Winsor War Notes-Luther Snow Winsor's WW II experiences

31st Long hard day- 37 set ups- New Bivouac S Plougastell. 7 88mm shells over during night. Our Btry's all round Marilu: Sounds like it must have been difficult to get a full night's sleep. Cliff from his book: Once, in the middle of the night, we were awakened by German shells whistling overhead. Mac rolled over, sat up and asked calmly, "Hope, do you have any foot powder?" From 'History of the 16th Field Artillery Observation Battalion' - 31 August: No change in Brest military situation. city much more strongly defended than thought at first. Battalion moves basses of operations forward to area near Plougastel. (another masterpiece of understatement from the record: "some sections began using houses instead of tents as command posts and this experiment worked quite successful.)

30th Through Plougastel-HORRIBLE DAMAGE- G. (German) equipment everywhere Boys have guns, bayonets, helmets M. (machine) guns etc. Many dead around-two G.I.'s 1 free french, F. Sailor, 7 Bosch Been all over world. This is Dresden, but evokes the feeling of the observations in this journal entry.  Cliff Hope, from his book:  Most of us went a little crazy collecting Breton and German army souvenir. We sent some items home, but most of the stuff was ultimately discarded. In Brittany there was a little stealing from the friendly population. War's proverbial looting did not begin until we entered Germany the following winter. By this time, I was beginning to look like a super-duper superman, outfitted with two German helmets and a Mauser rifle complete with bayonet. From History of the 16th Field Artillery Observation Battalion: 30 August: Resistance ceases on Daoulas peninsula. The 16th has completed first combat mission. the 174th group now given task of givi

29th SAME- Still eating K's & C's Germans blow 1 span of bridge-Plau. taken Lu from his memoirs: The infantry fighting, as the circle around Brest was tightened, was brutal. This was "hedgerow" country, which provided great defensive cover and a huge obstacle to attack forces. The countryside was covered with a patchwork of small fields, each surrounded by "hedgerows". Over centuries of cultivation dirt collected in the hedges that surrounded each field. The hedges gradually became raised on high walls of soil, some of them eight to ten feet thick. The brush and small trees that formed the hedges were cut, dried and used for fuel to heat and cook with.   Since the stumps and roots were not disturbed, they grew back rapidly, and were an excellent source of energy. There was an entry way to each field, and cart roads back to the farm buildings but it was extremely dangerous for American Infantry to try to attack along these roads and through

Aug 28th RAIN RAIN and mud Lu from his memoirs: We settled into a routine of extending and improving our control surveys and existing on "K" and "C" rations and sleeping in soggy pup tents. There was lots of rain and mud and finding ways to improve living conditions was a constant challenge. As Cliff pointed out in his book, we had some talented buddies with inventive minds. Tom Fourshes, of Cadiz, Kentucky built a compact, wood fired cooking stove on which we could heat our rations, spread hot cheese on crackers, and boil eggs obtained from farmers. We found straw and dry grass to put under our bed rolls, but we never found a way to keep the water our of our fox holes. We didn't have too much incoming artillery, but I noted on August 26 'Priebe hits fox hole as I leave it going for mine as shells land in river' We also began a close relationship with our Field Artillery gun battalions. The 561st next to us were equipped with "155 Long T

My Dearest Luther- I was thrilled to find 3 "V" mail letters from you along with several from home/, and to have the news that you have a lovely daughter. When I returned to headquarters from a long, hard trip far down into the interior and up into the tribal country. I was also thrilled and touched by the tone of your letters, in which you refer to the bond of affection that has always been so strong between us. You are a father now, and you will realize more and more what it means to have such response from your own daughter, and please God Sons and daughters yet to come. I am confident that you will be home again to pick up the threads of your young live, and to carry on. It would be grand if fortune favored us so that I could call by, so to speak and we could go home together. We must keep our feet on the ground and not be discouraged if such dreams are not realized; but, it brings a certain joy just to contemplate such a thrill as that of meeting

Aug-27th French girl wanted our carbines to kill Bosch in Plougastel. Dead GI 8'{ in field-stunk-3 German prisoners sitting on hill. Saw Plougastel shelled by our tanks, etc. French Farmer Killed. Refugees pouring out. Cliff Hope from his book: The German enemy was known by various names, Jerries, Boche, (from the French), Krauts and Huns. Lu from Ray Hight's book: I was always moved by the plight of the civilians and the images of them struggling in the midst of their Homeland at war. One incident has stayed with me from when we were surveying on the edge of a beautiful pasture. As shells started coming in, a French farmer was determined to drive his cows out of the field, even if he died in the process. Sadly, the farmer and several of his cows were killed. Lu from his memoirs: On the 27th I noted that I saw Plougastel shelled by our tanks and a French farmer killed. That entry brings back a memory of a farmer trying to herd his cows out of a field wit

"Aug-26- Priebe hits fox hole as I leave it going for mine as shells land in river. Bombers start pounding Brest. B-24-17's PH 7's Slit Trench B-17 and B-24 bombers

"Aug 25 Check mike base SE of Loperhet- Boys thought German coin was booby trap. 155's going at regular intervals next door- Naval shelling "Warspite" B-26's Stars & Stripes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Warspite_(03) HMS  Warspite  was a  Queen Elizabeth -class   battleship  built for the  Royal Navy  during the early 1910s. The ship bombarded German positions during the  Normandy landings  and on  Walchern Island  in 1944, despite not being fully repaired. These actions earned her the most  battle honours  ever awarded to an individual ship in the Royal Navy. For this and other reasons,  Warspite  gained the nickname the  "Grand Old Lady" Warspite  arrived off  Ushant  on 25 August 1944 and attacked the coastal batteries at  Le Conquet  and  Pointe Saint-Mathieu  during the  Battle for Brest B-26 over France Lu, in his memoirs - On the 25th we checked a "mike base" southeast of of Loperhet. There were dead

8/24 (more later on-B17 & 24s (Flack) hit Brest Hope visits 155th Observes shelling of Brest-Gets acquainted with French girls 88s shell left & front of us (Night) (Whistle before Boom) Aug 24- First combat survey NW at Dotouenal. Shell burst 200' away in field, 2 Dead Germans on side of Rd. Lu, from his Memoirs: My journal noted on August 24th that our first combat survey took us northwest of the village of Dotouenal. there were a few enemy shell bursts in the fields next to us but none close enough to cause concern. We had an excellent officer in charge of our surveys. Lt. "Red" Tyler always considered the safety of his men as his most important duty. We spent most of our time in "infantry territory"  ecause we needed to "see" and "hear" the enemy artillery (that's why we were called Field Artillery Observation battalions). At times it seemed that we were in very dangerous situations,  but we knew tha

Somewhere in France Aug 24th Mom Dearest, Sorry I've neglected you so long, but things get to piling up over here and it's dark before I even get started with what I want to get done. Besides that, mail service is just something that "isn't" so getting mail out or in for that matter isn't a speedy process. I don't know what I can say about France other than generalities but I hope too much isn't clipped out. At least I can say the army is trying to make soldiers of us cause there's no way of living but to try to exist under field conditions as best as possible. Pup tents camouflaged and pitched as close as possible to a nice deep foxhole and a prayer that the rain won't wash you out and that the foxhole is deep enough when the krauts decide to lob over some fire works is generally the order of the day. Chow is very good if dehydrated foods, canned cheese and meats, crackers and candy sit well. The only thing I really rebel at is n

8/23/44: Convoy on to Brest-Then Guingamp, Belle Isle De Terre, Morlaix, FFI guarding bridges saw several of their encampments. Halt-1400-French gals and potato sacks, Lesneven, Then Landerneau. Took bivouac NW Landerneau for Battle of Brest-A & B Btry out putting in Flash & Sd. Hope Mak and Ben the brook-On M. G. Germans held town 3 days before arrival. Kindel and I pitch tent in edge of blackberry patch 561 FA 155's to our south firing all night (& from then on) 561st field artillary 155 mm howitzer Lu, from his memoirs: ' Our' war really started on the 23rd (the history continues)--- When Major Ramsey, S-3 met General Macmahon VIII Corps Artillery commander at a rendezvous point in the Lesneven area and received orders committing the battalion to combat. Headquarters and B Battery were attached to the 174th Field Artillery Group with the mission of providing survey control and locating enemy targets by sound and flash. The

Convoy 10:00 Fougers, Antrain, La Bousac, Dinan, High Bridge repaired by U.S. G. Sign across St. "welcome at our liberators" St. Brieuc- 4 year old threw onion and called sweetly in english "I love you" Many "vive la america" more gifts of apples, eggs, onions, even buttered bread, 2 slices to our truck. Cognac for pack of cigs. Threw many cigs to people- Miserable night in Bivouc w of st. Brieuc- Guard- Rain Mud-Camouflage net crushing pup tent- Priebe too much cognac- Morale strengthened by French warmth, antagonized by SNAFU officers. Lu, from his memoirs: The battalion History noted: "On 22 August the battalion liaison officer returned with orders attaching the battalion to VIII Corps Artillery for a mission in the Brest Area." Brest is located on the very tip of the Brittany Peninsula, and has a large and deep harbor. The Germans had established a major submarine base there ,with covered 'submarine pens' and huge

"8/21/ Move tent in rain-0-latrine French baby From Lu's memoirs: My Journal noted on the 21st that I moved my tent in the rain and helped dig an officer's latrine, also that I saw a farmer's baby dressed in an elaborate lace dress and cap. We really were welcomed into their farm cottages and they were delighted to show us their treasured heirlooms, passed down for many generations. The whole atmosphere on the Brittany Peninsula (except for the effect of the war) was that of 17th century rural France, stone cottages, hedgerow lined fields, plow oxen, high wheel carts and almost no farm machinery.

"8/20/44 Convoy from c-19 near Foucarville Vehicle HQ 15-With Hope, McNamara, Downing, Kindel, Shelton, Priede, Henderson Leave 1/30-St. Mere Eglise Carentan, Pierrs, (Center virtually destroyed), Constanses (Edge), Granville (Beautiful view of ocean) Skirting Avaranches Numerous German convoys, guns and tanks (US tanks too) destroyed- St Hlair (extensive damage) and Landran- Bivoac in Field Germans out 3 weeks- Dugout-Apple orchard. - Dig slit trenches-Fill in morning. C Rations-Farmer and wife with cider and water to wash in Stood in vehicle all way- Like parade Sunday-crowds on highway- "V" sign-apples-onions-flowers-cognac From Lu's memoirs: On August 20th we moved in convoy through Ste. Mere Eglise and Carentan, following the invasion route of the American forces just before the break-through south of Cherbourg. Signs of the fierce fighting were everywhere. The center of Periers was almost completely destroyed, wrecked German and Ameri

"8/19/1944 Camouflaging vehicles with nets as hedgerows G.M.C. to showers through rain-No shower 4 man tent with Hope, Mac and Kindel. Sponge bath and shave" Lu's Memoirs: As we began our first day in 'combat' I'm not sure how many of us knew whwere we were going or what our objective was. We were not exactly in close contact with the enemy while in 'Holding Area B', but our first orders were to drape our newly woven camouflage nets over the vehicles and to pitch our 'pup tent' in places that were as inconspicuous as possible.  Just before leaving England I began writing and abbreviated journal in a small 3" x5" loose leaf note book. On Aug. 19 I noted that besides camouflaging the vehicles near the hedgerows, I pitched a four man pup tent with Hope, Mac and Kindel, also that we took off in a G. M. C. to where some showers were supposed to be. The only showers we found were the rain drops that fell on the truck, and there w