G I Magazine Number 22

Photos will be added to this page soon

G. I. Magazine

The US Military in South Wales in World War Two

Number Twenty Two January 2014

1st Lieutenant Carroll Turner 348th Engineer Combat Battalion – See page below-

A Very Brief Extract:

"...Some of the unfortunates were dragging battalion records behind them. In spite of the early hour of the morning we were treated to a little touch of America in the form of American Red Cross girls who served coffee and doughnuts. We boarded a dehydrated something which in England passes for a public conveyance, and known to us as a train. It was so small it took considerable squeezing and wiggling to get into our compartments with our equipment on..." 5

In the News 70 YEARS AGO – Sad and Glad

SOUTH WALES ARGUS

Monday January 17th, 1944

BLACK-OUT DEATHS IN NEWPORT

In falling from an omnibus in the black-out in Dock Street, Newport, Private Delfino Sanchey, of the U.S. Army fractured his skull. He was taken to the Royal Gwent, where he was found to be dead...

SOUTH WALES ARGUS

Tuesday January 25th, 1944

MACIAS – BLAKE

On January 24, by special licence, Woodrow, third son of Mr and Mrs Dalawder Macias, West Virginia, USA, to Lucy, the youngest daughter of Mr and Mrs J. Blake, Newport.

FREE PRESS AND RHONDDA LEADER

Saturday January 15th, 1944

TO WELCOME ALLIED FORCES

CWM PARC AND TREORCHY PREPARATIONS

Once again Ward 2 is the first in the field to form a reception committee for Allied Forces shortly to be stationed locally... and supplies proof of the endeavour to return the hospitality our lads in America are receiving. A meeting with this object in view was held recently at the local boys club. No step has been overlooked to organise the 6

traditional hospitality of the district, combined with every effort to make the stay of the Americans a happy and memorable one...

To this committee has been left the duty also of arranging a reception upon the troops' arrival. It will take the form of a public meeting at the Pavilion Cinema, Treorchy...

It is very certain that our American guests will appreciate all this done on their behalf and will take back to the States memories and proof of the traditional hospitality of the Welsh mining folk..."

READERS WRITE TO SOUTH WALES ECHO

Tuesday January 11th, 1944

CARDIFF’S YOUNG BEGGARS

"…A number of Cardiff children are making a habit of embarrassing American Service men by begging alms…but surely no Cardiff children are to-day in need of food or clothing. Our American friends do not complain, but one can imagine what they think."

- WELSHMAN

"…I offered hospitality to two American soldiers at Christmastide and they did not arrive. It was a real disappointment to me and to the other guests whom I had asked to help entertain the expected visitors."

- HANDS ACROSS THE SEA, WHITCHURCH

"...I invited two American soldiers to spend their Christmas holidays with us and they duly arrived. They were thorough gentlemen in every respect and very grateful for what we tried to do for them. All they want is somewhere to relax – not so much entertaining. I have told them to make this their home whenever on leave; I hope they will accept the offer. It is the least we can do for them."

- FOR FRIENDSHIP’ SAKE, CARDIFF

7

GI HOPES IN A LETTER HOME:

"Maybe this war will be over some of these days." 8

Previously mentioned in

GIM Number Eight November 2012

Carroll Turner

I had the pleasure of corresponding with the late Mr Turner earlier this century. The following piece can be found @ http://www.combinedops.com/Overlord.htm

This gives us some idea of what happened next to Carroll and his battalion. A must-visit site!

"Considering that the invasion of Normandy involved the greatest amphibious invasion force in history it's not surprising that most accounts of D-Day itself are about Naval Ships and the ubiquitous landing craft. US Army Lieutenant Carroll Turner was with the Third Platoon, Company A, 348th Engineers and his perspective on the invading force was seaward from Omaha Beach. His job was to offload supplies from Landing Craft Tank (LCTs), across the sand and into dump trucks for distribution to the troops.

In November of 1943 his company moved to Swansea, Wales. He had many happy memories and friendships including one of a British family who happened to know the special significance of Thanksgiving to a soldier from the United States. He was invited to dinner in the course of which he produced some corn kernels his mother had sent from home. Despite severe shortages, frying fat was found and heated up and the kernels thrown in. The family was amazed when popcorn filled the pan as if from nowhere... something they'd never seen before. 9

In the spring of 1944 the Company moved from Swansea to the New Forest on the south coast of England. The trees provided cover from the unwelcome attentions of enemy aircraft but it was very damp and cold! Out of 201 troops and 7 Officers only 32 reported for duty one day, the remainder being confined to barracks with colds and pneumonia.

By the end of May Lieutenant Turner's Company were informed of their role in the forthcoming invasion although not the timing or location. Their job was to receive supplies from landing craft and to transport them across the beach to trucks. The impression was given that German resistance would be softened up by bombing and shelling and that it would be an easy walk ashore.

The men were issued with special invasion currency for France and Belgium before they went ashore. They boarded LSTs, which were "loaded to the gunnels" with trucks and heavy equipment. The LSTs were capable of 10 mph but with 'Rhino Ferries' in tow this was reduced to 3 mph. The Rhino Ferries were constructed of 4' x 4' x 6' welded steel plates with a diesel engine to the rear. Each had an operator and carried around 28 vehicles.

In the early morning of June 6th the Battleship USS Texas fired her 14-inch guns towards the German positions. The knowledge that each shell cost $10,000, a huge sum of money in 1944, brought home to Lieutenant Turner the great significance of the events that were about to unfold and of which he was a part.

As dawn broke the troops descended rope ladders down the side of their LSTs into LCVPs (Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel) which would take them on to the beaches. The rough sea and swell made the transfer difficult with their 40 lb packs on their backs. Lieutenant Turner's platoon was to land at Omaha Easy Red beach. The LCVPs and DUKWS (an amphibian vehicle) patrolled up and down the landing area but could not find a suitable place to land. The water was full of bodies and debris and, despite early reassurance to the contrary, enemy machine gun fire was heavy. Before the beach was declared available for off loading, dead bodies were removed up the hill to where the 10

cemetery is now located. 620 bodies were moved that day which had a profound and lasting effect on the men concerned.

The Infantry and Troops landed on D-Day + 1. In one area they opened the door of a bunker to reveal the frightened faces of men and boys. They were from Eastern Europe and Russia, conscripted into the German Army. They had no desire to fight. They just wanted to be taken prisoner to get a meal and a place to sleep. They had little allegiance to the German Army.

Photo: Omaha Beach in June 1944

With two bulldozers and two cranes in place and dump trucks ready to receive supplies the platoon was soon set up and ready for action. LSTs unloaded supplies into cargo nets which were picked up by the cranes and lifted into dump trucks. Early loads included barbed wire, TNT and mines. That night German 88 mm shells landed close by but failed to hit their target. Another early load comprised four tons of beef which warranted an extra guard on duty. 11

Since Lieutenant Turner was a Junior Officer, he was on night duty from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Difficult though it was he tried to get some sleep during the day.

The work of unloading about 650 to 800 tons of materials for each of the six Battalions was hard; the idea was to keep the cranes and dump trucks going 24/7. Between June 7th and August 31st they unloaded over 300 LSTs, some LCTs and ‘dumb barges". In mid June the weather turned stormy and for several days no LSTs could cross the Channel. The supply chain was severely disrupted and by the time the storm broke ammunition and food was in short supply.

The objective was to unload, and where appropriate load, the landing craft on the same tide but this was not always possible causing some vessels to be beached high and dry until the next tide. Usually three to six LSTs would be unloaded at a time.

Several weeks after D-Day the Army men had gathered enough dunnage (rough lumber used to stabilize shipments) to build a Mess Hall. The Troops appreciated eating at a table instead of individual K-Rations. Lieutenant Turner had also acquired enough wood from containers to allow carpenters to build an 'office' with space for his paperwork and a couple of beds. Some of his troops used stone walls, which in France mark field boundaries, as the sides of makeshift shelters simply by throwing a tarpaulin over them. The area at the base of the walls provided enough space and cover for them to rest and sleep regardless of the weather.

Over the succeeding weeks and months the beach was well established and supplies flowed more smoothly through them and the Mulberry Harbours. As the Allies advanced useable harbours were also becoming available so the job of Lieutenant Turner and his men on the beaches was largely done. He and his Platoon were then assigned to march toward Germany... but that's another story well outside the remit of this website

[The account was received from Judy, widow of Bill Spencer of LST 325 Blue Crew. Lieutenant Turner passed away on July 26, 2007. Bill Spencer and Carroll Turner may still be swapping stories on the deck of an LST up above]. 12

ONLINE OBITUARY

Amelia Kitzinger

1923 – 2005

Roseann Munger (John) of Tucson, AZ, and Robert J. Kitzinger (Barbara) of Portage, WI, mourn the sudden death of their mother on January 21, 2005. Amelia Kitzinger is also survived by her brother, John Whitney; grandchildren, Whitney Iger, Matthew Knox, John Munger II, Robert J. Kitzinger and Gwyneth Kitzinger, and brother-in-law, Gerald Kitzinger (Dorothy) of Marinette, WI.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Robert L. Kitzinger only fourteen months ago, after more than sixty years of marriage. Better known as "Mary", she was a nurse during World War II in England, who traveled to the United States in 1946 on the ship "Queen Mary" with their baby daughter, as one of the many war brides transplanted from Wales. A shy person, her wit and her sense of humor was the reward for getting to know her. Although a beautiful and gentle woman, her true loveliness was evidenced in her soft heart and her dedication to her family.

http://tucsoncitizen.com/morgue2/2005/02/04/137527-funeral-notices/

GIs

@

G-40 13

GI JOURNEY:

FROM 2ND ID in SOUTH WALES to the

101ST AIRBORNE in VIETNAM

MAJOR GENERAL OLINTO MARK BARSANTI

Indianhead United States Army Photo Silver Star

The son of Italian immigrants, General Barsanti truly symbolized the "Greatest Generation."

A veteran of World War II, the Korean War and the war in Vietnam, General Barsanti is best known for his combat duty in Vietnam as the Commanding General of the 101st Airborne Division.

In addition to numerous peacetime assignments during his career in the United States Army, General Barsanti also commanded and fought with the 3rd Battalion, 38th Infantry, during WWII, from the hedgerows of Normandy to the forests of the Ardennes, and was wounded five times; was one of the first Americans to land in Korea after the North Korean invasion in June 1950; participated in the invasion of Inchon, 14

Korea, and later served with the U.S. Corps units during the heavy engagements at Chosen Reservoir, Hamhung, South Korea; flew combat missions in Army helicopters in Vietnam as Division Commander and was wounded twice.

General Barsanti's Awards & Decorations:

Throughout his service, General Barsanti was awarded the following: Distinguished Service Cross; Distinguished Service Medal; Silver Star with Four Oak Leaf Clusters; Legion of Merit with One Oak Leaf Cluster; Distinguished Flying Cross; Bronze Star Medal with "V" Device and Seven Oak Leaf Clusters; Purple Heart Medal with Six Oak Leaf Clusters; Air Medal with "V" Device and Seven Oak Leaf Clusters; VN National Order (5th Class).

While at Fort Sam Houston with the 38th Infantry, 2nd Infantry Division, Second Lieutenant Barsanti soon earned commendations that led to promotions to First Lieutenant in 1941 and Captain in 1942. The latter year was very important in another respect, as it was the year he met and married Aletha Howell. At Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, Major Barsanti served as Director of the Ranger Battle Training, Second Infantry Division.

Almost immediately after their marriage, the Barsantis were packing their belongings to move to Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, where the entire 2nd Division had been transferred. At Camp McCoy, Barsanti soon became Director of the Ranger Battle Training Course, where he supervised selected soldiers to "perform difficult, specialized missions in combat." Among the components of this intensive program were night patrols, hand to hand combat, bayonet and grenade combat, explosives and demolitions training, map reading, and radio and camouflage use. In March 1943 Captain Barsanti was promoted to Major.

The intensive training soon came to direct use as the anticipated call for overseas duty arrived in October 1943. Major Barsanti was stationed in Northern Ireland 15

with the Second Infantry Division, serving as 1st Battalion Commander, 38th Infantry.

(In April 1944 the second Infantry Division moved to south Wales for six weeks prior to embarkation for the "Far Shore." At some point Major Barsanti was transferred from the First to the Third Battalion which was camped at St Mellons – Camp 88 – on the eastern edge of Cardiff. – GB)

He arrived on the coast of occupied France, at St. Laurent sur Mer, on June 7, 1944 (D-Day +1) in command of the 3rd Battalion, 38th Infantry.

Over the next eight months of battle Major Barsanti, at 26 years of age one of the youngest battalion commanders in the army, would be awarded five Purple Hearts. During the drive through France to Germany, Barsanti would receive the Bronze Star medal and three oak leaf clusters for his leadership in combat. He received the Silver Star for his success in stopping a German counterattack against his battalion in June 1944, adding an oak leaf cluster when he later assisted in the taking of a strong German position. During the Ardennes Campaign in December 1944, Barsanti’s 3rd Battalion was entrenched at the southern edge of the town of Krinkelt to block a German attack. In a four-day battle with the Sixth Panzer Army, the 38th Infantry suffered 625 casualties. 16

Although he received five wounds between June 1944 and January 1945, Barsanti remained in Europe until April 1945, when he returned to the United States for medical treatment. He left the European continent a war hero and a lieutenant colonel, a rank he achieved in August 1944. Only two of the original battalion commanders of the 2nd Infantry that landed in France in June 1944 survived the war. Barsanti was one of them.

Awarded for actions during the World War II

SYNOPSIS: Major (Infantry) Olinto Mark Barsanti United States Army, was awarded the Silver Star for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in connection with military operations against the enemy while serving with the 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division in June 1944.

General Orders: Headquarters, 2nd Infantry Division, General Orders No. 86 (1944) Action Date: June 1944 Service: Army Rank: Major Regiment: 38th Infantry Regiment Division: 2nd Infantry Division

BARSANTI, OLINTO MARK

United States Army VETERAN SERVICE DATES: 06/17/1940 – 08/31/1971 DATE OF BIRTH: 11/11/1917 DATE OF DEATH: 05/02/1973 DATE OF INTERMENT: 05/08/1973 BURIED AT: ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

Please visit:

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/ombarsanti.htm 17

GI DRIVER based in Newport: Mrs Elizabeth Jones

CAPTAIN LOUIS SCHIRM III

I saw that name on the document above and it rang a bell…I went to the files and hey presto! I found this:

Leon Kline, Quartermaster Section, 17th Port, wrote to me in 2007 at the young age of 94, about an event in Newport most probably in 1945…18

"Mr and Mrs Tilney had us for a MEAT dinner one time. He was in charge of the local movie house and wanted to show he was aware of the BIG HOLIDAY we Yanks were about to celebrate – 4 July. He asked around for our flag (to fly on our day at the movie house) and was directed to me. I LOANED him one and in appreciation (he) invited Lieutenant Lou Schirm and me to dinner."

Sadly, Leon Kline has since passed…His Obituary Next Month…

BACK TO THE SIGNED US FLAG THAT HAS COME TO LIGHT IN THE MUMBLES, SWANSEA:

= Private First Class James T. (?) Ball (off) S.S. Abraham Clark C/o US Marine Corps, US N.Y. 19

Mr John Powell pointed me to this Wikipedia entry:

"SS Abraham Clark (Hull Number 75) was a Liberty ship built ... during World War II. She was named after Abraham Clark, a signer of the Declaration of Independence from New Jersey. The ship was laid down by the California Shipbuilding Corporation, Terminal Island, Los Angeles on 3 December 1941, then launched on 2 April 1942. She took part in operations supporting the invasion of Normandy in June 1944."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Abraham_Clark

COLONEL RICHARD POWELL

348th ENGINEER COMBAT BATTALION BASED IN THE GOWER/SWANSEA AREA 1943-1944

(CONTINUED)

Last month we saw that then Major Powell was met by Major Powell of the Home Guard when his unit arrived in Swansea…

"He came by to stress the importance of enforcing the Black Out procedures. We had a laugh about the coincidence and I enjoyed his later visits while we were in that area.

It did not take long for our young men to adjust to the social opportunities and to find their favorite Pubs. Oh yes, I did have a few citizen’s complaints about loud and disruptive behavior (from) some of our people returning to their Quarters after ‘TIME’ was announced in the pub. And there were several times when our D-8 (? – GB) caterpillars mounted on flat-bed trailers would gouge out a chunk of masonry while being pulled around a corner of some of those narrow roadways. Other than that I don’t recall any people-to-people problems.

I am sure that there were many romantic interludes that I did not know of but…

To be continued next month…

From the Keystone Division

to the Indianheads

and ‘special training,’ too.

"My cousin, Martin Lind, arrived in England in October 1943. He was first assigned to the 28th Infantry Division, which trained at Porthcawl, near Cardiff. Lind wrote that he then received ‘special training,’ which he described as follows:

‘After about a month, anyone who could speak French, German or other European languages was ordered to report to battalion headquarters. When we arrived, we were asked if we wanted to volunteer for special training. To qualify one had to be 30 or under and single. Of course I was all that and gung-ho to boot. About 50 of us were mustered up.

Two weeks later we went by trucks to a camp situated on a beach in Wales. It was all sand with tents pitched on it and a few buildings. Barbwire rolls surrounded the entire camp, which was heavily guarded. As we looked through the barbwire into the camp we noticed that for some strange reason everyone ran from place to place, no one walked.

We were still outside the camp when we were unloaded from our trucks and joined men from other units. There were about one hundred of us. We all were wondering what was going on. Why all this security and why was everyone inside the camp running?..."

Thanks to Mr Stanley Adler

To be continued next time...