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

Thursday Nov 30- Showers in girls school in Trovieres M.P. E. M. Throwing bull with Jones about Tommy guns-F-the officers says he-Lt. Jones quietly laughs- Payday 792 Belgique Francs Cleaned out box in No. 16 W. C. 4 letters, 1 from mom.

Wed Nov-29- Saw V2 rocket go up while going to chow- Buzz Bomb cut out-dud- 3 letters from Leona

Tuesday Nov-28  Helped Gindel fix flat tire on jeep- Typhoid Shots at 13:00 by Wiley- Wagner took his little brass image "Skiner Back" Down for the shortearm ( short term?)

Mon Nov-27   Church in afternoon. Communion- Carol bursts in at end of service-sees Muller and bellows out "Greetings C___ S____" then looks up-sees the chaplain and tears out red faced

Nov 26  Finish mike survey in morning-saw 2 buzz bombs-one cut out and exploded just after it passed us. Saw show in St. Vith "Mask of Dimetrious" again. Lights on tonight- Got out a bunch of xmas cards. 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.

November 26th 1944 Hi Darling, Nice card, eh? Hope I get to visit the Arc De Triomphe and other sights of Paris. The thing that looks best to me on this card is the string of boats heading to the U. S. The day that I'll be on one of them heading for home and you and Lynne can't come soon enough. I'll write more tonight darling. Loads of Love -Lu-

Nov- 25  More work on sd. base- In Forest NE of St. Vith- Still no lights at night- Anfuso & Lt. Jones chasing rainbows- Hundreds of B-17s & fighters overhead- Rain & Sunshine at same time.

Nov-24  Party out on sound base-put in 4 mics on 3 base- all boys got wet crossing stream- C.O. Shelton broad jumped in one- Lights out at night.

Nov-23- Thanksgiving service in Oudler theater (off bar-room) Good dinner at 16:30- Big slab of turkey breast- Letter & package from Leona- Lots of soap, 3 pr-sox-toothpaste & shaving cream.

Belgium November 23rd Dearest Mom and all, Just a note to go with the card. I've been waiting in vain the past few weeks for mail, but it just doesn't come through. I've had three letters from Leona and that's all. My case of the G. I.s (Gastric trouble-running to the little outhouse at all times of the day or night) is all over and I'm feeling great again. All of the first snow is gone now and we're having a siege of mud and cold rain. Boy, what I wouldn't give for a little of that good old Utah fall weather. Oh, it rains and snows there in the fall, but nothing compared to this place. Well today is Thanksgiving day and I certainly wish I could be at home to enjoy it there. Oh boy, what meals we used to have and with all the family around the table too!  I think our turkey dinner today is going to be plenty good, but being with the family is the best part of Thanksgiving. Anyway, I'll write again soon. Love, Lu Cliff Hope fr

Nov-21 Wrote Leona a V Mail for change-read most of day- Held rollicking revival jam session in Anfuso's room- all kinds of songs, stories and scrolls of honor presented by Gulio-stories by Jan Cristian Schlusing drive Jim O'Conel into hysterics- and ??ck Kindel from the room- "there once was a man from Ghent, etc"

Nov - 20    Party stayed in today- I made hubs for future use-Reading "The Late George Apley".

Nov-19th Buzz Bomb junction still earning name- Motors now have shed completed east of house

Nov. 18- 8 Calls to nature during night- Cold as hell in that little outhouse- Back on sick call this morning-feeling pretty weak- (Soup for two meals yesterday and a dab of cereal for breakfast) Stayed all morning at medics. Bliesmer & Karchner back from Paris brought back some Parfume and a flock of stories about Paris including some Zig-zig, Suc.Suc ones. Marilu-some research on slang suggests zig zig might mean zig zag, or being drunk. 

Nov. 17, Sick call again. The G.I's still working but no temp. Wagner & Kindel & gindel back at noon from Arlon- Walker sent them out for wood immediately- I spent most of day down in motors. G.I's increasing tonight Marilu-Just in case anyone doesn't know the term, GI's in this context is what we would call the 'runs' or the 'trots', Stands for Gastro-Intestinal.

Nov 16 - Temp. was 100 degrees again by morning. Spent day in quarters reading and sleeping. Buzz Bombs still tearing over.

Nov-15 Shelton & Fourshee back from Paris-I went on sick call at noon- Temp 100 degrees- took Paregoric and Bizimuth. Temp. Down at 500 o'clock. Kasey came over to check up- Party worked all afternoon. Got sick again with terrific abdominal pains and nausea- Ambulance took me to infirmary at 1:30 am.

Nov- 14 - Wrote long letter to Leona-hope she takes it right. Bliesmer & Karshner left for Paris- New Sig Nu in outfit from U. S. C. Jim O'Connell- Cliff Hope took sick at about 2300 with chills & fever. Sent to Hospital.

Nov- 13- Sawed some wood with Wagner- Church-1400 Bill brought burp gun over for Andrews in B btry. Beer at chow. SOVIET BURP GUN For an article on this gun click on the following link: the-burp-gun-was-ugly-but-did-it-spray-lead-

Nov 12-Sunday-Made Beaver board back for writing folder and for clipboard

Belgium November 11th 1944 Dearest Mom,  I was going to wait til I had a letter from home before writing, but something's screwing up the mail, so I'll get this off to you and sure as shootin' I'll get a letter from you tomorrow, it's worked several times before. It looks like the first snow is going to melt and leave things muddy again. For several days it really came down and the landscape was beautiful. It was quite warm all the time it was snowing too, which was quite a relief. You ought to see some of these Belgian girls when they get into a snowball fight with some of the boys!  Most of them have lost their shyness and really have a jolly time giving the boys a drubbing-and I mean they can do it too. One of the boys grabbed a buxom gal round the waist intending to wash her face with snow but instead he ended up on his back getting his fill of the snow.  I'm waiting anxiously to hear how your trip to Mexico turned out mom. I'll bet it w

Nov 10-Went to Blicalf Germany with motors and some of Pty. II-Mac-Bliesmer, Kiser, Anfuso, Ryan, D.O. Adams, McRay, Pawling, Gilbert, Cravener. Went to rr. tunnel factory. Half of Double tunnel utilized with heavy lathes., drill presses etc. on floor of tunnel slanted to wall and supply and packing rooms on second floor. Millions of dollars worth of machinery there in tunnel 400 meters long. Saw Buzz bomb come over very low while eating K ration in Heat treatment bldg. took back a load of beaver board and lumber.

Nov 9-Started snowing today big flakes-wrote letters

Nov 8 Election rumors-Pauling, Ryan etc. claim Dewey in lead 0900 B.B.C. states that Dewey concedes election to Roosevelt. Hope sad but Gross is downright dejected. Oh well, maybe F.D.won't last for a 5th term. Chopped wood after Hope & Chuck sawed off logs with electric saw. Franklin Delano Roosevelt Thomas E. Dewey The Republicans nominated  Thomas E. Dewey , the governor of New York, who had a reputation as a liberal in his party. The opposition accused Roosevelt and his administration of domestic corruption, bureaucratic inefficiency, tolerance of Communism, and military blunders. Labor unions, which had grown rapidly in the war, fully supported Roosevelt. Roosevelt and Truman won the  1944 election  by a comfortable margin, defeating Dewey and his running mate  John W. Bricker  with 53.4% of the popular vote and 432 out of the 531 electoral votes. [325]  The president campaigned in favor of a strong United Nations, so his victory symbolized support for

Nov 7- Wrote Dad-Church at 1400- Today Election day much discussion of politics- Buzz bomb interrupted me while making a cup of cocoa-Shook whole house- Passing overhead about one every 10 minutes-went out and watched one-red flash.

Nov 6- Stayed in again all day-wrote letters and slept. Battalion History On 6 November, Baker Battery closed station and moved to Mondorf, south of Luxembourg City. the sound base was no sooner in operation than the battery was relieved by Battery A of the 285th observation. The army does things like that! Add firsts: Le. Alton Tyler, assistant survey officer of HA Btry., was the first man in the battalion awarded the Bronze Star. The citation reads in part, "...as survey platoon leader...during operations against For of Brest...did display courage, coolness, skill and disreagard for personal safety....always reconnoitered ahead and made certain that all avenues for survey were freee of mines and small arms fire prior to entrance of his survey parties...real leader of his men...act of gallantry erased all signs of nervousness, anxiety and fear from his platoon...he had inspired his platoon to a pitch where fear practically is non-existent."

 November 5 Sunday -rested. saw U. S. O. show in St. Vith- M. C. (Magician), Mex- Brunette singer, Husband- dopey music on saw, tire pump balloon, accordion player- Blonde torch singer-kissed Moffet on stage- Troupe stayed at Bn. C. P. 

11/4/44 Completed control from Munsbach to Oetringen to Comach in Rain and wind. Ate lunch "k's" in Conach- little girl brought us some hot cocoa and was it good! Muddy cold ride back home by way of Diederich and Etelbruch. More steak and French fries. Shaved and washed. Crossed a lot of borders since November 1st- Belgium to Germany to Belgium to Germany to Belgium on November 1st - Belgium to Luxembourg 2nd- Luxembourg to France (Lorraine) to Luxembourg the 3rd.

Nov-3- Trav-Elingen to Monsdorf Bad- Into the Lorraine country of France to Puttelange- Then Monsdorf to Aspelt- Pastry & bread in Monsdorf very good- Tanks cavortin' in Altwies Cooper Drunk sticks jeep- Hope sticks W. C. 16- Ate scrapings of the 330th Inf chow-custard- Ate steak and potatoes cooked in house in Flaxweiler- Slept on bed Schlusing ground teeth- Cold as the N pole- Developed bad cold Marilu -This entry mentions food several times. Chow sounds like it was not always very good and with their travelling around they weren't necessarily close to a chow tent at a meal time. At least they were able to cook some for themselves. This particular day sounds fairly miserable except for the times when they had some good food to eat. Their vehicles both got stuck in the mud, one driver was drunk, it was really cold, and Lu was increasingly feeling ill as the day progressed.

November 2nd 1944 Both parties Left for Luxembourg, following main routes- Ate 'K' rations at Flaxweiler-  B. M. ran control down Main Hwy. to Rodt/SYR- Followed RR to Munsbach- Nice long shots Mess situation with 81st FA (Field Artillary) SNAFU-"K" Rat.- Slept in Hay Loft in barn, Crintage, Peltz, Mac- "Sister" Elting, Thompson and Kiser in Same Sec. Nice and Soft- Asleep by 07:30 Boys got beer in Cafe De La Gare-muns-

Nov 1, Out in Germany checking "B" Sd. Base    (Sound Base) Followed Main Rds. through Oudler & Burg Newland-    Took off B.M. on Hill by blown up Ob.Twr (Log)-         (Observation Tower) Down muddy side rds Saw an all wood road being built. Dinner of K-Ration and grapefruit. German multi-barreled rocket gun pumped 8 or 9 rockets in rapid succession into hill from which we took off- Whistle something terrific- Learned details of great Debache at Lopscombe corners  (Marilu-I'm not totally sure about that word, I wanted to say debacle, but there is clearly an 'h' there. I can't find any reference to this event either- at least so far) Marilu -Lu's reference to an all wood road reminds me of the description of Corduroy Roads which were made of small logs placed close together. I think they were meant to keep vehicles from being mired in the mud, but could be really jarring to ride over.    A corduroy road or log road i