Time to Start Writing Again

Hello again - I have gotten off track with posting copies of Letters from a Foxhole, but it is time to start posting again! There was a large "gap" in letters from Dad to Geraldine from what appears to be the end of his Basic Training until he starts writing again from Europe.

What is a bit confusing is there are no letters between May 19, 1944, and October 23, 1944. According to Dad's service papers, he left the United States on August 11, 1944, and arrived in Europe on August 28, 1944. I have not been successful in finding out where he left the U.S. from, or on what ship. So, I don't know exactly when his Basic Training ended or where he was for a period of a few months. His letters start up again in October 1944 which I have already posted in previous posts.

I do know that in July 1944 the U.S. Third Army moved into England and that on July 30, 1944, Third Army was billeted at Wilmslow, England to prepare for a move to Southampton Marshaling Area C-6 for embarkation across the English Channel. Apparently, Dad's troopship landed in England on August 28, 1944, and over the next several days moved forward from England, cross the English Channel to catch up with the 319th Infantry of Third Army and reported for duty in Toul France on September 8, 1944, with HQ Company, 3rd Battalion, 319th Infantry Regiment. Below is a copy of the Morning Report stating that Bruce Dodson reported for duty on September 8, 1944.

I have done considerable research during this break in an effort to try and figure out where he went and how he got there, but I haven't had much luck. I have found several historical records however and can therefore at least write about where and when his outfit left the U.S., where they landed and went from there. I have also discovered a large volume of "Morning Reports" from military records and I did find the record of Dad's reporting for duty in France. So...from the end of his Basic Training, until he reports for duty in France, I am using general records to try and piece together his route.

Over the next several posts I will be writing about this "lost" period of time and several  "backdated" letters.  I will also be writing as best as I can about the several aspects of WW2 as a bit of background on the overall war efforts. Letters from a Foxhole is specifically about the time my Dad spent in Europe during the war, but his time there is but a very small piece of what a "Word War" was all about.