My grandfather's WWII letters

[DCR]

Earlier this year, one of my great aunts passed away.  She was the sister of my late grandfather (who died when I was only four years old... so, I barely remember him).  Well, after my great aunt's passing, her daughters were going through her things and came across some old family pictures and letters that my grandfather wrote to the family back in 1942-1943 as a veteran of World War II.  My great aunt had held on to these after all these years.

My grandmother was just recently given this collection of letters and pictures.  And, earlier this week, I had the privilege of scanning the originals on my computer so we could have some copies.  Also, I have transcribed the letters for easier reading (since some of the letters and postcards are a little hard to read after 65 years).

From what I derive from the correspondence, my grandfather was stationed in England in the summer of 1942.  He was there through the fall.  But, some time that next winter, he was deployed to Tunisia in North Africa to take part in the conflict between the Allies and the Axis powers in the North African campaign in 1943.  All of the letters were addressed to his sister and her husband.  I'm going to share some of those here.  Some of them may seem a little mundane.  But, the one written after he had been through fighting on the front lines in Tunisia is pretty riveting.  These letters were written between August of 1942 and July of 1943.

[DCR]

[The following letter was written on a sheet of paper with a logo that reads "Y.M.C.A" and "With His Majesty's Forces"]

Rank: PFC
Name: Dudley C---
Address: Btry-A. 178 F.A APO, 302 c/o Postmaster

New York, N.Y.
Date: Aug. 25, 1942

Dear Evelyn, Knowlton & L.F.

   Well how is everyone on the other side of the Atlantic?  I'm in England, I like it just fine.  It sure is a pretty place.  I get a furlough in the next few days, I don't know yet where I'll take it, maybe in London, Liverpool or Scotland.  I've about got use to the British money.  These pounds, shillings and pints [pence ?]  is a lot different from the U.S. money.

   I will close, Write soon.
I will write more next time.

   Love Dudley

[DCR]

[This was in a "V-MAIL"]

No. 467435

Mr. & Mrs. Knowlton C---
5705 Maxon Ave.
W. Nashville Tennessee
USA.

34042778
PFC. Dudley C---
Btry. A 178 F.A.
A.P.O. 502 c/o Postmaster
New York N.Y.
Sept.9 1942

Dear Evelyn, Knowlton & Linda Faye

   I got your letter today, (was mailed August 3).  If possible send them air mail or "V" mail.  I sure was glad to get it.  I got seven letters today.  They came by ship, air mail is daily.
   I'm still doing just fine and liking England.  The British people treats us awful nice.  Nearly everything is different than it is in America but I'm beginning to catch on to their ways.  The next time I go to London I'll send Linda Faye a souvenir.
   I got a letter from Mother today saying John I--- is in Britain.  Maybe I'll run across him some time.
   I'm going to make collection of the pictures of the U.S. ships.  What about cutting the picture out of the paper of the "Wakefield," the old Manhattan, the one that burnt? And save it for me.  I suppose it will be in the paper (Sept 9 or 8). It was here.
   Love
   Dudley

[DCR]

[V-MAIL]

57278
Mr. Mrs. Knowlton C----
5705 Maxon Ave.
W. Nashville Tenn.
U.S.A.

PFC Dudley C----
Btry. A. 178 F.A.
APO 502c/o Postmaster
New York, N.Y.
Oct. 19, 1942

Dear Evelyn, Knowlton & L. Faye
   I got your letter Sat.  Sure was glad to get it.  I'm still doing just fine.  How is everybody by now?  Yes you guess it when you said you imagine I was going with the British girls.  I've already had more dates since I been here than I did the whole time I was in camp in the States.
   You know you said you couldn't find that clipping in the paper I asked you to cut out.  Never mind about cutting any more out.  I just wanted that special one.  I guess you know the reason.
   It's about my bed time around 10 o'clock, 4 o'clock home I suppose you are cooking supper about now.  Write soon.
   Love
   Dudley

[DCR]

[V-MAIL]

743297
Mr. & Mrs. Knowlton C----
5705 Maxon Ave.
W. Nashville, Tenn.
U.S.A.

PFC. Dudley C---
Btry A. 178 F.A.
APO. 302 NYCity
Nov 17, 1942

Dear Evelyn, Knowlton & Linda Faye

   I'm starting this one a little early.  I just got up.  I haven't ate breakfast yet.  How is every body by now?  I'm still O.K.  I don't know what happen to our mail here lately.  I haven't heard from anyone in over a week.
   I guess its about time for some cold weather back home.  You still haven't anything on us though.  It's cold here too.
   I didn't get to finish this morning and a few minutes ago I got the present you sent me.  Sure was nice.  I'm eating some of the candy now.  Mother is going to get my presents for me.  I got a V letter from Sis. & J.T. too today.  It took it five weeks to get here.
   I bet Linda Faye has growed some since I saw her.  It will soon be six months since I been home.  Oh well maybe the war will be over some day.  I'm still doing fine and hope all of you are.
   Love Dudley.

[DCR]

[This was a letter written on plain paper]

England
Nov. 21, 1942

Dear Knowlton, Evelyn & L.F.
   I just received your letter and also my X-mas present from Sis & J.T.  Glad to hear everybody is alright.  I got the picture you cut out of the paper.  Never mind about sending any more.  If you could have found that special one, I wanted you to keep it for me.  That would have been a lot to talk about some day.
   I just got through washing all my dirty clothes.  We been sending them to the laundry, but have stopped.  We have been getting our laundry and dry cleaning both done free since we been here.  I would like for that to keep up.
   I went to the show last night.  Saw "Alibi."  It was a British film.  Most of the pictures shown here came from America.
   If you don't hear from us for a while get them all not to worry.  I feel sure I'll be alright and will be home in the future.  Write soon.
   Love
   Dudley

(reverse)

This is the size of all the British cigarettes.









[Note... the comment about the size of British cigarettes leads me to believe that a cigarette must have been enclosed in the mail... apparently, they looked different from American cigarettes at the time?  Don't really know.  But, the comment was on the reverse side of the letter... DCR]

[DCR]

[The following was written on a postcard that reads "Souvenir de BEL-ABBES"... attached is the scanned in picture on the front side of the postcard]

Mr. & Mrs.  Knowlton C---
4510 Nevada Ave.
Nashville, Tennessee
U.S.A.

PFC. Dudley C---
Btry A. 178 F.A.
APO, 302 c/o Postmaster
New York, N.Y.

Africa
Jan 22 [1943]




Hello Everybody,

   Liggett just came over and said he just sent you a letter so I'll send you this card and maybe you can get them both together.
   We are still getting along fine.  Write.
   Love Dudley



["Liggett" was the name of one of my grandfather's friends who was in the same company.  He was also the brother of my great uncle (Knowlton) to whom my grandfather is writing.  So, "Evelyn and Knowlton" each had a brother fighting overseas.  But, I suspect they took some comfort knowing that their brothers were with each other.]

[DCR]

[And, here's the big letter.  This recounts my grandfather's experiences on the front line during the North African campaign.  A scan of the first two pages of the letter is attached.]


North Africa
June 5, 1943

Dear Evelyn, Knowlton, & L.F.

   I have gotten so here lately that writing is all I'm doing.  I'm not getting any letters to read.  I got one letter from you and one from home, and that's all since May 12.  I have gotten three or four and some books from England since then.  When they do start coming in from the States I should have a stack of it.

   I have been playing volleyball this afternoon.  I could have went to the beach, but we going to have inspection in the morning, and I had to clean my rifle etc.

   I suppose you would like to know some of our experiences in battle.  We can talk about it now.  There is not so much to tell that you don't know.  We were in the second corps and you probably read all about that.  We went to the front around Mar. 20 and we stayed there until the African campaign was over.  Do you remember where the American forces taken Gafsa for the last time?  Well that's when and where we started.  We ended up near Bizerte.  We never retreated a foot.  We were in some pretty tough battles but "A" battery never lost a man in the whole time.  That shows what training will do.  It is a little over a hundred in our battery and all still together.  I can't tell you all the things that happened in a letter.  If I did it would be like a book.  We had to stay in a fox hole most of the time.  We had lots of air raids.  When we first went into battle.  German planes tried to bomb us several times a day, but we made it so hot for them that they have to drop their bombs without hitting their targets.  What we liked to see when they got over head, was our fighter planes to show up.  They couldn't keep us in our fox holes then.  We got out on top of the ground to see the fight.  That was more exciting than seeing a good boxing match.  Every time our planes shoot down a German bomber or fighter we can't help from hollering.  We could see the bullets coming out of our P40 and going into this big German bomber and a few seconds the German plane caught on first.  Then we could see them jumping out in parachutes.  Some of the chutes didn't open.  The plane hit the ground not far from us.  That's just the one plane I was referring to.  I have seen several shot down, mostly German.  I have seen three or four of ours shot down, and I think most of the crew was saved.  I think it's awful interesting seeing a good dog fight.

   Liggett and Marshall at that time were in battle near Fonduck.  We joined them after we met up with the British eight army near Kairouan.  You know I told you in a letter I saw Liggett and that they were close to us, that I didn't have time to talk to him.  When we passed him I was in a jeep.  I throw my hand up and hollered at him.  Just as I passed him I looked up and the sky was full of German planes.  They were shelling us with artillery guns too.  We stopped the jeep and by that time they were coming down in a drive to bomb our convoy.  We layed down on the ground, they unloaded their bombs and didn't hit a thing.  Liggett and I laughed about that several times since then.  The first time we saw each other in over a month and when we did meet we didn't have time to talk. 

   That's when we were trying to take that big hill #609 I guess you read about it.  They been there fighting for about three weeks (Liggett & Marshall) and couldn't gain a foot.  So after that air raid we went up about two miles in front of them.  We were passed our infantry, wasn't anything between us and the enemy.  Yes it was a pretty hot spot, in fact the shells was coming at us so fast we didn't have time to dig a fox hole.  We jumped in a ditch about 18 inches deep and layed there the rest of the day.  I got three letters from you the night before.  I read them while I was in that ditch.  So the next morning aournd three o'clock every thing broke loose.  They told us before then that was Germany's strongest point and if we took that hill the African campaign would be over six months sooner.  At three that morning all of our artillery started firing.  Shells was bursting every where behind the German lines.  That lasted until day light.  Then our tanks rushed in and had a battle and then our infantry went to work and didn't catch the enemy for about 15 miles.  A shell hit the gun Liggett and Marshall was on and blew it up.  All of them were in fox holes and didn't a one get a scratch.  You know what a loud crash of thunder sounds like.  Well that's the way it sounds on the front lines where every thing is going in full force.  The ground shakes every where.  We should be thankful we are in the field artillery.  See we are three or four miles behind our infantry most of the time.  We have three important things to worry about, that is mines, enemy planes, and artillery.

   One afternoon near El Guettar several German tanks broke through our lines.  "A" battery has four of these big guns and in 15 minutes we destroyed 16 German big tanks and the rest, wasn't very many left taken off back to their side.  We destroyed five tanks before there, so that makes a total of 21.  We have 21 tanks painted on our guns now.  We knocked out their guns, trucks, etc. off and on all the time.  I think we were very lucky the good we did and not having a casualty.

   I wasn't intending on writing this much.  I also started this with the intention of sending it home but maybe it would make them worry more.  So I'll send it to you.

   Love
   Dudley

[DCR]

[Postcard... scanned image attached]

[Caption:  "L.C. 123 - CONSTANTINE.  Pont Sidi M'Cid."]

[Postmarked Jun 22 (1943)]

Mr. & Mrs.  Knowlton C---
4510 Nevada Ave.
Nashville
Rt. 2 Tennessee
U.S.A.

PFC. Dudley C--- 34042778
Btry. A. 178 F.A. APO, 302
New York, N.Y.

Hello Everybody
   Here is some of the scenary that I have seen since I been here.  Liggett and Marshall are here besided me and all O.K.
   Love
   Dudley

[DCR]

[And, the final letter was in a V-MAIL.  At this point, my grandfather was in a hospital because of an old leg injury that was flaring up.  Also, he had contracted Malaria.  Incidently, he was sent home after this and didn't see any more combat, as far as I know.  About a year later in September of 1944, he married my grandmother.  Attached is a picture of him when he was in the service.]




Mr. & Mrs. Knowlton C---
4510 Nevada Ave.
Nashville Tennessee
U.S.A.

PFC.Dudley C---
Brty. A-178 F.A. - APO 302
New York, N.Y.
July 23, 1943

Dear Evelyn, Knowlton & Linda Faye

   You probably know by now that I'm in the hospital.  My leg started aching, I suppose for sleeping on the ground so long.  They taken an X-ray and found that old injury.  I'm just now getting over the malaria.  I have been in bed with it for the last few days but I'm up now.  I'm about twelve hundred miles from my old gang, that is if they still in the same place.  I won't be back with them.  I'll probably be back in the States within the next few weeks, or maybe months.

   Hope everybody are well. I haven't heard from anyone in about a month.  I don't think its any use writing to me untill I find out what I'm going to do.  I'll probably get it some time but I'm thinking I'll be back in the States by then.

   I suppose Knowlton is getting plenty work.  I'm getting my part of rest and sleep now.  This is a nice hospital I'm in.  Just as good as any I have seen in the States.  That is the insides.  I have a small room to myself with sink, bed, and dresser and can look...[illegible]... I like it just fine.

   Love
   Dudley

[Jimbob]

DCR, that's quite a treasure you have.  Thank you for taking the time to share.  My grandfather and his cousins served in the Army in Italy.  He never spoke about it much, though I know he lost both cousins in a fierce battle in a village there.  Somewhere here I still have his panoramic photo of this company.

Very interesting.  Thanks again.

[DCR]

Since I barely remember my grandfather, I never really knew him.  But, from what I understand, he didn't like to talk about the war much either.  But, my grandmother has related some things my grandfather told her.

War is obviously a traumatic experience, especially when you've seen people you were close to die, as well as the fact that you've had to follow orders that resulted in casualties on the other side.  I have a couple of great uncles still living who are also vets.  One of them was also in Italy.  The other one was in Europe for the final defeat of Germany in 1945, as I understand it.  He apparently witnessed one of his comrades be mortally wounded right beside him.

[browsing]

Earlier this year, one of my great aunts passed away.  She was the sister of my late grandfather (who died when I was only four years old... so, I barely remember him).  Well, after my great aunt's passing, her daughters were going through her things and came across some old family pictures and letters that my grandfather wrote to the family back in 1942-1943 as a veteran of World War II.  My great aunt had held on to these after all these years.

My grandmother was just recently given this collection of letters and pictures.  And, earlier this week, I had the privilege of scanning the originals on my computer so we could have some copies.  Also, I have transcribed the letters for easier reading (since some of the letters and postcards are a little hard to read after 65 years).

From what I derive from the correspondence, my grandfather was stationed in England in the summer of 1942.  He was there through the fall.  But, some time that next winter, he was deployed to Tunisia in North Africa to take part in the conflict between the Allies and the Axis powers in the North African campaign in 1943.  All of the letters were addressed to his sister and her husband.  I'm going to share some of those here.  Some of them may seem a little mundane.  But, the one written after he had been through fighting on the front lines in Tunisia is pretty riveting.  These letters were written between August of 1942 and July of 1943.

thanks for sharing those; I was just 6 months of age when your grandfather was writing those letters.

[kensington]

I have them too... a stack of them, with cards, and pictures, and telegrams also!  This Christmas I copied them for my niece so that she could use them in an album she was making for her mom. I copied them in color, so they appear as the original docs.

The letters I have come from my uncle to my granny, and from my mom's husband to she and my granny.  All written in the same time frame as yours... one was in the Army, the other in the Navy.


Telegram....  mom- "Send money immediately" - Leroy.

[soaringasaneagle]

My husband just got stacks of letters that his Dad wrote to his Mom when they were dating he was overseas.  I just read through them and hung on every word.  He always closed his letter with "Be sweet for me only."  I thought it was cute.  My Grandpa was in the Navy and he was a photographer.  Mom has his albums and they are filled with wonderful pics. I  love looking at them.  Wish we had some letters though..bummer. 

[kensington]

My husband just got stacks of letters that his Dad wrote to his Mom when they were dating he was overseas.  I just read through them and hung on every word.  He always closed his letter with "Be sweet for me only."  I thought it was cute.  My Grandpa was in the Navy and he was a photographer.  Mom has his albums and they are filled with wonderful pics. I  love looking at them.  Wish we had some letters though..bummer. 

I have a hatbox of the letters my husband has written to me while on deployments over the last 23 years in Chronological order! 

Won't our kids be surprised to find someday how "hot" mom and dad really were... in the day.  That man has written me letters that made me blush and almost not be able to finish reading them. 

[Gentle]

I loved reading them.  Thank you very much.  I am a South African who also had family that fought Rommel in North Africa.

Let us hope that sanity prevails and that we will never have send our children to fight in foreign lands...

Aaaah....too late!!!!

Peace

[Imabear]

Thanks for posting these.
What a treasure.

My grandfather served in France during WWI.  I never saw any of his original letters that I remember, but my grandmother did type a few of his letters, in a book she put together for the family. 
One interesting thing I learned is that after he was drafted, he had the opportunity to hear Billy Sunday preach, and decided to become a missionary at that time.  His letters from France were heavily censored.  He couldn't even write that he was doing carpentry work, and ended up calling himself a wood butcher, somehow that was allowed. 
After the war he went to Moody Bible Institute, where he met my grandmother.  They went to Venezuela as missionaries.... and stayed for 45 years. 

[princessofgod]

Yes, thank you for sharing it.

My grand-grandfather fought in Russia, and was killed by russians (he was german, so he fought for Germany.)

Its always so sad to see: There where so many people killed from both sides, its so horrible.

I mean, when I think back of the things my grandma told me- she was three or four years old, when her dad was killed and she grew up without a father- so she had to lived by her grandparents and her mom was very depressed after the death of her husband.
Its so horrible what war is. There are always families, friends, ... .
I am so glad, that I dont have to think about war in Europa and Northamerica until now; also we have to think about other things.