Journal Entry February 19 Transfer to 285th-and Cliff Hope

Feb 19th Transferred to 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion "To help replace men lost by Battery 'B'-murdered by Germans December 17th.

Roads to Bastogne nearly all out- one sea of mud.

Red Cross doughnuts.

Good roads to Pepinster (Near Viviers). Staying in Chateau.

Lu, in Ray Hight's book: In early February I was shocked to receive orders transferring me to the 285th FAOB. The news made quite an impact on me when I realized that I was one of the replacement troops needed after the great loss of life in the 285th during the Malmedy Massacre on December 17, 1944. This knowledge left me feeling especially responsible, and initially a bit uneasy, knowing I was filling in for a man who had been killed.

Cliff Hope: Within a few days Cpl. Lu Winsor, our note keeper, was transferred to the 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion, a transfer which I am certain was occasioned by the terrible losses suffered by the 285th in the Malmedy Massacre. I was appointed to Lu's position and later was promoted to corporal.
... During the third week of February, Lu Winsor, Blades, and Cooper left as replacements for the 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion. I hated to see Winsor go, although, as previously mentioned, it was a break for me because I got his job as note keeper. It was a definite job in the army for the first time in almost two years of service.

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Journal Entry March 27, 28th And Battalion history

March 27 Crashed B-24 March 28 Put in mike base-taped-Jeep broke tape at road intersection. Put in flash OPs. Picked up Helmet, leather. Battalion History: On 28 March, headquarters of the Barnstorming 16th crossed the Rhine, followed the next day by the Letter Batteries. With advancing armor taking the fight out of the Germans, the 16th found itself scouring the woods around Henmethal --- for prisoners, souvenirs and eggs. Souvenirs and eggs were more plentiful than prisoners. From Ray Hight's book: By the time the 285th crossed the Rhine toward the end of March, much of the area was in American hands and things were moving so quickly we hardly had time to set up. The German forces were pulling back, and there was very little opposition as we crossed the southern part of Germany almost up to the boundary of Czechoslovakia.

Journal Entry March 4th- New jacket and boots

Lu in June wearing field Jacket 1945 issue Combat Boots 1945 issue Field Jacket March 4 Got Laundry. Got ready to move. Red cross girls serve chow. Surveyed in rain. Oh yes, got new field jacket & combat boots.

October 20th, Friday-Movie, steak and fries

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...

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

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