plotters say the skies over Italy is black with planes. Played quite a bit of rummy.
9-4-43 I opened up for the first time since coming back from the hosp. Bought a basket of almonds and one of grapes for eighty cents. Played bridge all afternoon. Ice cream for supper. 93rd E.H. beat us 11-4 in softball. Had a nice climb back up the hill to our camp.
(night) 9-4-43 Finished my book and went to bed at 11 P.M. Mac got us up at midnight to tear down antennas. Boy what a job. Back to bed at 2:30A.M. with the knowledge we leave at 6:30 for a new location.
9-5-43 Beds rolled and gear stored were of again. Up coast road 120 miles. Beautiful country. Sea is always with in sight. Jerry got nearly all the bridges, making it tough going in places. Lots of girls on the roads. Sex conditions are awfull. Girls are surprised when officers run them our of camps. Say the Germans had them live with them. Lots of nits. Railroad certainly caught hell. Finally we stop a few miles past Cape D Orlando. We wet up with an R.A.F. fighter control sqd. Only have to work 5AM to 9PM egg and I have nice tent up.
9-6-43 Didn’t have to work so I caught up on my back sleep. Weather is much cooler now. Ops #1 is ready to embark. They are scheduled for 7th army “D” day. Think it will come soon and be near Naples. Tried to make some coffee. But our home made hot plate doesn’t work.
9-7-43 Chow is pretty good. C.O. inspected us this morning. Guess he wasn’t satisfied as their will be another one tomorrow. British 8th army is doing great. Got some canned heat. Now eggs and coffee can be cooked in fine style. Was up and down all night taking care of officers motor etc.
9-8-43 Lt. Cantrell inspected this morning. Found rust in my gun and spiders in my cartridge belt. But he is a good egg. Cozy, Miller and I went up to watch the people make wine. Lord the way they make it Miller and I played rummy and drank a couple bottles of wine. We heard of Italys “fold up” at chow. For a while we couldn’t believe it but the fellows were finally convinced and then they went wild. Bet the people have never sold so much wine a they did to these celebrating “yanks” and Limies”. Pulled guard. Plotters have a board of Naples up “D” day is 3 PM for 7th army. They will hit Naples. Paratroopers will take the airfields.
9-9-43 Opened the van. All news broadcasts are full of Italy’s surrender and the Naples landing. Plotters reported only three enemy planes up for Naples show. We should have Jerry out of Italy by 1st of October. Have made several new friends with R.A.F and V.H.F. crew who are near us. Valdez got his shit hot and we went round and round. Part of 82nd went in at Naples with “yanks”.
9-10-43 Went over to Ops#1 in whormacks jeep. They are shipping at 1 o’clock We have a little mail. I heard from Billie Dot and Beez. Also got a package from home. Had diary and stationary in it. Had a nice hot sponge bath. A complete change of clothes and towel cost me 1 schilling. We heard of invasion of France. Guess it’s just rumor.
9-11-43 Opened Rec. van. Wrote a long letter to Beesley but censor’s returned it. If this is a Democratic army I am a jackass. Walked down to stageing area to see Gates and boys but couldn’t find them. Played poker to pass away afternoon. Had lot of loose 82nd material to unload. Major left it behind for us. Boats wouldn’t take loose materials.
9-12-43 Went for a ride in British Lorry up Millazzo point for a load of 82nd material. British lorries are piss poor. We certainly hear interesting things on our receivers. Dog fights, patrols, maydays emergency landings etc. got quite a bit of mail from home, Helen and friends. Played more poker in afternoon. Saw west. Also picture “fighting 69th”. Jerry came over last night. I am having trouble with our mail censors.
9-13-43 Opened van. Cozy borrowed $10.00 and went to luck for a crap game. A hot day. My head ached. Wrote several letters went to bed early and missed Red Cross mobile club. But good nights sleep did me good.
9-14-43 Rose late, and nearly missed breakfast. Read a book and finished about 4 P.M. hundreds of bombers went over. Everything from “fortresses” to “mustangs”. Had some coffee and played pinnochil with Cozy, Art.
9-15-43 opened up the Rec. had the laundry warren make a sheet arrangement out of my mattress cover. The day has been hot. Olives are full grown but very very green. Dick and I have established telegraph communication between our Rec. vans. Stayed up until 10:30. had a couple cups of coffee. Salerno is costing both sides thousands of lives. The yanks are catching hell. Hope the British 8th army gets there in a hurry. The rest of our sqd who are there can’t even get in operations. Guess major is satisfied now.
9-16-43 Another long day. Nothing to keep ones mind occupied. I can’t see what keeps us all from going crazy. A good soldier must forever be kept busy, never pause to reflect the hardships and longingness in ones mind. Played poker until 11 o’clock. Wrote a couple of letters. Yanks at Salerno finally broke through. We are all glad they did it without the help of the British eighth army.
9-17-43 Played softball in forenoon and afternoon. Won the game 20-4. English currency system is driving me crazy. Just at closing time we were told to mount a 5-22 in our van to handle extra traffic. British R.A.F. is going to Italy. Guess we will be here a long time now.
9-18-43 Mac & Egg& I had all day pass. Went to Barcellona and also to head Catholic Church in Sicily. Churches are beautiful. Bought many souvenirs . also scarfs and bedspreads. Drunk quite a bit of wine. Was dead tired when we got back to camp. Had a letter from mom and Helen. They know I am in Sicily. Coffee and Bed certainly felt good. Sicilian candy is fair. Ice cream poor. Barber service good, prices high.
9-19-43 Started working 24 hours every other day. I opened van. Finished putting in 522 set. Cozart and I went into Barcelona. Cozy bought some scarfs. Nothing doing in chow line. We dodged detail, but had an awfull time doing so. Came back from town with two of our officers. Cozart worked all night. R.A.F. pulled out for Italy shipping 82nd equipment to major.
9-20-43 Bought two large pomegranits for a can of “c” rations. Played pinochle all afternoon. Had fresh butter today. First time since leaving the states. Was on kitchen detail this morning. Had fresh meat today. Weather is still very warm. Nights are cool now however. Received package from Helen. She is certainly a sweet darling.
9-21-43 Went down to docks to load 82nd stuff for Italy. Looks like we will be in Sicily for awhile. 82nd hdq’s caught hell in Salerno. News sounds great. We get the states every night on tommy’s radio. Had mail from Andy, Byron, Helen, N. Africa and states. Sent a package home. Played cards with Egg and Cozy. Made a new record in Sea rescue when we pulled our commanding colonel out of the “drink”. He congratulated us.
9-22-43 Opened Rec. wrote several letters. We work 6 hours out of every 36. we play an awfull lot of pinochle. Our laundry is done dirt cheap. Had a letter from Lee T. brought in a couple of combers on their bellies. Sent a package home. Had an awfull nightmare. Ruined my mosquito net.
9-23-43 Practiced telegraph procedure all morning. Saw a jerry film that Engwall has. Moved our tents and now have a better and cleaner tent home. Wish I had a picture of it. The fellows played the 99th softball. Cozy, Egg and I played pinochle until 4 A.M. we had to work anyway. Stole a large pie from kitchen. Some feast.
9-24-43 Mac got a little hot about the shift schedual. We are going to see Val about what can be done. Played pinochle until late. Had coffee and pie. Pie was great. Sure ruined dinner though. Had chicken for supper. Paid $1.00 for package I sent home. Beat officers in softball 27-3. had swim and watched 90 mm and 40 mm fire at moving target.
9-25-43 Day started of as usual. About 10 A.M. we were told to tear down. That’s how unexpected things are. We worked rest of day tearing and loading. Had early chow and left for stageing area. We are wondering were we are going. Spent large part of night talking to Val and Cozy. Spent short night in a poor bed.
9-26-43 Chow is terrible. I have never been so hungary in two days in all my life. We moved out to loading area about noon. We loaded on L.S.T. lend-lease British ship 323. all loading was done by 6 o’clock. Had a nice swim before leaving shore for last time. We are on look out for any loose thing on the boat. Pulled into harbor to spend night. Slept on deck.
9-27-43 Rose early. Chow is fair. Boys take anything that isn’t nailed down. Our van has candy, gum, cigarettes and 5-1 rations in it. At noon we hoisted anchor and headed for ? we took one last look at Milazzo and said good bye to Sicily. It was better than Africa but who knows what lies ahead. We past numerable small islands and past a volcanic island at dusk. Went to sleep with the picture of a mt. Covered with flame as a last picture.
9-28-43 Awoke with Italy in sight. By 10 A.M. we were ready to unload. Our L.S.T. hit the beach. The ocean was black with boats. Barrage ballons hung aove lots of them. Mine tapes marked mine swept areas and roads. Italy looks beautifull. Green fields fenced in pastues. Alfalfa fields, grazing cattle. But also hundreds of fox and shell holes marked with crossed. Our boys really caught hell at first. It took 5 hours to move about 10 miles. British 8th armoured div. Was moving up. Back to headquarters. Bivoac area is in nice place. Our fellows look like hell. They were under shell fire for 7 days- three casualties. We pitched pyramidal. It rained and top came of. Started of as usual, by getting wetter than hell. Had two letters . we can’t write that we are in Italy yet.