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

Oct 30 Sgt Hood and crew badly frightened by supposed German Radio station in Mess Hall basement. Called up CP and Lts Jones & Tyler and wire section over to surround the place. -- Tyler wanted to throw in a hand grenade, so the story goes, after T/sgt Peel com. Chief swore up and down code was coming out of the room (Now known to be full of straw)- Finally found compressed air in a stove was making noise-- Fearless Phosgene (Fassio) nearly got shot when he emerged from bldg. into ring of wiremen. Talked in evening with Gulio about some radical churches, etc. Father Divine Aime Simple McPherson. Protestant Church service in afternoon. Returned Bill's book "The Church in War & Peace." The discussions comprising this volume were given as a series of radio talks originating in the Tabernacle in Salt Lake City on the weekly Sunday evening Church program presented over Station KSL. They were so generously received by listeners over a vast area,

Oct 29- Read Mac's green sheets (going to cut out pinups-pretty snappy.)- Thompson cut my hair but short! Movie at St. Vith music hall--- "Burmuda Mystery" Ann Rutherford, Preston Foster- A private eye (Preston Foster) and a niece (Ann Rutherford) investigate when six World War I veterans start dying in the same week.

Oct 28-Journal Entry Check work at S.I.C.- Helped clean and singe 12 chickens in afternoon Cold as all get out. Answered Jim's letter-He's in an England Hospital with a bullet through his ankle.

Oct 27, Convoy back to Aldrigen-quite a bit on mail when we got here- Back to mud and sloppy food-

Oct 26- Check angles from Lellig to Mompach- check in Herborne- Ate my fill of apples while doing so- One tasted more like a pear than an apple Lt. Jones Peltx & Mac & Gindel along- Grathwol played organ in the cathedral Marilu: These small towns were all communes located in Luxembourg. Not sure where the organ was played, perhaps Lu called the Herborn church a cathedral. . Lellig is a village in the commune of Manternach, in eastern Luxembourg. As of 2005, the village had a population of 132. Mompach Mompach is a village in the commune of Rosport-Mompach in eastern Luxembourg. It is part of the canton of Echternach, which is part of the district of Grevenmacher. Until 31 December 2017, it was a commune. On 1 January 2018, the commune was merged with Rosport to form the new commune of Rosport-Mompach.  Wikipedi a Population :  1,303 (2017) Herborn   Herborn is a village in the commune of Mompach, in eastern Luxembourg. As of 200

Oct 25-Lellig to Matternach- Tied in with Party 1 on R.R.- Lt Jones & G. S. scared out of house by civilian in sports roadster0 In at noon- Transferring notes to correct notebook all afternoon- O1:20 Big Buzz Bomb barely 200 ft. overhead-going south Thundering 400 M.P.H. Machine guns fire but miss. Buzz Bombs going into 1st Army positions Lu from Rae Hight's book : For quite a while, we surveyed the areas back and forth between and through Belgium, France, Germany and Luxembourg. Though the distances were not great, the continued movement required a certain amount of reorganizing each time. By the end of October we were in the Mompach-Berbourg area of eastern Luxemboug, near the front. It was not long before German shells landed not too far away. Our main reminders that the army was just a few kilometers away were the nightly visits by "Bed Check Charlie," buzz bombs that whizzed overhead each night about midnight. The V-1 flying bomb

Oct. 24  Bech towards Echternach then Herborn to Osweiler and Herborn to Berboug- Party 1 doesn't seem to like it here-could be the 2nd fiddle idea-some of them are scared of the German Patrols-Hall wakes up screaming at nite- Usual Buzz bombs overhead-We're using 1 W.C. & 1 jeep to carry party- Apple Turnovers for supper "Mask of Dimetrios" Peter Lore in hall across from church.  While on vacation in Istanbul, mystery novelist Cornelius Leyden (Peter Lorre) is given the opportunity to view the body of the recently deceased criminal mastermind Dimitrios Makropoulos (Zachary Scott). Upon seeing the body, Leyden becomes obsessed with uncovering the story behind the crime lord's  rise to power. With the help of local police Colonel Haki (Kurt Katch), Leyden journeys across Europe, piecing together a sordid narrative of Makropoulos' life and uncovering long-buried secrets. Release date :  June 23, 1944 ( USA )

Somewhere in Luxembourg Oct. 24, 1944 Dearest Mom and all, Letter writing gets to be a catch-as-catch-can affair at times. I do my best to get down to a regular schedule on my correspondence but I'm going to have to give it as a hopeless, though desirable, ideal, and write as opportunity (and mood-sometimes even with plenty of time I couldn't sit down to it) affords itself. I guess at times the dateline on these letters makes you wonder where and what your darling boy is up to, and I wish I could tell you about it as it happens and perhaps set you a bit at ease. Anyhow when I do come home I'll be able to answer those troublesome questions and maybe have some interesting stories to tell. I only wish that this were peace time and all my family could see some of the beautiful scenes there are to see here in Europe. I wouldn't want to live over here by any means!- America is the only place to make a home-but some of the countryside scenes over here would inspi

Oct 23 -Survey-Mopech to Osweiler and Dickweiler. Shell landed in Osweiler while we were on hill above- Ate dinner-(hot chow brought out) in Hotel Schamine in Osweiler People must have left in a hurry-browsed around for awhile - picked up some postcards- Back to Herborn and surveyed over to Bech--party 1 arrived with Capt. Carter--- Buzz bombs active  during day-supposed to be huge ones with no wings---according to some s/sgt. who saw one. Small arms & m.g. (machine gun) fire rattling at intervals all day-damn close! Noticeable lack of communications wire- (usually cluttered all over previous areas) Some outfits here roll theirs up to prevent Germans cutting it at night. Cliff Hope from his book: In the morning we began surveying just east of Berbourg. I was front rod man. Most of our survey paralleled the front. In many places there was a deathly silence punctuated at intervals by an American infantryman poking his head out of the woods. Winsor made the obs

 October 21st 1944 How I did enjoy your letter of Sept 4th on my return to Teheran last night! It was longer on the way this time so I'm anxious for further word- Guess there will not be any time that is free from anxiety until we are all safely home again. Anyway I'm thankful that you are taking it with your chin up in the good old way that you have learned so well. And I know that you will be cautious and not have an accident as one of our Sergeants did here the other day when he fell and exploded a mine he was about to put in place as protection against thieves. It is terrible at best to lose our boys in battle but accidental deaths make us feel even worse. I think I know the kind of rifle you have acquired. The Germans were here a long time and they left their influence on the local Army. Their rifles are good and they shoot straight as I have repeatedly proved. However, my hunting is only hit and miss while traveling with caelry escort. I'm saving the real hun

10/21/1944- Off on D. S. at about 0930 Troisveres Lux- Wiltz- Ettelbruck, Luxembourg, Rodt/Syrgwecker and finally to Berboug---- We received a royal welcome to the tune of German 88's and 105's which killed two chiefs of section in a nearby gun Btry. and injured six---  They brought out the dead in a W. C. (weapons Carrier).  Billeted in two story home after being chased out of another (town empty of civilians) P-47 dive bombed and strafed the Germans- Came in from High Alt-Left vapor trails- Shook pears out of trees.   Cliff Hope from his book : Our fun and games ended on the following Saturday when our survey party was ordered to the Mompach-Berbourg area of eastern Luxembourg, close to the front. A few minutes after we entered Berbourg, German shells landed a few hundred yards away. Shortly after, medics carried two bodies past us. We heard that six more soldiers were wounded. That night we billeted in a house left by Luxembourgers. There I found

10/20/1944- Wrote Wes and Deane and Bud- Saw "Cassanova Brown" with Garry Cooper, Terresa Wright-in St. Vith. Fried Steak and French Fries in evening. Packed to leave on D.S. Cliff Hope from his book: Within the next week we drove to Luxembourg City and back twice. The scenery was beautiful, the terrain honeycombed with small, swift streams. On the second trip, we returned by way of Arlon, Belgium, stopping there for about an hour. Arlon was a clean, small city. The stores resembles those back home. I bought postcards, maps, steaks, three scarves, a buffet piece, and, most important of all, a small dish of ice cream. It was the first ice cream I'd had since Fort Bragg. Along the way we checked out the farm girls of the region. Some of them looked strong as oxen. I saw a girl pulling a four-wheel wagon. They had to be husky. Some of the men sized them up as "13 ax handles wide" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casanova_Brown Cass Brown is about to

10/19/1944 Raining cats and dogs- Took shower in Engineer tent-Cold steel floor- 8 letters tonight with 3 snapshots of Leona and Lynne.

Oct. 18th 1944 Somewhere in Belgium Dear Mom, Just a note to answer a few of your questions in your Oct. 3 letter which just came and to see how fast this will get there. There's a report out-the air mail isn't so good right now. Most of my news in last night's air mail to you (or rather addressed to Polly). Don't know why dad sent my letter to you to send. I get letters direct from him every once in awhile. Mip's letters must not have come through yet but I'll get one off to her tomorrow- I'm sorry I've neglected her. I hope that Pacific deal falls through. I feel the same way you do. It's no place for a gal. As far as that goes it's no place for me let alone her and I hope I don't land there. I know you'll enjoy your trip to Mexico as well as do a lot of good- Thanks for your letter, Pat, I'll try to answer in full later. My love to you all and I think of you always Love, Lu P. S. Remember A.P.O. 308

10/18/1944 Watched farmer next door slaughter a hog-singed him with burning straw. Went after load of slate for driveway- All streams overloaded-

10/17/1944 Re-hung the washing I put out yesterday- Fixed up notebook- Read papers- Washed vehicles while standing ankle deep in mud- Boys going with General in morning. Cliff Hope from his book:  Two days later, (Oct 16th) in preparation for escorting General McMahon of VIII Corps Artillery to Luxembourg City, we gave the vehicles a thorough washing at a farmhouse pump. I washed and shaved. It was the first time in months I didn't scare myself when I looked in the mirror.

Belgium Oct 16th  Dearest Mom, Polly and all, Got your letter with dad's included just now and really enjoyed it. Polly you sound like you're right back in the running again after such a terrific ordeal and it relieves me a great deal cause I was really anxious after mom's last letter. Parts of my mail has come through mighty swell in the last few days and the rest is just missing. Leona's letter last night was dated Oct-8 and dad's of Sept. 16th went clear to the U.S. and back, in this I got from you tonight Polly, in a month to the day--Don't know why he sent it home cause they've been coming from him direct quite regularly. Dad really sounds as though he's been rewarded at last for all his efforts. That horseback trip with the King of Persia sounded like something out of the Arabian knights-boy would Muriel and I have given the world to be along! My last letter from dad was received out on the Brittany Peninsula near Crozon and he was the

10/16/1944-Raining- Services at Maldigen school house- Wrote 3 letters- Got one from Dad, one from Polly- Dad took trip on horseback with King of Persia

10/15/44 Check survey turning blades angles over on RR track- Hike back-after wool knit cap Chicken dinner courtesy Okie & Farshee-French Fries & corn to boot Wine bottles of all shapes and flavors too, but I don't drink. Oh, Kahner reminded me of his famous cigar box maneuver while passing through Mayon- Lots of boys sick even Shelton & Gindel. Bliesmer & Shelton tried to puke in same can at same time- Cliff Hope: It seemed to be official policy for our convoy ... to speed up through all the towns of any size. As we were swishing through Noyon, Ed Kahner, suffering from an acute case of the GIs, had an urgent need to relieve himself. There was no stopping the BMC truck. Some of those whith him in th erear of thtruck located an empty cigar box. Using it with admirable accuracy, he did what had to be done. Cliff Hope from his book: Although we talked of living in a New York tenement the schoolhouse was considerable warmer and drier than the Gotterdamm

Oct 14- Connected with Battery II- Hope on notes- Back for sun azimuth in afternoon after many tries. Okie and Hope built our double decker bunk- Baked potatoes in evening.

October 13th St. Vith to Rodt- Triangulation-cold No dinner- muddy lanes make perfect example of World War I scene- combination of manure and mud- B Btry boy killed accidentally. Battalion History: Friday the 13th of October left its imprint on the minds and hearts of the battalion because the first casualty occurred on that day. Pvt. Joseph Turansky, B Battery, was killed when a carbine being cleaned by another GI was discharged accidentally.

Oct 12 Kitchen brought over chow- Cleaned up filth- Now 8 of us occupy two top floor rooms- Bruno, Ludwig, Gunther and I (Heydril) sleep in kitchen- good stove Filled mattress Cliff Hope from his book: After the kitchen brought us breakfast, we went on detail back to the Gotterdammerung to get our stove, the command post tent, and other items left behind. We lunched near the schoolhouse and spent the afternoon getting straw to sleep on. Survey Party Two took the third floor of the school; Okie, Mac' Winsor and I were in what had been a kitchen: and Grathwol, Peltz and Thompson were in an adjoining room. We hung our clothes on the stove at night. Eight men shaved at one table with water heated on the stove. We drank cocoa and ate sardines and fired potatoes. The beds and bed rolls took up most of the floor space. "From the Gotterdammerung to a New York East Side tenement in one day," Grathwol observed. I had a field day sorting through the library books and pam

October 11-Party two packed and left for Maldigan at 0800-SNAFU- Back at 11:30. Put up tent-worked on log cabin, packed again and left "GOTTERDAMERUNG" for good (I hope). Arrived at old 3 story school house in Aldringen- school on first floor, apartments on 2nd and third- (Place filthy with paper, food, flour, seeds, clothing and even used condoms, slept on feather bed Rifled some Nazi probaganda leaflets-pictures etc. Bruno (Mac)-"Take that light out of my eyes or I'll pound you into the floor!" As Gross woke him for guard-Further comments at 2:30 am as Schlusing was grinding his teeth, Hall and Wagner talking in sleep and numerous grunts-etc " Sounds like feeding time at the zoo, Hope!" (Back at Plougastel once wehn shells were bursting not far away, Bruno pipes up "Where's the foot powder, Hope?" Lu from Interview with Rae Hight" We pulled back to a more 'permanent base in the little hamlet of Aldrigen, a