Description
Object description
American private served with 143rd Infantry Regt, 72nd Infantry Bde, 36th (Texas) Infantry Div, Fifth Army, United States Army in Italy, 3/1944-8/1944; 143rd Infantry Regt, 72nd Infantry Bde, 36th (Texas) Infantry Div, Sixth Army Group, United States Army in France, 8/1944 and 10/1944; served with French Resistance and Office of Strategic Services in France, 8/1944-9/1944; prisoner in Disciplinary Training Centre, United States Army in Laval, France, 11/1944-5/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Brooklyn, New York, United States of America, 1925-1943: family; education; sight of President Frankin D Roosevelt; attitude to war in Europe, 1939-1941; attitude towards Nazi regime in Germany, 1939-1941; hearing news of Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, 7/12/1941; reaction to news that United States of America was at war, 12/1941; effect on his attitudes of Hollywood films; pre-war interest in photography and hope that this would be used in armed forces. Aspects of enlistment and training with United States Army in United States of America, 12/1943-2/1944: pressure he put on his father to sign enlistment papers; enlistment, 12/1943; attitude towards misuse of recruits at Fort Dix, 12/1943; arrival in Jacksonville for basic training.
REEL 2 Continues: attitude towards replacement system whereby recruits filled gaps in combat units; spare time activities in Jacksonville, 1/1944. Aspects of journey from United States of America to Italy via French Algeria, 2/1944-3/1944: arrival at Fort Mead in transit; reaction to seeing 'Why We Fight' films and how he felt they were misleading; belief that he was inadequately prepared for battle; journey from United States of America to French Algeria through Straits of Gibraltar; arrival in Oran, French Algeria, 3/1944; voyage in British troopship from Oran, French Algeria to Naples, Italy.
REEL 3 Continues: landing at Anzio, Italy, 3/1944. Recollections of operations as private with 143rd Infantry Regt, 72nd Infantry Bde, 36th (Texas) Infantry Div, Fifth Army, United States Army in Italy, 3/1944-8/1944: attempt to find comrade from Fort Mead in Anzio; allocation to first scouting role; his criticism of field tactics employed by his NCO on battlefield north of Rome; personal morale during initial experience of combat; losing touch with company near Grossetto; danger from American artillery fire south of Siena; reaction to sight of dead German and artillery horses; reaction to calling off of bayonet charge; unit withdrawal from line; story of eating five meals in five hours during leave in Rome.
REEL 4 Continues: rest and recreation at Paestum, near Salerno, 7/1944; unrequited demand for food at Salerno; attitude of rear area personnel towards front line infantrymen; question of esprit de corps in division and it's Texas label; taking surrender of group of Mongolians serving with German Army; narrow escapes experienced; under influence of alcohol at Salerno; training for Operation Dragoon in Gulf of Salerno, 7/1944-8/1944; problems synchronising landing craft.
REEL 5 Continues: move to Corsica, France, 8/1944. Recollections of operations as private with 143rd Infantry Regt, 72nd Infantry Bde, 36th (Texas) Infantry Div, Sixth Army Group, United States Army in France, 8/1944: degree of British/American liaison prior to Operation Dragoon; reaction to sight of Allied armada; prior recollection of sight of stricken North American P-51 Mustang coming down over Allied lines in Italy; shelling of coast by USS Texas, 15/8/1944; beach landing, 15/8/1944; encountering German resistance in Saint-Raphaël area; forming up at Draguignan and advance into Alpes-Maritimes Department; entry into Grenoble; reception from French civilians; attempt to find regiment.
REEL 6 Continues: conversation with French girl in Rhône Valley; background to receiving reprimand from officer, 28/8/1944; advance on M10 Tank Destroyers towards Germans near Valence; under German fire; fleeing from grenades thrown at him; destruction of his company by German rearguard and surrounding of remnants. Recollections of period with French Resistance and Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in France, 8/1944-9/1944: taking refuge in hayloft in France.
REEL 7 Continues: French Resistance plan to get American survivors away dressed as policemen; how he and his comrades were driven into German occupied Valence by French Resistance; refuge in country hotel in the Ardèche; memories of resistance leader Captain Auger; resistance's hunting for German troops; heavy casualties caused by booby-trapped roadblock; his contact with German soldier; decision of his group of fugitive American servicemen to leave Captain Auger's group to join Office of Strategic Services (OSS) group operating in area.
REEL 8 Continues: encounter with fellow American stranded in France by war; character of Captain Auger; impressions of Office of Strategic Services (OSS) group; his physical reaction to end of fighting in Ardèche area; move with Office of Strategic Services (OSS) group from Ardeche area to St Etienne, 9/1944; impressions of French Resistance leader in Saint-Étienne-de-Saint-Geoirs; entry with Office of Strategic Services (OSS) into Lyon, 9/1944; move to Grenoble; advantages of service in Office of Strategic Services (OSS) as opposed to United States Army infantry; reasons for having to return to unit; stay with Jewish English couple in Lyon. Aspects of operations as private with 143rd Infantry Regt, 72nd Infantry Bde, 36th (Texas) Infantry Div, Sixth Army Group, United States Army in France, 10/1944: reaction to rejoining unit in Vosges Mountains, 10/1944; psychological and physical state on rejoining unit.
REEL 9 Continues: German shelling of unit's bivouac in the Vosges Mountains; four day period of being Absent Without Official Leave (AWOL); opinion of quality of officer leadership in unit. Aspects of period as prisoner with Disciplinary Training Centre in Laval, France, 11/1944-5/1945: his court martial and sentencing; treatment received during incarceration; how he was released from captivity. Aspects of period with French Resistance and Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in France, 8/1944-9/1944: post-war meeting with Captain Auger; how he secured French decorations for period with French Resistance; question of consequences to him if he had not been exonerated.
REEL 10 Continues: his post-war attempts to contact people in Valence area; his need to find out what had happened to United States Army survivors from action near Valence; how he was able to piece together story of how French arranged for escape of eight Americans from hayloft in Valence area, 8/1944.