As I wrote in a previous blog, both of my brothers served overseas in World War II, and when they could they wrote letters home which were eagerly awaited by my parents, who were kept busy writing letters back. In the days before the Internet and Skype, the handwritten letters were the only form of communication and sometimes it would take weeks for mail to catch up with the soldiers who were always on the move.
Although the boys couldn't write any specifics about what they were going through, they were able to slip in a few clues and innuendos which made it through the censors.
In my recent diggings through old stuff, which is an ongoing activity for me, I unearthed a letter from brother Gale Enger sent from Germany on June 6, 1945--one year after D-Day. Since the censorship restrictions were lifted by then this letter gives more details of his activities. He would have been just 21 years old at the time.
CENSORSHIP AND OTHER FRUSTRATIONS
"June 6th, Germany
Today is an Army holiday. I don't know if it is the States or not. One year ago today was D-Day and the general has given us a day off to celebrate it. At last this business of mail censoring is over and we can write what we want to. So now I can tell you what has happened to me.
We left New York on the Queen Elizabeth on August 28th, 1944. She is the largest ship in the world (10 feet longer than the Queen Mary). Because she is so fast, we didn't travel in a convoy, but went alone. A sub chased us on the third night out, but couldn't catch up. Every eight minutes we changed course, so we made a zig-zag pattern.
On Sept. 5 we came to port at the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. (This was the only port big enough to hold our ship that was out of range of the Robot bombs.) We boarded a train and went to a camp in England where we stayed a month. From there we went to the southern part of England and boarded an LST (one of those boats that the front end opens up). We crossed the channel and approached Omaha Beach around midnight. These LST's have a huge anchor that they drop hundreds of yards out in the ocean and then they run for the beach at full speed. When they want to leave, they wind up the anchor cable and that pulls them backwards. We hit the beach at midnight and waited until 2 'clock for the tide to go out. That left us sitting high and dry, out of water. Then the front end opened and we rolled out with our trucks. We slept on the beach that night and the next day took off thru France till we came to the city of Pennes. There we set up our shop and stayed.
I finally got tired of that and asked for a transfer to a combat outfit. Two weeks later I was on my way to Infantry training depot at Compeinge, France. (That's where that railroad car is that the Armistice of the last war was signed and where Hitler made France surrender in 1940.)
I stayed there and took Infantry training for nine weeks (On the way down I stopped at Paris for three days. At the end of three days I was broke! ) Then I headed for the 417th Infantry Regiment of the 76th Division. (Stayed one night in the Maginet line (?) When I got to the 76th Headquarters I was interviewed and due to being in an Engineer outfit before was sent to the 301st.
The night before I got to this outfit they had built a bridge across the Sauer River at Ectienoch, Luxembourg in the Siegfried line and had a number of casualties. One of their truck drivers went out in a boat and was missing in action, so I took his place. That's when it was toughest, thru that Siegfried line. It was more heavily fortified than Saipan, Okinawa or Tarawa. After we got thru that we continued across Germany with the Third Army, usually as a spearhead with Patton's tankers. We bridged rivers and fixed roads, cleared mines, and blew out road blocks so the tanks could get thru. If you remember the trap we made where the Moselle and Rhine rivers join up.
That night I got my first chance to bring an assault boat across the Moselle. We took the 417th Infantry across. Four of us Engineers were in a boat and 12 Infantry. We were there to take the boats back again. Our boat made two trips that night. Next day we took our trucks across and again spearheaded with the tanks and cleaned out that pocket.
We finally ended up at Clausnilz, Germany, the farthest into Germany of any division of any army over here, and the closest to the Russians of any of them. We were supposed to make contact with the Russians but the 69th Division screwed up and sent their patrols out too far, so they made it instead. In fact we were in Russian territory so we had to pull back to the town of Crimmitchau, where we are now. It was all pretty exciting and a lot of fun, although there were times when my happy home in the U. S. looked pretty far away. All this time old C. J. (our Uncle Clarence Erbes) was right behind us, sending out those good old 155's. I'm going to spend the next weekend with him at Geia.
Well, I'll write more later, now that censoring is kaput. It's hard to write when one of your own officers reads everything. I suppose Billie (our older brother) is home now or on his way, at least. He wrote me and said he had 100 points. He only needs 85 for discharge.
So long for now and write again,
Love to all,
Gale."
Brother Bill who was overseas from 1942-45 wasn't too keen on the censors either. This was his take on the situation in a letter dated April 10, 1943: (He was in North Africa with Patton's forces at the time).
"Dear Folks,
I wrote a letter to you yesterday but this morning the Censor gave it back to me and said I had to rewrite it. Sometimes these Censors make me mad; they don't seem to realize that it's hard enough for us to write a letter in the first place without having to rewrite it. It seems strange that the newspapers and radio commentators can say what they wish and prophesy the future but we soldiers can't even mention the name of a lousy city!!
I suppose I can't even tell you that the war is over here in Africa, but anyway, it is! The Nazis are being made prisoners by the thousands so it looks pretty good for us right now. What will happen next, I don't know, but I'm dropping you this line to let you know that I'm still O. K.
I received your packages containing money belt, candy, mirror and socks. Thanks a lot. I'll close now and write more when we get back to a rest camp.
Love,
Billie"
WHAT A WAY TO SPEND CHRISTMAS EVE!
From Belgium on Christmas Eve, 1944:
"Merry Christmas! It's only a few hours now until Santa comes but before hanging up my stocking, I'll drop you another "weekly letter"--late as usual.
Everything here is going as well as can be expected, considering everything. I imagine the headlines are full of news of the "Western Front" these days. If everything goes well tho, there's nothing to worry about--this breakthrough might yet turn out to be a help rather than a hindrance--Time will tell.
The weather has improved considerably. The past two days have been freezing cold, but nice and bright. We also have just enough snow for a Christmas atmosphere. One of the fellows cut down a tree and just brought it in. Of course, we don't have any lights or decorations but, nevertheless, the tree alone helps quite a bit.
One pitch black night we moved, me driving our captured German truck. What a wreck--no lights, no brakes, no nothing. For the first mile I did quite well by following the taillights of the vehicle in front. Then all of a sudden I stopped with a "bang", and upon investigation I found I had clipped a Sherman tank which was parked along the road. (Needless to say I came off second best, ha!) It took about ten minutes to disentangle ourselves but soon I was rolling merrily along again.--Pretty soon I noticed another convoy coming towards me, so to play safe, I pulled over to the side of the road and stopped in order to let them pass Then, two halftracks hit my truck again (and again I came off "second best.") At the same time, we had some "visitors from the air" so I jumped into a ditch for a while. Then it started to rain and before I got to my destination I clipped a couple of posts and a few other little things. I finally arrived about 5 o'clock the next morning and found that everyone was worried, not about me but because their bedrolls were on the truck--What a night!!
Well the coffee is beginning to boil, warning me that it's time to quit and grab a cup while grabbing is good!
Love,
Billie "
PROMISES FROM THE WESTERN FRONT
(From my big brother Billie to me, February 1, 1945 when I was five years old)
"Dear Nonie,
The pretty birthday card which you sent came a little while ago. I surely was happy to know that you thought of me. When your birthday comes, I will be back home and I will buy you anything you want for a present---so start thinking!
Love,
Billie"
Billie on leave with Mom Effie and sisters Hope and Nonie
Actually Billie did send and bring several presents from far away places. To name a few, a navy girl and a soldier boy doll, a pair of child's wooden shoes from Holland, a stuffed cat, and a sequined purse from Paris which I still have to this day.
My parents saved every letter that they received from both of their sons. Several years ago Billie's grandson Ross Enger transcribed all of his grandfather's letters and put them in a book for all the family to read. Following his lead, I did the same with Gale's letters. I still go back and read them from time to time. Billie passed away from cancer in 1982 and Gale is now 88 years old and living in Oklahoma. MEMORIES ARE FOREVER!
Gale Enger and uncle Clarence Erbes ran into each other overseas;
they remained best buddies forever after.
