Journal of R.T. Tichenor Jr

Written during WWII

1945

  

 

(1)

 

Monday  04/21/1945 

Came aboard ship, SS Brazil, at N.Y. harbor - worked all night making out detail lists.

 

Tuesday 04/22/1945

Pulled out of harbor at 5:30 A.M.  Saw the Lady of Victory (statue ofLiberty)  She looks beautiful in the early morning fog.  I wonder how long it will be before I see her again.

 

Wednesday 04/24/1945       

Second day at sea and the water is still calm.  This convoy makes a beautiful picture at sunrise and sunset.  Around  ???? along.  Planes and blimps have all left us now and we are really on our way. I am working in personnel office taking care of the morning report and mail.

 

Thursday 04/25/1945      

Nothing new has happened out here. Although the war news sounds great.  I doubt it we get there in time.

 

Friday 04/26/1945   

Eightday (Fourth Day?) at sea, and lot men are getting sick.  Hope my lunch holds out. The water is getting rough now.

 

 

SS Brazil

 

 

(2)

Saturday 04/28/1945       

This ship is really tossing around this morning and nearly everyone looks a little pale.  I still feel O.K.

 

Sunday 04/28/1945   

This our 6th day out and still nothing but water in every direction.  Wish I could go to mass this morning but there is not a Catholic Chaplin aboard.

 

Monday 04/29/1945   

a little excitement aboard today as we havedropping depth charges all morning. There is a lot of talk of subs.

 

Tuesday 04/30/1945

Still looking for subs and everyone hoping we don’t find any. Water rough.

 

Wednesday, 05/01/1945. 

Everything is back quiet this morning and we are expecting Germans to surrender any minute.

 

Thursday, 05/02/1945

Spotted a sea (gull?)  while on deck today land must be getting close. Germans are still fighting.

 

Friday, 05/03/1945

Special broadcast says Germans have surrendered inNorway and Northern Germany. Europe very happy also have surrendered inItaly.

 

Saturday, 05/04/1945

We are just outside English Channel this morning waiting for darkness before entering for fear of submarines

 

 

(3)

 

Sunday, 05/05/1945

We are in Le Havre Harbor today but have to wait another day before we dock. This place is really a wreck.

 

Monday, 05/06/1945       

Got out of the Brazil at 4 pm this afternood.  Talk of V E Day very strong.  We are in the 15 regimental depot.

 

Tuesday, 05/07/1945     

The war is over according to reports here this morning. Not much celebration though.

 

Wednesday, 05/08/1945

All hostile resistance has ended, I am celebration by attending mass. A great day for the people of Europe.

 

Thursday, 05/09/1945

Not doing much today except waiting for  orders.  No one knows what we will do now.

 

Friday, 05/10/1945

Left Le Havre Harbor (2) this morning and am now in a box car going through France. 32 of un in this car and there is only room   for 24 to lie down. They say we will ride for five days.

(4)

Saturday, 05/11/1945

Still riding, couldn’t sleep any last night. I had much rather be marching through France. However, this is a lot better than the ones before us had.

 

Sunday- 05/12/1945

We have stopped for the past 8 hours. Don’t know what we are waiting for. We will soon be in Germany.

 

Monday- 05/13/1945

Still riding, some place in Germany today.  There is lots of destruction and all towns seem to be ghost towns. The Germans have paid a heavy price.

 

Tuesday- 05/14/1945

Getting off the train today in Nuremberg, Germany.  Can see the Great Stadium where Hitler made his annual speech.  His first was in 1934 when he told the people that today we rule Germany and tomorrow the world.  We are moving on up the road about 50 miles to a camp to wait for further orders.

 

 

(5)

 Wednesday- 05/15/1945

We are now in a German S.S. camp and have things pretty nice. This is where Hitler’s crack troops trained.  I got to take a hot shower today and got the last blac from the train ride washed off.

 

Thursday- 05/16/1945

Not doing much today. Just resting and enjoying life. Went swimming this afternoon and got a sunburn.

 

Friday- 05/17/1945

Still drifting around. Food is ??? but we have sun and a couple of good shows also V.S.O. show.

 

Saturday- 05/18/1945

Turned in all excess equipment today. Looks like we are getting ready to move on farther. We are part of General Patton’s 2nd Army now and they are still fighting a little in Czech

 

Sunday- 05/19/1945

Went to mass this morning. The priest was a foreigner, don’t know what nationality. This afternoon we moved into Czech by way of truck.  I am now guarding prisoners out side of Pilsen Czech. We will move back to Pilson in a few days. This is the first time I have used my pup tent since I left home.

 

Monday- 05/20/1945

Really have a bunch of Germans corralled down in the valley here. Did have a lot of ??? but they have moved out to the GI’s disappointment.

 

Tuesday- 05/21/1945

Went to a dance last night but didn’t enjoy it very much. Had to walk three miles in the rain and then pull one hour of guard duty.

 

Wednesday- 05/22/1945

Moved back into Pilsentoday andwe are staying with a very nice lady and her son. They can’t seem to do enough for us.

 

Thursday- 05/23/1945

Marching ??? today and getting equipment cleaned up for a parade.

 

(6)

Friday- 05/24/1945

Have been out looking aroundPilsen today and doing a little shopping. Had a hard time of making the peopleunderstand what I wanted. They are very nice to the GI’s.

 

Saturday- 05/25/1945

With the exception of a little close order drill, I have spent the day reading.

 

Sunday- 05/26/1945

Went to mass and confession this morning and then for a walk through Pilsen. Not much to occupy yur time.

 

Monday- 05/27/1945

Still loafing, wish I could get some mail from home.

 

Tuesday- 05/28/1945

Went to work at ??? today as  clerk for court martial’s trials, don’t know for how long.

 

Wednesday- 05/29/1945

Spent most of the day practicing on my typing as I didn’t have  my ???

 

 

End of Journal

 

*Pilsen Czech Republic

 

Following Czechoslovak independence from Austria in 1918 the German-speaking minority in the region were unhappy with their change of status and unwisely allied themselves to the Nazi cause after 1933. In 1938 Pilsen became literally a frontier town, briefly, after the creation of the Sudetenland moved the Third Reich borders to the city's outer limits. During the Nazi occupation from 1939 to 1945 the Škoda Works in Pilsen was forced to work for the benefit of the Reich armaments and Czech contributions, particularly in the field of tanks, was noted.

The German population was driven out of the city and region after 1945 following the notorious Beneš decrees.

On May 6, 1945, at the very end of World War II, Plzen was liberated from Nazi Germany by the 16th Armored Division of General Patton's 3rd Army. Also participating in the liberation of the city were elements of the 97th and 2nd Infantry Divisions. Other Third Army units liberated major portions of Western Bohemia. The rest of Czechoslovakia was liberated from German control by the Soviet Red Army. Elements of Third Army remained in Plzen until late November 1945 assisting the Czechs with re-building from the war. After seizing power in 1948, the Communists undertook a systematic campaign to suppress all acknowledgement of the U.S. Army's role in liberating the city and Western Bohemia. This effort continued until 1989 when the Communists were removed from power. Since 1990, the city of Plzen has organized annual Liberation Festival taking place in May, which has already become a local tradition, and has been attended by many American and Allied veterans.

From Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plze%C5%88
     
     
     

free hit counter