9. Off to War...

Early August 1942
We are told deployment overseas is imminent. We still do not know where we are going for sure, but we believe it will be the United Kingdom.

Sunday, August 2, 1942


A post card of the camp headquarters at Camp Edwards, sent to my mother: "Well this is a quiet Sunday. I have been washing some clothes. The sun was shining and it was nice and warm but now it has clouded up and is chilly. I had a $40 money order sent to you yesterday. Hope you got it. As Ever, Howard"


Monday, August 3, 1942


We are issued identification cards on August 3, 1942, as we prepare to deploy.










We all double check our address books before we deploy overseas. This is a page from my address book:










Tuesday, August 4, 1942

Movement to the New York Port of Embarkation began on August 4th with one train-load of troops following at about one-hour intervals from Camp Edwards to Pier 13 on Staten Island, where movement was completed on August 5th, and the Brigade was embarked on the S.S.'s Wakefield and Batory [Allen, 28].

Thursday, August 6, 1942
Leave Brooklyn, N.Y. at 5 a.m. on USS Wakefield. We join a convoy of ships and sail in a northeasterly direction toward Nova Scotia.

USS Wakefield [courtesy: www.far-eastern-heroes.org.uk]

The USS Wakefield was formerly known as the SS Manhattan, a luxurious passenger liner that had been launched December 6, 1931. The ship was chartered by the U.S. Government on July 6, 1942 for a period of six years and the name changed to Wakefield, named after an American shrine, the birthplace of George Washington. She safely delivered the 1st Engineer Amphibian Brigade to Glasgow, Scotland in August 1942. On the return trip, a fire of unknown origin broke out on September 3, 1942, which could not be controlled. Special fire-fighting equipment was flown in and the fire was finally extinguished on September 12th. [Allen, pages 31-32].

WAR UPDATE: AUGUST 7, 1942. British General Bernard Montgomery takes command of the Eighth Army in North Africa.

Saturday, August 8, 1942
Anchored in harbor at Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Sunday, August 9, 1942
We are joined by several other ships in Halifax and our group moves out today, following a northern route past the shores of Newfoundland and into the dangerous North Atlantic. We sail just south of Iceland and around the northern tip of Ireland to drop anchor at the Firth of Clyde, near Glasgow, Scotland.

Monday, August 17, 1942
Arrive at Glasgow, Scotland.

Firth of Clyde, Scotland. [photo by Dave Souza]

Wednesday, August 19,1942

Arrive at Belfast, Northern Ireland. Unload from ship USS Wakefield and load on smaller ship, sort of a ferry boat and go to Londonderry. Go by truck to Beach Hill Camp, which is about 3 miles from Londonderry and very close to border of Irish Free State. Here we train very hard for several weeks. We really are getting fed very good. Every one is very husky and in best physical condition of our lives.

Guild Hall in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, dominates the landscape. [courtesy: www.planetware.com